Politics
BNP's movement still on, fresh programme in the works: Rizvi
BNP senior leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday said their party is formulating fresh programmes to gear up the movement demanding a fresh election under a non-partisan government.
“Surely, we’re (thinking of) various programmes...our leaders are sitting almost every day...we’ll inform you once our programmes are finalised,” he said.
PM doesn't care about sanctions: Quader
Speaking at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, the BNP leader also said their party is still continuing its movement with various programmes. “We have the political parties with us... we have issues to talk to them... we will talk to everyone and formulate the fresh programmes, and then inform you.”
He said that the ruling party is now celebrating by forming a government with illegal entities. “Such a festival of the ruling party will one day be the festival of the people through their (AL’s) defeat and through their fall."
New AL govt is "blackest artificial regime": Rizvi
The BNP leader said that the ruling party is rejoicing by depriving the people of their right to vote by conducting one-sided elections, just as ferocious and bloodthirsty animals like wolves and lions catch prey and feast on it.
“The pleasure they take in preying on people will one day lead to dire consequences for them. On that day the people will be victorious,” he warned.
BNP to continue street agitation until demands are met: Rizvi
Rizvi said people's justified movement for justice and democracy will never go in vain. “It is a record of history and it is a testimony of history. The people are not defeated...evil forces can restrain the wave of people for a while but they won’t be able to stop it.
He alleged that their party’s jailed leaders and workers have been staying in a suffocating atmosphere as the prisons have become Hitler's concentration camps.
“The highest level of oppression has been applied there (in jails), taking away all basic human rights of (the prisoners belonging to the opposition parties),” the BNP leader said.
He also claimed jailed senior BNP leaders, including its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas and Amir Khosru Mahmud
“The highest record number of people died in custody in a few weeks. Sheikh Hasina's jail is only comparable to the brutal persecution of Hitler's concentration camps," the BNP leader observed.
He said the dummy government felt the warmth of illegal power by unleashing the law enforcers against the common people, but the farmers, labourers, day laborers and low-income people are going through serious ordeals due to shivering cold, especially in the northern part of the country.
“I call upon the rich people and the leaders and workers of BNP to stand by the helpless people,” Rizvi said.
Make sure prices of essentials are not increased during upcoming Ramadan: PM Hasina tells ministers
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday asked the newly appointed ministers to take necessary steps to keep prices of essentials under control during coming holy Ramadan.
“Holy Ramadan is coming and take necessary steps to ensure the prices of the essentials are not increased during this month,” she said.
The prime minister said this while holding an informal meeting with the ministers who came here to pay homage to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The meeting was held at her own residence at Tungipara, her home district.
Flyers on Indian flight stuck in Dhaka Airport for over 12 hours. Here’s why
Hasina arrived here early in the day for her first visit outside the capital since winning January 7 national election with an absolute majority.
The massive win gave her the fourth straight term in office and the fifth overall.
PMO Secretary Mohammad Salahuddin briefed the reporters after the meeting.
He said that this was an informal cabinet meeting.
He mentioned that the prime ministers asked the ministers to take measurers during Ramadan, especially against the big hoarders so they can't create artificial crisis of commodities.
She also asked the ministers to conduct anti-hoarding drives regularly in this connection.
“Put the prices of essentials under control so that the common people could live in comfort,” she was quoted as saying.
PMO secretary said that the prime minister gave directions to her first-time cabinet colleagues to know ins and outs about his or her ministry first.
Salauddin said that PM Hasina asked the ministers to highly consider benefits of the country and its people while taking up any project.
Flyers on Indian flight stuck in Dhaka Airport for over 12 hours. Here’s why
PM doesn't care about sanctions: Quader
Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said, “They (the opposition) are looking towards their foreign friends to ensure that this government cannot stay in power. However, our Prime Minister does not care about any sanctions or visa policies.”
Russia observes ‘external attempts’ to influence election outcome in Bangladesh
He made these remarks during an exchange of views with journalists after paying tribute at the mausoleum of the Father of the Nation in Tungipara, Gopalganj.
PM Hasina, ministers pay tributes to Bangababandhu at Tungipara
At this time, he also mentioned that the opposition is hoping for sanctions like those in Cambodia. “But our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina does not worry about these sanctions or visa policies.”
Russian PM congratulates Sheikh Hasina
Feroz Rashid, SS Roy removed from party posts as fallout of disastrous election continues in JP
Jatiya Party (JP) on Friday relieved its co-chairman Kazi Firoz Rashid and presidium member Sunil Suvho Roy of all party posts.
JP Chairman Golam Mohammad Quader took the decision to remove the two senior leaders of the party, according to a press release signed by the party's Joint Office Secretary Mahmud Alam
However it wasn't mentioned in the press release why these two heavyweight leaders of the party were let go.
The fallout continues in JP of the party's disastrous participation in the 12th parliamentary elections of January 7.
The decision came a day after some party leaders and activists protested at the party's Banani office, demanding the resignation of JP Chairman GM Quader and Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu.
B'baria-3 independent candidate sued for Tk100 cr by incoming minister
Newly-appointed Minister of Housing and Public Works R. A. M Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury has filed a defamation case of TK100 crore against one of his opponents in the January 7 election.
According to the case filed by the new minister, Firozur Rahman who was an independent candidate for Brahmanbaria-3 (Sadar-Bijaynagar) constituency, is a licensed narcotics trader, and deliberately spread false and defamatory statements in various places including an election rally to tarnish his (Muktadir's) image.
Firozur Rahman said he did receive notice before the case was filed but overlooked it as he was busy with the election. Since it is now a legal battle, he will respond accordingly.
New AL govt is "blackest artificial regime": Rizvi
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Friday described the new Awami League government, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as the “blackest artificial regime” in Bangladesh with characteristics of one-party fascism.
"The journey of the blackest artificial government characterised by one-party fascism started yesterday (Thursday) in Bangladesh political history, on the blackest day of 1/11, after the swearing-in of dummy MPs based on dummy results of a dummy election held with dummy candidates, dummy voters, dummy polling agents and dummy observers,” he said.
Speaking at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, he also said the people of the country and the democratic world have rejected the ‘fascist’ regime of Sheikh Hasina by boycotting the dummy election held on January 7. “They also turned down all the processes involved with that election, including persons, the results, the oaths, the parliament and the government.”
Immediately after the fake election and before the end of the term of the 11th parliament, Rizvi said Sheikh Hasina formed the government at an unprecedented speed by issuing the gazette and swearing in hastily. “It has manifested that an unknown fear has gripped her. Life falls into such sleepless uncertainty of facing fall when the throne is set up like a house of cards with illegitimacy, forgery and deception.”
The BNP leader said the new parliament and the cabinet are not acceptable to the country’s people. “People rejected it from all fronts.”
Rizvi, who has been holding virtual press conferences since BNP leaders went into hiding following violent clashes with the police on October 28, attended his first in person press briefing on Friday as the party's central office reopened on Thursday.
He said their party leaders and activists have been in a movement for the restoration of democracy and people’s voting and other democratic rights.
The BNP leader claimed that people manifested their support in favour of the movement of the BNP and other opposition parties by boycotting the ‘so-called’ election on January 7.”
He said the Awami League leaders defeated in the January 7 election are now branding Sheikh Hasina as the Prime Minister of illegal votes by narrating the incidents of vote fraud, vote robbery and various irregularities
"The defeated candidates are now publicly saying who have been taken to the polls with how much money. The cat is slowly coming out of the bag. All misdeeds of the ruling party are getting exposed.
BNP has long been saying Sheikh Hasina is a vote thief and now people belonging to Awami League are saying Sheikh Hasina is a vote thief and Sheikh Hasina is a vote robber,” Rizvi said.
There shall be free, unrestricted freedom of expression and information: Arafat
Newly appointed State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat on Friday said Bangladesh will be a non-communal and democratic state without any restrictions on freedom of expression.
"There shall be free and unrestricted freedom of expression and information," said Arafat, who is known as an academic, social advocate, and politician.
Those who do politics with a communal mentality want democracy for themselves, but they will not give democracy to others, said the state minister, in a message shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.
He said fundamentalist and radical groups want freedom of expression for themselves but not for others, which creates a serious problem for the progress of democracy in a society. "Fundamentalism and bigotry are anti-democratic," Arafat said.
First, he said, fundamentalist and communal mentalities should be abandoned, and then democracy should be sought.
Arafat is a two-times member of the Bangladesh parliament, having been twice elected from the Dhaka-17 constituency as an Awami League nominee in the11th and 12th parliaments respectively.
He entered the 11th parliament after winning a by-election on July 17 last year on the Awami League ticket.
He is also a member of the Awami League's central working committee.
Over the years, he has been a key asset for the Awami League, in particular as regards the party's political communications and foreign relations functions.
He is also the chairman of the Dhaka-based not-for-profit social-advocacy organisation, the Shuchinta Foundation.
He is also a popular face in social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.
Challenges before the govt are political, economic and diplomatic: Quader
The challenges before the new government are political, economic and diplomatic, said Awami General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Friday.
“These three challenges lie ahead. It is not so easy to protect Bangladesh from the repercussions of the global crisis in these three sectors,” he said.
Bangladesh's journey to prosperity to continue: PM Hasina
He was speaking to journalists before the new cabinet paid homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at his portrait at Dhanmondi 32 in the capital on Friday.
“We have been able to hold a peaceful and fair election overcoming the crisis today. This has been possible for the magic touch of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” he said.
Western nations congratulate new government; efforts will be there to improve ties with all: Hasan Mahmud
“There had never been flowers on our path. We had to cross a thorny path from birth,” said the AL leader.
“We got independence under the leadership of Bangabandhu and under the leadership of Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina, we will build Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu. The main target of the government is to implement the election manifesto of the party,” he also said.
The new Cabinet members led by PM pay homage to Liberation War martyrs
PM, Cabinet members take oath at Bangabhaban
Awami League President Sheikh Hasina as the Prime minister and 36 Cabinet members including 25 ministers and 11 state ministers took oath on Thursday.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath at Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban in the evening.
Hasina signed the oath of office and oath of secrecy after the swearing-in while the minister and state minister also signed.
The ministers who took oath are: AKM Mozammel Haque (Gazipur-1), Obaidul Quader (Noakhali-5), Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun (Narsingdi-4), Asaduzzaman Khan (Dhaka-12), Dr Dipu Moni (Chandpur-3), Md Tajul Islam (Cumilla-9), Muhammad Faruk Khan (Gopalganj-1), Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali (Dinajpur-4), Anisul Huq (Brahmanbaria-4), Dr Hasan Mahmud (Chattogram-7), Md Abdus Shahid (Moulvibazar-4), Sadhan Chandra Majumder (Naogaon-1), RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury (Brahmanbaria-3), Md Abdur Rahman (Faridpur-1), Narayan Chandra Chanda (Khulna-5), Abdus Salam (Mymensingh-9), Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury (Chattogram-9), Farhad Hossain (Meherpur-1), Md Faridul Haque Khan (Jamalpur-2), Md Zillul Hakim (Rajbari-2), Saber Hossain Chowdhury (Dhaka-9), Jahangir Kabir Nanak (Dhaka-13), Nazmul Hasan (Kishoreganj-6), Architect Yeafesh Osman (technocrat) and Samanta Lal Sen (technocrat).
The state ministers are: Simeen Hussain Rimi (Gazipur-4), Nasrul Hamid (Dhaka-3), Zunaid Ahmed Palak (Natore-3), Mohammad Ali Arafat (Dhaka-17), Md Mahibbur Rahman (Patuakhali-4), Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury (Dinajpur-2), Zaheed Farooque, (Barishal-5), Kujendra Lal Tripura (Khagrachhari), Rumana Ali (Gazipur-3), Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury (Sylhet-2) and Ahsanul Islam Titu (Tangail-6).
Jatiya Sangsad Speaker, Chief Justice, Chief Election Commissioner, Judges of the Supreme Court, MPs, political leaders, chiefs of the three services, members of diplomatic corps, journalists, and high civil and military officials attended the ceremony.
President's spouse Dr Rebeka Sultana, PM's younger sister Sheikh Rehana and other family members were also present at the function.
Hasina was given a standing ovation when she entered the Durbar Hall at 6.55pm. Minutes later President Shahabuddin entered the Durbar Hall where the premier took oath at 7.06pm.
The ceremony began with the recitation from the holy Quran while Hasina took oath first pledging to preserve, protect and defend the national constitution and the state sovereignty.
Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain conducted the oath-taking function while more than 1000 guests were invited to witness the historic ceremony.
AL took over through ‘fake polls’ on Jan 7: BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan
BNP senior leader Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan on Thursday alleged that the Awai League government seized office again through a fake election on January 7.
"This government has taken over the parliament as per its will by holding a fake and farcical election. It has now become clear to all that there was no election on January 7," he told a press conference.
Dr Moyeen claimed that the victory and defeat of the candidates in the 12th parliamentary election were predetermined by the highest level of the government. “It’s now no longer only BNP’s statement as it’s now exposed to the entire world with all the proofs.”
He said that the most depressing, shameful, disgraceful thing is that the government has indulged in vote robbery in broad daylight. "They shared the seats openly through negotiations and openly decided who would be elected to which seats (before the elections)."
Dr Moyeen, a BNP standing committee member, said it is needless to say how mean this regime is.
The BNP's Standing Committee, the party's highest decision-making body, arranged the press meet at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, which was reopened in the morning two and a half months after closure following clashes with police during the party’s grand rally on October 28, 2023.
Some BNP leaders and activists, led by the party’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, broke open the padlock on the collapsible gate of the office around 10:42 am.
After the party’s grand rally was foiled halfway through on October 28 at Nayapaltan amid clashes with police, the collapsible gate of the BNP's office was closed with the deployment of a huge number of law enforcers in the area.
Dr Moyeen said the government seized the central office of the country’s "biggest party" BNP following its crackdown on October 28. “We reopened the office today (Thursday) and came here to speak in favour of the people as we do politics with people for their welfare.”
Stating that the BNP believes in a liberal democratic political ideology, he said that their party has been on a movement to restore democracy in Bangladesh together with the people as the party did in the past.
“We're on the streets and will remain there with our movement. The BNP does not do politics only for going to power as our main goal is to establish people's rights. So, we're in the movement and we’ll restore the people's right to vote, the people's right to economic equality, and the people's democratic rights. We’ll create an atmosphere in Bangladesh where a people's government will be established through a fair and impartial election," the BNP leader observed.
He said it has been proved to the people of the country and the people of the world through the January-7 election that this government does not believe in democracy. “What this regime believes in is one-party Baksal rule."
BNP's standing committee members Nazrul Islam Khan, Selima Rahman, Vice Chairman M Shahjahan, advocate Zainul Abedin, Netai Roy Chowdhury and senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi were, among others, present.
Later, a documentary on irregularities, vote rigging, and ballot stamping by the ruling party leaders and workers during the January-7 polls was screened.