United News of Bangladesh

A Habiganj court on Sunday granted bail to 11 leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), including its district unit President Rajib Ahmed Ringon, in a case filed over an alleged attack on the convoy of the National Citizen Party (NCP) in the district. Habiganj Senior Judicial Magistrate Abdul Mannan passed the order on bonds of Tk 10,000 each when the accused surrendered before the court in the morning. Case filed over attack on NCP leaders in Habiganj According to the case statement, the motorcade of NCP leaders came under attack on July 28, when 15 leaders and activists, including Chief Organiser for Northern Region Sarjis Alam, were injured. Tanmoy Taher Rubel, convener of the district unit of Jubo Shakti, filed the case at Sadar Police Station.

Police have filed a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act against 25 named and 40-50 unnamed leaders and activists of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) over a procession brought out in Feni Sadar upazila. Three people, including two named accused, have been arrested in connection with the case filed on Saturday evening at Feni Model Police Station, said its Inspector (Investigation) Sajal Kanti Das. The arrestees are Nazmul Islam Shahin, 22, and Md Yasin Babu, 22, two named accused, and Shah Alam, 35. According to the first information report (FIR), leaders and activists of the banned BCL brought out a procession with banners and chanted slogans on Friday morning in the Dasher Pool area of Sadar upazila. Additional Superintendent of Police (Sadar Circle) Nishat Tabassum said drives were continuing to arrest the remaining accused.

The BNP on Saturday entrusted party Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman with the authority to finalise the party's candidate for the upcoming presidential election. The decision was taken at a meeting of the party's National Standing Committee held at the BNP Chairman’s Gulshan office in the evening. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the Standing Committee authorised Tarique Rahman to make all decisions regarding the party's presidential nominee and the election process. "On behalf of the party, we have entrusted all responsibilities relating to the selection of the presidential candidate and the election to our Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman," Fakhrul said. He said the Standing Committee also discussed the government's development activities, the upcoming local government elections and organisational matters. The meeting, which began at 8pm, was chaired by Tarique Rahman. Fakhrul, BNP Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Selima Rahman, Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku and Prof Dr AZM Zahid Hossain were present at the meeting. Speaking after the meeting, Salahuddin said the Election Commission is legally required to hold the presidential election within 90 days and has already indicated its readiness to conduct the polls. "Once the Election Commission announces the election schedule, our party chairman will finalise the candidate. The Standing Committee has entrusted him with that responsibility," he said. Asked whether the party discussed any specific names for the presidency, Salahuddin replied, "No, no names were discussed." On July 24 last, Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned as President and Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad took charge as the acting President. According to Article 123(2) of the Constitution, an election to fill the vacant office of the President must be held within 90 days of the post becoming vacant due to resignation. The President shall be elected by members of Parliament for a five-year term. A person shall not be qualified for election as President if he (a) is less than thirty-five years of age; or (b) is not qualified for election as a Member of Parliament; or (c) has been removed from the office of President by impeachment under this Constitution.

The BNP standing committee, the ruling party’s highest policymaking body, has sat in a meeting ahead of the upcoming presidential election. The meeting began at 8:00pm at the BNP chairman’s political office in the capital’s Gulshan area with Tarique Rahman in the chair, PM's Deputy Press Secretary Jahidul Islam Rony told UNB. BNP standing committee members Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Iqbal Hassan Mahmood, Selima Rahman and AZM Zahid Hossain attended the meeting. Party sources said the nomination of the BNP candidate for the presidential election alongside its different organizational issues are most likely to be discussed. On July 24 last, Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned as the president from office and Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad took the charge as the acting president. According to Article 123(2) of the Constitution, an election to fill the vacant office of the President must be held within 90 days of the post becoming vacant due to resignation. The president shall be elected by members of Parliament for a five-year term. A person shall not be qualified for election as President if he (a) is less than thirty five years of age; or (b) is not qualified for election as a member of Parliament; or (c) has been removed from the office of President by impeachment under this Constitution.

National Citizen Party (NCP) convenor and Chief Whip of the opposition Nahid Islam on Saturday said Bangladesh's minority communities, including Hindus, Buddhists and Christians, should maintain relations with all political parties instead of leaning towards a single one. "We believe minorities should maintain ties with all parties. It is not appropriate to become beholden to one party. If they do, the minority community ends up bearing the burden of all the crimes and misdeeds of that party," Nahid was speaking as chief guest at a discussion titled "Sampriti July: Contribution of Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Communities in the July Uprising," organised at the DRU auditorium in Segunbagicha to mark the second anniversary of the July mass uprising. He alleged that the ousted fascist government had repeatedly exploited the "minority card" for political gain. "In the name of secularism, the Awami League tried to portray itself as non-communal and others as communal. They used to campaign on this before elections. Ahead of the 2026 election too, we have seen a similar pattern being followed by a political party close to the fascist regime," Nahid said, adding that all parties must work to build trust with minority communities so they do not feel insecure. Describing the July uprising as non-communal from the outset, Nahid said the movement's vision of a discrimination-free, inclusive society still stands. "People of all faiths and communities took part in the uprising. At least nine members of minority communities were martyred." Touching on communal harmony in the aftermath of the uprising, the opposition chief whip recalled that madrasa students had stood guard at temples after the fall of the government. "We do not want a situation to arise again where temples need to be guarded. But the uprising showed we are capable of rising above division in times of crisis. Even so, several unwanted incidents have occurred since." He urged the government to give due importance to the demands of the Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities. "It is not just about enforced disappearances and killings, all incidents of attacks, including land grabbing targeting minority communities in the past, must be brought to justice." Calling on minority communities to back the reform agenda, Nahid said, "We have emphasised institutional reforms to ensure everyone's rights. Communal harmony can only be ensured if democracy is strengthened. Without a strong democracy, harmony will not be assured. If the justice system is independent and impartial, everyone will benefit." He further alleged that an old culture of repression against opposition parties was resurfacing. "We are again seeing an environment of fear being created. Given the current situation in the country, all of us should have remained united. If the basis of national unity, implementing the July Charter, staying committed to justice, and fixing the law and order situation, had been upheld, we could have cooperated with the government. We still believe everyone needs to act responsibly to make the July uprising a success and help the country overcome its economic and political crises." he said. The discussion, presided over by NCP joint member secretary Pritom Das, was attended as special guests by Bangladesh Buddhist Association general secretary Bhikkhu Sunandapriya Mahathero, St. Mary's Cathedral director Father Albert Thomas Rozario, NCP political council members Sarwar Tushar and Ali Ahsan Junaed, along with leaders from various communities.

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has handed a fresh suspension to its central committee joint member secretary Gazi Salahuddin Tanvir, days after he posted objectionable comments about Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on social media. Tanvir was given a temporary suspension from his organisational post and served a show-cause notice on Friday night, hours after his controversial Facebook post drew widespread criticism. He has been asked to submit a written defence, along with evidence and explanations, to the party's central disciplinary committee within two working days of receiving the notice, explaining why further organisational action should not be taken against him. The post in question referenced attacks on and obstruction of NCP marches in three districts of Sylhet division, including Habiganj, in which Tanvir accused leaders of Chhatradal and Jubo Dal of involvement. In the same post, he made the objectionable remarks about the prime minister. He deleted the post a few hours later amid backlash on Facebook, but screenshots of it continued to circulate on social media. In a letter to Tanvir published on NCP's verified Facebook page Friday night, the party said a comment attributed to him was found to constitute "a serious organisational breach of discipline and damaging the party's image on social media." The letter added that, given the gravity of the matter, he was being immediately relieved of his organisational responsibilities on the directives of NCP convener Nahid Islam and member secretary Akhter Hossen. This marks the second time Tanvir has been suspended from the party. He was first removed in April 2025 following allegations that he interfered in deputy commissioner appointments after entering the Secretariat in the aftermath of the July mass uprising, and that he was involved in commission dealings related to textbook printing contracts with the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB). He remained outside the party for about a year before being reinstated on April 16 this year. His latest suspension comes roughly three and a half months after his return. Shortly after the controversy broke, Tanvir posted on his own Facebook account expressing regret over his remarks.

State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain on Saturday dismissed Sheikh Hasina's announcement that she would return to Bangladesh in December next, describing it as a "political gimmick." "Sheikh Hasina is talking about returning to the country in December only to boost the morale of her party workers. It is nothing but a political stunt,” he said, while addressing a mock parliament debate in the city on the issue of accountability for the July killings. Any extradition is a legal issue; it'll be dealt with accordingly, India says about Hasina Debate for Democracy arranged the mock debate in the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC). Ishraque alleged members of the Awami family had fled the country even before the July uprising, calling it an act of cowardice. He claimed the Awami League had made a strategic political mistake by moving towards what he described as fascism instead of democratic principles. He also claimed that AL suffered its "ultimate political, social and moral defeat" over the July mass killings and has lost its credibility in the international arena. The state minister said AL leaders and activists have largely remained out of public view since Aug 5, 2024, but many allies of the party continue to hold positions in the administration, business community and cultural arena. “Awami League has no political future. There is no scope for Awami League to get rehabilitated in politics,” he said. Despite differences among anti-Awami League political forces, Ishraque urged all groups involved in the July mass uprising to remain united, warning that disunity could create an opportunity for Awami League to re-emerge. "For the sake of democracy, anti-fascist unity is essential to protect the spirit of July," he said. Speaking as the chair of the event, Debate for Democracy Chairman Hasan Ahmmed Chowdhury Kiron said the July uprising was the outcome of a prolonged anti-government movement led by the BNP and other anti-fascist political parties, combined with the united efforts of students and the people. He said the July mass uprising represented not only the fall of the Awami League government but also the party's political, social, moral and ideological defeat caused by the July mass killings, alleging that the ousted prime minister could not evade responsibility for the killings. The mock parliament debate, titled "Awami League's social defeat on account of the July killings is greater than its political defeat," was won by debaters from the Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT), who defeated their counterparts from Gono University. The judges of the competition were Prof Abu Muhammad Raish, Dr SM Morshed, journalists Arifuzzaman Mamun, Maidur Rahman Rubel and Zakir Hossain Liton. Trophies, crests and certificates were distributed among the participating teams.

Around 45 senior executives from 25 leading US companies are expected to visit Bangladesh by the end of next week to explore investment opportunities and strengthen economic engagement between the two countries. The visiting business delegation will hold a series of meetings with officials from different ministries and government agencies. The executives are also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, PM Office spokesperson Mahdi Amin told reporters on Saturday. Mahdi disclosed the information at a press briefing outside the Prime Minister's Office in Tejgaon following a meeting between Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and visiting US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar on Friday urged the government to abandon what he described as the "destructive path of fascism" and fully implement the July Charter, warning that otherwise a fresh mass movement would be launched. Speaking as the chief guest at a discussion titled “The 2024 Mass Uprising: Expectations and Achievements” at the Jashore District Council auditorium, Parwar said the July 2024 uprising was a nationwide movement involving students and people from all walks of life, not any single political party, individual or group. He said participants in the movement had envisioned a democratic, discrimination-free, humane and corruption-free Bangladesh, alongside a new state structure. Referring to the reform process, he said six reform commissions were formed and representatives of 33 political parties held 72 meetings, submitting 166 reform proposals. According to him, consensus was reached on 84 reform issues before the July Charter was signed at Parliament Plaza, followed by parliamentary elections and a referendum under a presidential order issued on Nov 13, 2025.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi  on Friday said that attempts were being made to deliberately create an atmosphere of terror and instability for political gain, warning that the return of “defeated forces” would threaten everyone's safety. Speaking at a discussion marking the Nazrul Year, organised by the Natore District Council in the evening, Rizvi accused an unnamed political party of trying to spoil the environment by 'instigating children' - although it is most certainly in reference to the opposition alliance of Jamaat e Islami and NCP. Democracy could again be endangered without consensus on key national issues: Rizvi Referring to the political situation after August 5 (2024), he said, “You will have to pay the price for the political culture you have created since Aug 5.” Rizvi said criticism of the government and its policies is part of democracy, but personal and “dirty” attacks are unacceptable and only create hatred in society. “This is what Sheikh Hasina did. They have now fled,” he said. He warned that efforts to artificially create violence and terrorism would not benefit anyone. “If the defeated forces return, no one will remain safe,” he said, adding that those trying to “fish in troubled waters” by creating a planned atmosphere of unrest could ultimately become victims of their own actions. He also urged the opposition to abandon what he described as its “double standards.” Among others, National Parliament Whip Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, Natore District Council Administrator Rahim Newaz, Nazrul researcher Munshi Abu Saif and Golam Mostafa addressed the programme.