Politics
BNP grassroots leaders want unity of opposition parties
BNP grassroots leaders on Tuesday urged the party policymakers to give focus on bringing the opposition political parties under a single platform to wage a strong movement for the restoration of election-time government.
In a closed-door meeting, they also opined that the party high-command should intensify its diplomatic and political efforts to mount pressure on the government to take steps for holding a credible national election and forming a neutral Election Commission.
A party leader, who was present at the meeting, also said most of the grassroots leaders highlighted the importance of promptly overhauling the party for getting success in the anti-government movement.
As part of their second phase of series meetings with the grassroots leaders, BNP top leaders first sat with its executive committee members under Dhaka and Faridpur organisational divisions at the party chairperson's Gulshan office.
Read: BNP policymakers in another closed-door meeting
Party sources said 75 leaders participated in the meeting and gave their opinions about how BNP should get ready for an anti-government movement and the next general election.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir along with standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku was present at the meeting. Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman virtually joined it from London.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Mirza Fakhrul said their meeting discussed the current political situation in the country and the organisational issues of BNP.
BNP policymakers will also hold another meeting with members of the executive committee in Chattogram, Cumilla, Mymensingh, Sylhet and Rangpur divisions on Wednesday.
Read: BNP plans series of party central leaders’ meetings
Earlier, the BNP policymakers had three closed-door meetings with party vice-chairmen, advisory council members, joint secretaries general, organising secretaries, assistant organising secretaries and secretaries and top leaders of the party’s different associate bodies last week.
The meetings were held as part of the party’s planned series of meetings with BNP rank and file to know their views about the party’s next course of action ahead of the next general election.
BNP formed a 502-member national executive committee through its sixth national council on March 19, 2016.
Get organized, Fakhrul to farmers
Stating that farmers are now the most neglected section of people in Bangladesh, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday urged the peasants to get organised for waging a strong anti-government movement.
“No one is now happy in Bangladesh and our farmers are the most neglected ones. They don't get the fair prices of their produce. They also don't get any help or any incentive from the government even at this horrible time of Corona,” he said.
Fakhrul made the remarks while talking to the members of the newly-formed partial committee of Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.
He congratulated the Krishak Dal committee members and asked them to form a full-fledged committee within a short time.
“The central committee of the Krishak Dal was announced at the critical juncture of the nation. So, they’ve bigger responsibilities in organising the farmers throughout the country by reaching out to them,” Fakhrul said.
He alleged that the current ‘fascist' government has been running the country by ‘usurping’ power. “The people of all walks of life have to play a role in ousting this regime. “Our responsibility now is to organise ourselves and forge unity. There’s no other alternative to that.”
Criticising the government for what he said continuing its repressive acts, the BNP leader said their party Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been kept under house arrest. “Around 35 lakh leaders and activists of our party are facing ‘’false’’ cases while over 500 ones have been made disappeared and over 1,000 killed.“
Speaking at the programme, Krishak Dal president Hasan Jafir Tuhin said they will work sincerely to strengthen the movement for the ‘restoration' of democracy by mobilising famers’ support across the country.
On Monday, BNP announced a seven-member partial committee of its associate body, Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal, five months after its national council.
Hasan Jafir Tuhin has been made president while Shahidul Islam Babul general secretary of the seven-member partial committee of the Krishak Dal.
On December 30, 1980, BNP founder late Ziaur Rahman established the Krishak Dal to ensure the rights and welfare of farmers.
GM Quader finds EC ‘dysfunctional’
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Monday alleged that the Election Commission (EC) is not functioning properly.
“Either the Election Commission is not working properly or it can’t function properly,” he said.
The Jatiya Party chief said the EC has immense power as a constitutional body. “But the power of the Election Commission is not visible to the common people.”
He came up with the remarks while speaking at a milad mahfil arranged by Jatiya party’s Dhaka north city unit at party chairman’s Banani office, seeking speedy recovery of its secretary general Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu.
Also read: JaPa not to compromise on HR issues: GM Quader
GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, said local government elections are not being held in a competitive manner since a section of the administration is often involved with the ruling party to influence elections.
“The candidates who belong to the opposition parties can’t be there in the election field. They’re devastated by attacks, cases and intimidation,” he observed.
The Jatiya Party chief also said their party will take part in every local government election to organise the party alongside reaching out to the common people. “Jatiya Party candidates are being asked to remain in the race till the end in every election.”
He also said their party does not need those leaders who cannot contest elections braving fear, intimidation and greed.
Also read: Next election must be under neutral govt: Fakhrul
GM Quader said the door of Jatiya Party is open to the new generation. “No one can join the Awami League if he/she wants to while there is a fear of facing cases and attacks if anyone joins BNP. So, Jatiya Party is a suitable platform for the new generation to do politics.”
He said Jatiya Party is the safest political platform for the common people. “Common people think if BNP comes to power, it’ll surpass Awami League. So, they want to see the Jatiya Party in power in the coming days.”
Thank govt for suspending Khaleda’s sentence, Hasan tells BNP
BNP should remain thankful to the government for yet another six-month suspension of Khaleda Zia’s jail sentence under an official order, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said on Monday.
“If that order is revoked tomorrow, Khaleda Zia will have to return to jail immediately. I think the BNP needs to keep this in mind as well,” said the minister.
Hasan, joint general secretary of the Awami League, said this while replying to questions from journalists after launching the BSRF Barta, a publication of Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum at the ministry’s conference room.
Also read: Khaleda’s conditional release extended by another six months
Asked about BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s comment that the government is afraid of freeing Khaleda the minister said, BNP should rather thank the government for suspension of her sentence for another six months.
Elaborating Hasan said BNP chairperson was not released on bail or freed by any order of the court. “Khaleda Zia is out of prison because the prime minister suspended her sentence by exercising power given by the law,” he said.
Hasan also brushed aside another BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain’s recent call to the people to take to the streets demanding that the next national election is held under a neutral caretaker government.
He said the next election will be held according to the constitution which does not provide for any caretaker government.
Also read: Govt restricting Khaleda from going abroad out of ‘fear’: Fakhrul
He said elections are held under the Election Commission. When the election schedule will be announced, all the polls-related government officials and employees will work under the Election Commission, he said.
The election-time government, Hasan said, cannot transfer a single police constable after announcement of the polls schedule. The Election Commission has already conducted many elections very successfully, he added.
He said BNP’s demand for a caretaker government has no constitutional basis and so it will fail to get any response from the people like it happened in the past 12 and a half years.
President of Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum Tapan Biswas and General Secretary Masudul Haque and other leaders of the forum were present at function.
‘Quick rental power act’ extended to prolong ‘plundering’: BNP
BNP on Sunday alleged that the government has passed a bill in parliament to keep the 'quick rental' power plants for five more years just to prolong the system of ‘plundering’ public money.
“Our standing committee meeting thinks that the rented power plants were set up only for plundering by a ruling Awami quarter,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Speaking at a press conference at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, he also the government created a scope for indulging in arbitrary corruption by indemnifying all the activities regarding the quick rental power plants through passing a law.
As a result, the BNP leader said, a quarter belonging to Awami League has pocketed a large part of taxpayers’ money even without producing power while the government increased the power tariff several times every year.
Read: Fakhrul takes dig at AL, says now 'bureaucrats running' country
"The system of plundering has been prolonged by extending the term of the special law to run rented power plants for another five years. The meeting of our standing committee strongly protested and condemned the passage of the bill in parliament,” he said.
Fakhrul said the BNP standing committee demanded the government immediately repeal the bill.
BNP arranged the press conference to inform the media about the decisions of the party standing committee meeting held on Saturday.
Earlier on Wednesday, the “Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (Special Provision) (Amendment) Act, 2010” bill was placed in parliament, aiming to boost power supply to the consumers.
Since the tenure of the existing law, enacted in 2010, is going to expire in 2021, the bill was passed to run the rented power plants for another five years till 2026.
Read: Having Khaleda freed BNP's main challenge: Fakhrul
Fakhrul protested Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent comments on BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and his grave, saying he presented ‘false’ information in parliament to mislead people.
“The meeting of the standing committee thinks that people are being deceived by distorting history by the government. Such perverted propaganda against Ziaur Rahman is nothing but a conspiracy against the country’s independence and sovereignty,” he said.
Govt restricting Khaleda from going abroad out of ‘fear’: Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday alleged that the government is not allowing their party chairperson Khaleda Zia to go abroad for treatment as it is scared of her popularity.
“You all know when she fell ill, her family applied to take her abroad, but the government denied it. We’re not surprised that the government has now given a condition that she can’t go abroad,” he said.
Speaking at a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, Fakhrul also said doctors are saying Khaleda needs to go abroad for advanced treatment due to her illness, but the government is unfortunately obstructing her from leaving the country.
“The main thing is that they (govt) are so afraid of Begum Khaleda Zia that they can never think of freeing her or allowing her to leave the country in any way…they’re keeping her confined,” he observed.
Read: Fakhrul takes dig at AL, says now 'bureaucrats running' country
Earlier in the day, the government has extended the suspension of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's jail sentence in two corruption cases for another six months with all the previous conditions in place.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said the government took the decision in the wake of an application submitted by the BNP chief’s family.
As per the conditions, he said, Khaleda Zia will receive treatment at her Gulshan residence the way she wants. “But she won’t be able to leave the country. The conditions that were there before will remain the same.”
Khaleda’s family submitted an application to the Home Ministry early this month seeking further extension of her conditional release and allowing her to go abroad for receiving advanced treatment.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government freed Khaleda Zia from jail for six months through an executive order suspending her sentences on March 25 last year.
The government extended her release for six more months on August 27 last year and it was extended further for another six months on March 15 last.
Read: Having Khaleda freed BNP's main challenge: Fakhrul
On May 5, her family also applied to the government seeking permission to take her abroad for better treatment, but the government turned it down saying there is no scope for a convicted person to avail of such a scope.
The 77-year-old Khaleda Zia is currently staying in her rented house 'Firoza' in the city’s Gulshan area.
According to her physicians, the BNP chief has been suffering from various old-age complications, including arthritis, diabetes and eye problems.
Khaleda Zia tested positive for Covid-19 on April 10, and then she received treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital for 54 days for post-Covid complications and some other underlying health problems.
BNP policymakers now to sit with grassroots leaders
BNP policymakers have now decided to sit with their grassroots leaders after holding three closed-door meetings with central leaders to work out the party’s next course of action ahead of the 12th parliamentary election.
The decision was taken at the party’s standing committee meeting held on Saturday, said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Speaking at a press conference at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, he said the series of meetings with the grassroots leaders will begin on Tuesday next and continue for three consecutive days.
“We exchanged views with the members of our party’s national executive committee on September 14th, 15th and 16th. Our standing committee meeting yesterday (Saturday) decided to hold meetings with the remaining executive committee members on September 21, 22 and 23,” Fakhrul said.
Read: BNP policymakers in another closed-door meeting
He said the presidents of their party’s all district committees will be present in the meetings as they are the national executive committee members as ex-officio.
Earlier, the BNP policymakers had closed-door meetings with party vice-chairmen, advisory council members on Tuesday, with joint secretaries general, organising secretaries, assistant organising secretaries and secretaries on Wednesday and with the top leaders of the party’s different associate bodies on Thursday last.
The meetings were held as part of the party’s planned series of meetings with BNP rank and file to know their views about the party’s next course of action ahead of the next general election.
BNP formed a 502-member national executive committee through its sixth national council on March 19, 2016.
Fakhrul said they will inform the media about the outcomes of the meetings once those are concluded. “We’ll also let you know our next course of action and strategy.”
Read: BNP plans series of party central leaders’ meetings
In the three closed-door meetings, he said BNP senior and mid-level leaders discussed the current political situation in the country and the party's organisational issues. “They also talked about a wide range of issues, including the government’s efforts to establish a one-party rule, repression on the opposition leaders and activists, false and fictitious cases and Khaleda Zia’s release.”
The BNP leader said their party’s organisational activities have been going on in full swing. “Most of our committees have started the overhauling process. The work on reorganising our associate bodies has also long been going on… we couldn’t hold the councils in different areas due to the Corona epidemic.”He said they have a plan to hold councils in some districts within a short time.
Journalists' bank account details sought to gag media: BNP
BNP on Saturday alleged that Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) of the central bank sought the bank account details of 11 journalist leaders as part of a government move to gag the media.
“The government has long been enacting various black laws to suppress the media. They’re now trying to shut online news portals through court,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Speaking at a protest rally in the city’s Nayabazar area, he also said the Bangladesh Bank has now started harassing journalists by sending letters to them (seeking their bank account details) to silence them. “Basically, they’re taking these steps to gag the media and suppress people.”
Local BNP leaders and activists arranged the programme protesting a ‘false’ campaign against BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and his family members.
The BFIU has recently issued letters to commercial banks asking for details of bank accounts of 11 journalist leaders.
Rizvi alleged that Awami League leaders -- from the Prime Minister to ministers --have been carrying out propaganda against Zia and his family members to mislead people. “But people have turned down the false campaigns with hatred.”
He said the government has failed to deliver on all fronts as its main focus is on corruption, not on people’s welfare.
“The government set a new record of corruption in Bangladesh history during its current tenure. It has lost the ground beneath its feet. The global community has also turned its back on the government,” the BNP leader said.
Rizvi said different countries in the world are also calling for the restoration of democracy in Bangladesh alongside the country’s people. “The United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union are mounting pressure for strengthening democracy in Bangladesh.”
He said their party together with people will force the current government to restore democracy in the country.
BNP policymakers now will sit with grassroots leaders
BNP policymakers are now planning to sit with the grassroots leaders after holding three closed-door meetings with its central leaders to work out the party’s next course of action ahead of the 12th parliamentary election.
"We’ve already had three consecutive meetings. Our standing committee has a meeting next Saturday where we’ll decide whether we should hold a few more meetings,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Talking to reporters after the third consecutive meeting with party leaders, he said they still could not sit with some members of their national executive committee. “We also have a plan to hold meetings with the presidents and secretaries of our party at the district level.”
The BNP leader said they have also a plan to sit with the leaders of different professional bodies. “If our standing committee takes a decision in this regard, we’ll hold these meetings.”
Also read: BNP plans series of party central leaders’ meetings
Mirza Fakhrul said they sat with the top leaders of different associate bodies of their party today (Thursday) as part of their planned series of meetings with BNP rank and file to know their views about the party’s next course of action.
“The meeting discussed the current political situation in the country, our organisational issues and our party’s next course of action,“ he said.
Asked about the outcomes of the three meetings with the party central leaders, he said they will disclose it later at the right time.
Earlier, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir along with the standing committee members began the meeting with the leaders of different associate bodies at 4pm at the party chairperson's Gulshan office. The meeting continued for four and a half hours where BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman virtually joined from London.
Also read: Now state ‘backs corruption’: BNP
Party sources said 92 leaders of Jubo Dal, Sewchchasebak Dal, Chhatra Dal, Mohila Dal and other associate bodies of the party took part in the meeting.
The party policymakers started the series of meetings with the party's rank and file on Tuesday.
The BNP top leaders had also similar meetings with BNP vice-chairmen, advisory council members on Tuesday and with joint secretaries general, organising secretaries, assistant organising secretaries and secretaries on Wednesday.
BNP formed a 502-member national executive committee through its sixth national council on March 19, 2016.
BNP policymakers in another closed-door meeting
BNP policymakers sat in another closed-door meeting with the top leaders of the party's associate bodies on Thursday as part of their planned series of meetings with central leaders to work out their next course of action.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir along with the standing committee members began the meeting at 4pm at the party chairperson's Gulshan office. BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman has virtually joined the meeting from London.
Party sources said 92 leaders of Jubo Dal, Sewchchasebak Dal, Chhatra Dal, Mohila Dal and other associate bodies of the party have taken part in the meeting.
The party policymakers started the series of meetings with the party's rank and file on Tuesday to take their opinions about the party's next course of action ahead of the next general election.
The BNP top leaders had also similar meetings with BNP vice-chairmen, advisory council members on Tuesday and with joint secretaries general, organising secretaries, assistant organising secretaries and secretaries on Wednesday.
On Wednesday night, Mirza Fakhrul said they can also hold similar meetings with other leaders of the party in the days to come.
He said their party has also a plan to hold dialogues with different political parties.
BNP formed a 502-member national executive committee through its sixth national council on March 19, 2016.