United News of Bangladesh

BNP’s nomination board on Friday interviewed the party’s nomination candidates for the Thakurgaon-1 by-election, with the final decision to be announced later. The National Standing Committee meeting of the BNP effectively served as the party’s nomination board meeting. The meeting began around 7pm at the BNP chairman’s office in Gulshan. Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman and members of the Standing Committee took part in the interview process.

National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam on Friday accused BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman of emerging as a ‘new authoritarian,’ saying democracy and human rights are not safe under his leadership. “Democracy is not safe in Tarique Rahman’s hands, nor are human rights. Tarique Rahman has emerged as a new authoritarian,” Nahid said while addressing an NCP human chain in front of the Jatiya Sangsad. The NCP arranged the human chain protesting what it described as the BNP government’s passage of laws violating human rights, suppression of dissent and deprivation of citizens’ fundamental rights. He alleged that the BNP government was suppressing dissent and passing laws that undermine citizens’ fundamental rights, despite its earlier struggle for democracy and human rights during the ousted Awami regime. Nahid demanded amendments to laws concerning enforced disappearances and the National Human Rights Commission, as well as proposed changes to Cyber Security Act, saying such measures must not curtail freedom of expression. He questioned the government’s handling of disappearance allegations, particularly the case of Miraj Sheikh, who, he said, had remained missing for five months. He also criticised the use of the Anti-Terrorism Act against NCP-linked activists Gazi Salahuddin Tanvir and Sifat, arguing that offensive speech should not be treated as terrorism. “But it is not terrorism. People’s mouths are being silenced and their right to speak is being stopped in the name of the Anti-Terrorism Act,” he said. He alleged that law-enforcement agencies should not investigate disappearance complaints involving other law-enforcement agencies and expressed concern that provisions penalising false complaints could discourage victims’ families from seeking justice. Nahid also alleged that the Anti-Corruption Commission was being used against opposition figures. “You are using the ACC against us, against our leaders; by all means, continue doing so,” he said. “You have not formed a police reform commission; instead, the police force is being prepared to suppress the opposition,” he added. He called for independent mechanisms to investigate human-rights violations and protect democratic and constitutional rights.

A meeting of ruling party BNP’s highest policymaking body, the National Standing Committee, is underway at the chairman’s office in Gulshan. The meeting began at 7pm (Friday). Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman is chairing the meeting. BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan confirmed the matter. Those attending the meeting include BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed; Standing Committee members and lawmakers Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Prime Minister’s Political Adviser Nazrul Islam Khan, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Begum Selima Rahman and Amanullah Aman; Prime Minister’s Adviser on Public Administration Ismail Zabiullah; and BNP Chairman’s Adviser Dr Farhad Halim Doner.

The 11-party opposition alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami is set to hold its second 'long march' from Dhaka to Rangpur on Saturday, seeking public support on their seven-point demand, including the implementation of the people's verdict in the February 12 referendum and resolution of the energy and fertilizer crisis. The 11-party alliance will launch a long march towards Rangpur from Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka at 7:00 AM. The inaugural rally will continue until 8:00 AM. Later, five roadside rallies will be held at Bhogra bypass in Gazipur, Nagar Jalpai in Tangail, Hatikumrul in Sirajganj, Charmatha in Bogra, and Palashbari in Gaibandha before the concluding gathering at Rangpur Zilla School. The other demands are trial of the July 2024 mass killings, taking measures to control soaring prices of essential commodities, an end to corruption, extortion and violence, improvement of the law and order situation and an end to narrow partisanisation. Jamaat Secretary General and Long March Implementation Committee Convener Mia Golam Parwar on Friday called upon the government not to create any obstruction or hindrance to their “disciplined and peaceful” Dhaka-Rangpur Long March scheduled for Saturday. “Our appeal to the government is that no obstruction or hindrance should be created in any way to the disciplined and peaceful Long March,” he said while briefing reporters at the central office of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in the capital on Friday. The Jamaat leader asked their leaders and activists participating in the Long March not to fall prey to any provocation. “We will make our democratic programme successful by showing the utmost patience and restraint. Even if we are harmed or physically attacked, we believe that it would be a great achievement in making the Long March successful than in seeking revenge,” Golam Parwar said. He sought cooperation from the government, the ruling BNP, police and civil administration, intelligence agencies, traffic authorities, roadside small traders and pedestrians, and drivers and passengers of vehicles. Golam Parwar said extensive preparations had been taken by all district and metropolitan Jamaat units along the route of the Dhaka-Rangpur Long March. About its first long march from Dhaka to Chattogram held on September 5, he said they earlier staged a Long March towards Chattogram with six demands aimed at strengthening democracy and meeting the aspirations of the people. “Now another demand has been added, making it seven,” he said. Citing that top leaders of the 11-party alliance held a meeting at the residence of the opposition leader on Thursday, he said they decided to add the demand for implementation of the Teesta Master Plan to the Long March towards northern Bangladesh, considering it a longstanding demand of millions of people in the region. “We demand that the government immediately remove whatever hesitation or fear it has regarding implementation of the Teesta Master Plan and take all necessary measures through diplomatic channels,” said Golam Parwar. He said millions of people were now preparing to welcome the Dhaka-Rangpur Long March along the route. “We have received information that more than 1,000 vehicles will join the Long March convoy. Instructions have been given for the vehicles and responsibilities have been assigned,” he said. On September 5 last, the opposition alliance staged its first long march from Dhaka to Chattogram on a six-point demand. But the alliance expanded it to a seven-point demand ahead of the Dhaka-Rangpur Long March as the demand to halt corruption, land grabbing and extortion was added to the original six points.

Ruling party BNP’s highest policymaking body, the National Standing Committee, is scheduled to meet Friday evening to review the overall political situation and decide the party’s next course of action. BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan, when contacted, said he had heard that the party’s Standing Committee meeting is scheduled for Friday evening. The meeting is expected to be held at the BNP chairman’s political office in Gulshan, with Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman in the chair. Party sources said Tarique Rahman’s upcoming visit to the United States to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, scheduled to begin on Sept 21, and various preparations surrounding the visit may come up for detailed discussion at the meeting. The meeting is also expected to discuss the party’s next political course of action after reviewing the overall situation in the country.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Amir and Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman on Thursday demanded transparency in the selection of 25 recruiting agencies for sending Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia, asking the government to clarify the criteria behind the selection. “The government must make it clear that it is not involved. It must also clarify the criteria on which these agencies were selected,” he said. The Jamaat leader made these remarks while speaking at a seminar titled “Syndicate and Malaysia Labour Market: Bangladesh’s Partnership” at the Jatiya Press Club in the capital. He said, “We want an open labour market in Malaysia but ‘dishonest’ businesses or institutions should not be allowed to benefit from the process.” Questioning the selection of the 25 agencies, he said, “They appeared to have been chosen as ‘master agencies’ with associate agencies working under them.” “What are the criteria? The media have already reported that some of these agencies have no previous experience. On what basis were they selected?” he asked. The Jamaat leader also raised concerns over the high cost migrant workers bear, saying many spend Tk 5-7 lakh to secure jobs abroad by taking loans, selling land or livestock, or borrowing money. “If a worker has to spend his entire working life repaying the debt, what will his condition be?” he asked. Referring to the 11-party alliance's upcoming long march program, he said his party was now campaigning with seven demands and would add the issue to make it an eight-point demand. According to a PID handout issued on Aug 28, a memorandum of understanding signed between Bangladesh and Malaysia on Dec 18, 2022 placed the responsibility for selecting Bangladeshi recruiting agencies solely with the Malaysian government. It said the Malaysian Cabinet approved 25 agencies each from Bangladesh and Nepal and 10 each from India, Pakistan and Myanmar among the five major worker-supplying countries. The handout said the selection was a sovereign decision of the Malaysian government and that all 25 agencies approved for Bangladesh were included in a list of 423 recruiting agencies prepared by the previous interim government. The program was chaired by Jamaat e Islami Naye –e-Amir Mujibur Rahman. Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad, Barrister Shahriar Kabir, JagPa spokesperson Rashed Prodhan , among others, spoke at the event.

National Citizens Party (NCP) Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari on Thursday alleged that the current government is moving towards agreements with India and Israel related to surveillance and access to citizens’ digital communications. “We have heard that, behind the scenes, the current government is also moving towards such agreements with Israel and India. But they will not admit it publicly,” he said. Patwari made the remarks at a discussion titled “SRB, enforced disappearance and cyber law: Human rights violations”, organised by the NCP at its central office in the afternoon. Referring to the Digital Security Act enacted by the previous government, he said the law had been used to justify checking the Facebook and WhatsApp messages of political figures and other people. He alleged that the previous government had entered into agreements with foreign powers, including India and Israel, to obtain such security and surveillance capabilities. He called on experts in the field to bring the issue to public attention and examine whether the current government is pursuing similar arrangements. “If the government goes to a foreign state and says it needs to see what the people of Bangladesh are doing on Messenger and WhatsApp, and asks companies operating here for call records, that raises questions about citizens’ security,” he said. Patwari said the state has a responsibility to ensure security both offline and online and that laws are necessary to protect people from genuine security threats. But, he said, national security should not be compromised in the name of protecting citizens, nor should citizens be handed over to foreign powers. He said many Bangladeshis are not sufficiently aware of their constitutional and legal rights and that this lack of awareness was being used to introduce laws that could be used as “weapons”. Referring to Salahuddin Ahmed, He said there was no guarantee in Bangladesh regarding compensation for victims of enforced disappearance or whether such cases would be investigated independently. “The person who was a victim of this kind of incident is now, through the stroke of his own pen, bringing such laws back to Bangladesh,” he alleged. AB Party secretary general Asaduzzaman Fuad alleged that the government is using legal provisions against critics over their Facebook posts and other public comments. He said offensive or rude language should not automatically be treated as a criminal offence and alleged that such legal measures were aimed at weakening the balance within society and the state. He said the government is also restricting criticism by bringing people under legal provisions for spreading what it considers misinformation or for making comments that could prejudice or harm the reputation of ministers and MPs. He questioned the effectiveness of such restrictions, saying similar practices had existed during the Awami League government but had not prevented citizen journalists and others from disseminating information. The speakers at the discussion included of NCP Law Affairs Secretary Zahirul Islam Musa, NCP Joint Member Secretary Faridul Haque, Jatiya Narishakti Convener Monira Sharmin, Citizens Coalition co-coordinator Fahim Mashroor, Member of the NCP Political Council Sarwar Tushar, NCP MP from Narayanganj-4 Abdullah Al Amin, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Nabila Idris, Women’s reserved seat MP Tasmia Pradhan.

Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal President Abdul Monayem Munna on Wednesday called for continuous cleanliness and public awareness activities in every ward of Dhaka North Jubo Dal to raise awareness about dengue prevention. He made the call while speaking at the launch of a public awareness leaflet distribution programme in front of IPH Mosque in the capital’s Mohakhali around noon. The leaflet distribution programme was organised as part of the dengue prevention campaign announced by the Jubo Dal Central Executive Committee. Jubo Dal leaders and activists distributed leaflets among people, outlining what should be done to prevent dengue. Munna said the activities should not remain limited to the seven-day programme and called for cleanliness and public awareness campaigns to be conducted continuously in every ward of Dhaka North Jubo Dal.

Three BNP aspirants on Wednesday submitted their nomination forms to contest the by-election to the Thakurgaon-1 constituency on the party ticket. The three are Mirza Faisal Amin, Sultanul Ferdous Chowdhury and Obaidullah Masud. Their interviews will be held before the BNP nomination board at the party chairman’s Gulshan office on Friday. Mirza Faisal Amin, younger brother of President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and president of Thakurgaon district BNP, submitted his form to BNP Assistant Office Secretary Tarikul Islam Tenzing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office around noon. Central Jubo Dal Vice-President Kamal Anwar Ahmed and Thakurgaon district BNP General Secretary Paigam Ali, among others, were present at the time. Sultanul Ferdous and Obaidullah Masud later submitted their forms separately. On September 12, BNP acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the party would finalise its candidate for the Thakurgaon-1 by-election on September 18 based on the decision of its nomination board. The Thakurgaon-1 by-election is scheduled for October 29.

BNP acting Secretary General and Prime Minister’s Adviser on Industries Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Wednesday said many properties of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) are decaying due to a lack of proper oversight. “The purpose for which BSCIC was established has not received due attention. Many properties in BSCIC industrial estates in different districts are being neglected and deteriorating due to a lack of proper monitoring,” he said. Rizvi was speaking at the inauguration of a five-day Leather and Leather Goods Fair 2026 organised by BSCIC at its auditorium in the afternoon. The fair will run from 10:00am to 8:00pm every day until September 20.