Politics
Post-poll violence: 7 houses, establishments of AL supporters vandalised in Natore
At least seven houses and establishments were vandalised allegedly by the supporters of an independent candidate who was elected MP from Natore-1 in Sunday’s polls, in Bagatipara upazila of Natore district on Monday.
Affected house owners alleged that the supporters of independent candidate Abul Kalam Azad led by Dayarampur UP member Akkas Ali swooped on the house of Jakaria, a Chhtra League leader, and vandalised the house on Monday morning.
Read: 2 of a family among three dead in Manikganj road crash
They also looted valuables from the house.
In the same way the houses and establishments of the supporters of Awami League-backed candidate and current MP Shahidul Islam Bakul of Natore-1 constituency also came under attack in Chandpur, Faguerdier, Tunipara and other areas soon after the announcement of the results of the election.
Nannu Khan, officer-in-charge of Bagatipara Police Station, said legal steps will be taken after getting written complaints.
Additional police have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.
Read: Voting at a polling centre under Narsingdi-3 constituency cancelled
The leaders and activists of Awami League and Chhatra League left their houses amid fear.
On Sunday, independent candidate Abul Kalam Azad won from Natore-1 constituency after defeating AL-nominated candidate Shahidul Islam Bakul in the 12th general election.
BNP has nothing to do now except waiting for another 5 yrs: Obaidul Quader
Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Monday said the people of the country gave a befitting reply to the arsonists, defeated forces of 1971, and the killers of August 15 through balloting.“BNP-Jamaat has failed this time too and after boycotting the election repeatedly, now BNP has nothing to do except waiting for five years. All allegations BNP brought are now unrealistic and baseless,” he said.
Election-related violence won't be tolerated: Obaidul QuaderQuader came up with the remarks while talking to reporters at AL’s Tejgaon office in the capital.He also urged the BNP to accept the truth.“We’ll implement the pledges made in the election manifesto and a smart and prosperous Bangladesh will be built in future. This election will be a milestone in the country's democratic journey,” said the AL general secretary.Besides, Awami League will hold a public rally on January 10 on the occasion of Bangbandhu’s Homecoming Day, he added.
Respond to conspiracies by casting votes: Obaidul Quader
AL presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak, joint general secretary Bahauddin Nasim were, among others, present at the press conference.
BNP demands fresh election to establish legitimate govt, PM Hasina’s resignation
Claiming that people turned down Sunday’s voting, BNP on Monday demanded the cancellation of the 12th parliamentary election and the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
At a press conference at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office, the party also renewed its demand for a fresh election under a non-party polls-time government to establish a legitimate and accountable government.
To mobilise public support for their demands, the BNP also announced a two-day mass contact programme for Tuesday and Wednesday.
“The country’s people unilaterally and spontaneously rejected the 'dummy election' of January 7. So, we first of all congratulate the freedom-loving and democracy-loving people of the country on behalf of 63 pro-democracy political parties, including BNP, said party Standing Committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan.
He also said the government failed to take voters to the polling stations with various threats and intimidation. “Despite various abuses of state power, use of dummy election commission or controlled media and various excuses, the reality is that the people of the country unilaterally rejected the January 7 fake election.”
Read: Ballot boxes stuffed at night even in lopsided polls: Rizvi
The BNP leader said there was no voting and election on January 7. “What happened was vote robbery and vote rigging. “Both the election results and the percent of voter turnout were predetermined by the government. The Election Commission announced the percentage of voter turnout exactly as the government says. It’s a meaningless figure.”
He said they will continue their movement peacefully until an accountable and elected government is established.
Another BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said their party wanted to establish a government elected by people’s vote and accountable to them.
“A free and fair election is necessary for it what didn’t happen yesterday (Sunday). So, people have turned down this election. Everyone is saying the voter turnout which was shown (by the EC) was fake,” he said.
“So, BNP and other political parties who have on a movement for the restoration of democracy demand the immediate cancellation of the dummy election of January 7, resignation of Sheikh Hasina and formation of a polls-time non-party neutral government for holding a national election,” Nazrul said.
Read: Commonwealth secy gen’s statement did not reflect the ground reality of BD: BNP
He also said people’s ownership of the state must be restored and all enforced disappearance, killing, and ghost cases must be stopped and people will have to be protected from his repressive regime.
“These are now people’s demands. We congratulate and thank people as they made sacrifices in the face of various pressures and allurement and foiled the government’s evil efforts to show a huge turnout by taking them to the voting centres.
About Sunday’s election scenario, Dr Moyeen Khan there were many centers across the country where not even a single vote was given throughout the day while only a handful of votes were cast in many other polling stations.
Mentioning that no vote was cast in 19 centres in Khagrachari, the BNP leader said almost every constituency in the country has centres where not even a single vote was given or only 10/20 votes were cast throughout the day.
Dr Moyeen said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resorted to subterfuge to increase voter turnout in polling stations. “Awami League, unprecedentedly, fielded ‘dummy' candidates of its party against one of its nominees. But such artificial competition among themselves could not help ensure the presence of voters in the polling stations.”
He said the people of the country believe that election under Sheikh Hasina means vote robbery and vote fraud. “Which candidate will be declared winner or defeated in this fake election was predetermined.”
Had the people believed in this government and the Election Commission, Moyeen said they would have come to the polling stations. “But the people boycotted the vote, sending out a clear message that this government and this Election Commission are all fake ones.”
About the voter turnout, he said the Commission announced it as per the estimate fixed by the government.
“People don't want North Korea-style elections… We said earlier, that there can never be a free, fair and impartial election under Sheikh Hasina. That is why, for the sake of establishing the voting rights of the country's 12 crore voters, the pro-democratic opposition parties demand that the national elections be held under a non-partisan, neutral electoral government, keeping Sheikh Hasina out of state power,” the BNP leader said.
Read: Govt out to show artificial turnout in Jan 7 polls: Dr Moyeen Khan
Moyeen said their party thinks the democracy-loving people have expressed their solidarity with the demands of the opposition parties by boycotting the polling stations braving the threats and intimidation of the fascist government.
He said people gave a mass verdict in favour of the opposition’s demands by boycotting the farcical election.
“If Sheikh Hasina tries to form a government through dummy elections of January 7, it will be 'the government of the dummy by the dummy for the dummy'. People want an accountable and elected government, not a dependent 'dummy one.
“The statement of BNP and 63 pro-democratic political parties is clear. Even if Awami League tries to legitimise itself through farce in the name of the January 7 elections, Sheikh Hasina's government will be considered illegal, undemocratic and unconstitutional by the democratic people as before,” the BNP leader said.
He said a foreign election observer hired by the government commented that Bangladesh is moving towards the North Korean system through the current electoral process.
He said the BNP believes in the power of the people. “We have taken the streets with the people to restore the rights of the people, we were on the streets, still on the streets and we will be there in the future until we can return the true rights of the people to the people. This is the promise of BNP.”
Moyeen said they will conduct mass contacts on Tuesday and Wednesday and then they will announce the fresh course of action.
Envoys of India, China, Russia and four other countries congratulate Hasina on her big election victory
The envoys of India, Russia, China, Bhutan, Philippines, Singapore, and Sri Lanka paid a courtesy call on Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban on Monday (January 08, 2024) morning.
Besides, the delegation of Aga Khan Diplomatic Representatives also met her.
Read more: Visiting foreign observers describe National Election 2024 in Bangladesh as ‘free, fair and safe’
On behalf of their respective countries and organisation, they congratulated Hasina on her party’s absolute victory in Sunday's 12th National Parliamentary Election, according to a release from PM’s press wing.
The delegates expressed their firm commitment to continue cooperation with Bangladesh, it said.
The prime minister thanked them and sought their cooperation in the development and advancement of Bangladesh.
Read more: India congratulates PM Hasina on election victory, hopes for ‘even stronger momentum’ in ties
History will mark 7th January as black day: Jamaat
Acting Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Prof. Mujibur Rahman congratulated the people for rejecting the election and said people of the country and the world witnessed yet another mockery of an election without voters.
He said that the people of Bangladesh and the world witnessed yet another farcical dummy election and history will mark the 7th of January as a black day, a press release said.
Kader Siddique defeated by AL candidate Anupam Joy in Tangail-8
Jamaat Ameer said that almost all political parties, civil society, intellectuals, and people of different classes and professions of Bangladesh have been agitating for fair, free, impartial, and participatory elections under a caretaker government.
The democratic world and Bangladesh's friendly countries have expressed hope for free and participatory elections in Bangladesh. The government held a mock election on January 7, ignoring public opinion.
Salman F Rahman wins again
He said that in order to make this farcical election participatory and acceptable, the government is trying to bring voters to the polling booths by standing their party people as independent, rebellious, and dummy candidates.
Awami League's party cadres and administration continue to intimidate voters into voting. Many are threatened with death.
People rejected vote strongly: AB Party
“The people did not go to the polling stations to cast their votes, failing all the tricks of the Awami League government. Voters had no interest in farcical elections from the beginning of the election scheduled,” said Jamaat Acting Ameer.
Salman F Rahman wins again
Awami League nominated candidate for Dhaka-1 Salman Fazlur Rahman has been elected unofficially in the 12th parliamentary elections again held on Sunday.
Rahman, also adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, bagged 1,49,971 votes while his nearest rival Salma Islam from Jatiya Party secured 34,746 votes.
The voting in the 12th parliamentary election began at 8:00 am and concluded at 4pm without any break amid tight security in 299 out of the country’s 300 constituencies.
Cricketer Shakib Al Hasan elected by 140,000 votes in Magura-1 constituency
Captain of the national cricket team and world famed all rounder Shakib Al Hasan was elected parliament member from Magura-1 constituency in the 12th national election held on Sunday .
Shakib earned a landslide victory in his first appearance in the just concluded National Election with "Boat symbol" as an Awami League candidate polling 185,388 votes. His nearest candidate Advocate Rezaul Hasan of Bangladesh Congress got 45,933 votes.
Shakib cast his vote at the Dorimagura School center of Magura in the morning along with his father Mashrur Reza and sister Bristy.
Saifuzzaman Shikor is the sitting Awami League MP from Magura -1 constituency, but he did not get party nomination this time and supported Shakib in the election.
Besides, Sirajus Sayefin Saif of Jatiya Party, Sanjoy Kumar Roy of Trinamool BNP, M Motasim Billah of Bangladesh Nationalists Front (BNF) party also competed against Shakib Al Hasan.
National Election: Palak wins 4th term
Zunaid Ahmed Palak, AL nominated candidate for Natore-3 constituency, has become a member of parliament for the 4th consecutive time defeating his rival by huge margins of 92,687 votes.
Palak bagged 1,35,706 votes while his nearest rival independent candidate with Eagle symbol got 43,019 votes, according to a press release.
According to the release, a total of 1,78,725 voters exercised their voting rights in the election held on Sunday.
The voting in the 12th parliamentary election began at 8:00 am and concluded at 4pm without any break amid tight security in 299 out of the country’s 300 constituencies.
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal claimed that Sunday's national election has been free, fair and neutral thanks to the government's political will, sincerity and cooperation.
The CEC said the voter turnout might be some 40 percent in the 12th Parliamentary election.
Rajshahi-2: Independent candidate Shafiqur Rahman Badsha unofficially elected
Shafiqur Rahman Badsha, independent candidate of Rajshahi-2 (Sadar) constituency has unofficially been declared elected as he defeated his rival Bangladesh Workers' Party's general secretary and three-time lawmaker Fazle Hossain Badsha by 23,718 votes.
Shafiqur Rahman bagged 55,141 votes while Fazle Hossain Badsha polled 31,423 in all 112 centres in the polls held on Sunday.
The voting in the 12th parliamentary election began at 8:00 am and concluded at 4pm without any break amid tight security in 299 out of the country’s 300 constituencies.
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal claimed that Sunday's national election has been free, fair and neutral thanks to the government's political will, sincerity and cooperation.
The CEC said the voter turnout might be some 40 percent in the 12th Parliamentary election.
Jatiya Party being used as sacrificial lamb in polls : GM Quader
Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman GM Quader on Sunday said a one-party rule will be established in the country by sacrificing JP candidates at the end.
He said his party is being used as a sacrificial lamb for this purpose.
"As we have joined the election, there is no scope of boycotting it right now. We have to announce programmes after getting the polls results," Quader said while replying to a query from reporters after overseeing polls in Rangpur-3 constituency.
Jatiya Party candidate for Lakshmipur-3 steps aside from election
He said, "I have received information that our agents are being driven away in various places including Jamalpur and Cumilla. Though the rulling party assured JP that voting would be free and fair, voting is not being held in a peaceful manner in most places except Rangpur areas,” said GM Quader.
National polls: 2 Jatiya Party candidates withdraw from Chuadanga
“I don't want to say anything in advance. We will discuss the overall situation with the party leaders and take a decision,” he said replying to another question.
Sylhet-5: Jatiya Party candidate Sabbir Ahmed withdraws from Jan-7 polls