United News of Bangladesh

The May Day rally organised by the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal began at Nayapaltan in the capital on Friday afternoon, drawing a large turnout of workers and party supporters despite rain-soaked streets across the city. The rally started around 2:30pm in front of the BNP’s central office. Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman is scheduled to address the rally with Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal President Anwar Hossain in the chair. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, party Standing Committee members and labour leaders are also expected to speak. Although adverse weather and overnight rain left many roads in Dhaka waterlogged, people thronged the venue since morning. A huge stage has been erected in front of the party's central office. The north-facing stage features portraits of BNP founder Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, late Chairperson Khaleda Zia and current Chairman Tarique Rahman on both sides. Organisers said more than 150 loudspeakers have been installed in and around Fakirerpool, Paltan and Kakrail. The rally has generated considerable enthusiasm among party leaders and activists. Many arrived wearing red caps and T-shirts, carrying banners and beating drums. Since morning, processions from different parts of the capital and neighbouring districts converged on Nayapaltan, turning the entire area vibrant with slogans and applause. According to Sramik Dal sources, the road from Fakirerpool to Kakrail remained closed, with vehicles being diverted through alternative routes. Special arrangements have been made to ensure the movement of emergency services, particularly ambulances. Free medical camps and mobile toilet facilities have also been arranged for party activists and members of the public attending the rally. This is the BNP's first major party programme in the capital since forming the government after securing a landslide victory in the 13th parliamentary election. Leaders and activists from Dhaka and neighbouring districts, including Narayanganj, Gazipur, Manikganj and Narsingdi, joined the rally. May Day commemorates the sacrifice of workers who laid down their lives in Chicago in 1886 while demanding fair wages, dignity of labour and an eight-hour workday. The day is observed with due respect in Bangladesh and all other countries in the world as a symbol of workers' rights and solidarity.

The Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, the labour wing of the BNP, is set to hold a major workers' rally in the capital this afternoon, marking history May Day. Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman is scheduled to address the rally, which will begin at 2:30pm in front of the BNP's central office at Nayapaltan. The party expects the spontaneous participation of hundreds of thousands of workers. The programme will be chaired by Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal President Anwar Hossain. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, party Standing Committee members and labour leaders are also expected to speak. All preparations for the rally have already been completed. Besides, several meetings have been held with the administration to ensure overall security. Although adverse weather and overnight rain left many roads in Dhaka waterlogged, people have already started arriving at the venue since morning. Organisers expect the crowd to swell as the day progresses. A mobile stage has been set up at the rally venue, and security personnel are conducting checks around the area ahead of the Prime Minister’s arrival. According to Sramik Dal sources, the road from Fakirerpool to Kakrail will remain closed on the day, with vehicles being diverted through alternative routes. Special arrangements have been made to ensure the movement of emergency services, particularly ambulances. Free medical camps and mobile toilet facilities have also been arranged for party activists and members of the public attending the rally. This is the BNP's first major party programme in the capital since forming the government after securing a landslide victory in the 13th parliamentary election. Leaders and activists from Dhaka and neighbouring districts, including Narayanganj, Gazipur, Manikganj and Narsingdi, are expected to join the rally. Labour leaders believe the event will not only focus on workers' rights and welfare but also help boost the morale of leaders and activists of the party's associate bodies. At a press conference at the BNP's Nayapaltan office on Thursday, Prime Minister's Political Adviser and BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said the rally had been organised to uphold workers' rights on the occasion of May Day, also known as International Workers' Solidarity Day. BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi expressed hope that a massive wave of workers would descend on Dhaka for the event. May Day commemorates the sacrifice of workers who laid down their lives in Chicago in 1886 while demanding fair wages, dignity of labour and an eight-hour workday. The day is observed with due respect in Bangladesh and all other countries in the world as a symbol of workers' rights and solidarity.

Badruddoza Badal, a senior lawyer of the Supreme Court, has been appointed as the Law Affairs Secretary of BNP. The appointment will take effect from Wednesday, according to a press release signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. Before his new appointment, Badal served as Assistant Training Affairs Secretary of the BNP National Executive Committee. The post remained vacant after Kaiser Kamal resigned from the position upon assuming office as Deputy Speaker of Parliament.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has expressed deep sorrow and concern over the deaths of several people, including a pregnant woman and children, in sudden storms and lightning strikes across the country. In a statement on Monday, the party’s Assistant Secretary General and Secretary of the Central Publicity and Media Department, Advocate Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair, said the recent incidents of casualties in different parts of the country due to seasonal storms and lightning were tragic and heartbreaking. “I am deeply saddened, grief-stricken and concerned over the loss of lives caused by these natural disasters. I pray to Almighty Allah to grant the deceased the highest dignity,” he said. The Jamaat leader mentioned that fatalities from lightning strikes occur frequently in the country during seasonal weather changes. He urged people to remain cautious during adverse weather conditions. He also called on the government to strengthen awareness campaigns, and install lightning arresters in areas prone to frequent strikes. Referring to recent incidents, he said that in Melandaha upazila of Jamalpur, a mother and her two daughters were killed when a tree fell on their house during a storm last night. In Atrai of Naogaon, a pregnant woman named Arafatun, 20, from the Bede community, died after a tree collapsed on her. In Ullapara of Sirajganj, a woman named Nasima Khatun, 45, also lost her life in a similar incident. Additionally, according to media reports received between morning and afternoon on Monday, one fisherman and two farmers were killed by lightning strikes in separate incidents in Khaliajuri upazila of Netrakona. Zubair said these deaths are irreparable losses for the affected families. He urged the government to provide humanitarian assistance based on the needs of the victims’ families and ensure financial support for repairing storm-damaged homes.

Three leaders of BNP and its student wing Chhatra Dal have been suspended over the attack on the vehicle of Jamaat MP (Netrokona-5 ) Masum Mostafa. The suspended leaders are Purbadhala Upazila BNP joint convener Ishtiaq Ahmed Babu, Upazila Chhatra Dal member secretary Saju Ahmed, and former joint convener Solaiman Kabir. They were suspended through separate party notices issued on Sunday, District Chhatra Dal President Anik Mahbub Chowdhury said on Monday. Ishtiaq Ahmed Babu has been suspended from all posts, including primary membership, of the BNP on charges of involvement in terrorism, violence and activities against party discipline, said a notice. Besides, Chhatra Dal central committee said Saju Ahmed was suspended while Solaiman Kabir was removed from primary membership for breaching organisational discipline. Party leaders have also been instructed to sever all organisational ties with the suspended members. Earlier on Friday evening, the private car of Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Masum Mostafa came under attack in Purbadhala upazila. Locals and witnesses said a group of people attacked the vehicle when the MP went to Atkapara Petrol Pump beside the Birishiri road to refuel and briefly confined him. Jamaat leaders alleged that BNP men were involved in the attack, saying they vandalised the vehicle and attempted to assault the lawmaker.

Golam Sarwar Milon, president of Janata Party Bangladesh and a former deputy minister, died of a cardiac arrest here on Sunday morning. He was 69. Family members said he suffered a sudden heart attack at their residence early in the morning and was rushed to Popular Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Golam Sarwar Milon is survived by wife Fatema Sarwar, son Sabayer Sarwar and daughter Tanzia Sarwar Omi. Sabayer Sarwar said the first namaz-e-janaza was held after Zohr prayers at Singair Pilot High School ground in Manikganj. He will be buried after second janaza in the capital. Golam Sarwar Milon was elected a Member of Parliament from the then Manikganj-4 constituency as a Jatiya Party candidate in the 3rd and 4th parliamentary elections. He also served as Deputy Minister for Education in the cabinet of President HM Ershad. Golam Sarwar Milon served as the founding president of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal during the 1981-82 term and was known as an influential student leader at Dhaka University. He was previously involved with a left-leaning student organisation supported by Bhasani NAP and was arrested during the anti-Ershad movement. Later, he joined the Jatiya Party in 1986 and became a Presidium member. During the 2007 caretaker government period, he joined the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), led by Ferdous Ahmed Qureshi, but later returned to the Jatiya Party. Before the 11th parliamentary elections, he joined Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, led by former President AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, and contested Manikganj-2 constituency with the “Kula” symbol but was defeated. In April 2025, he joined the newly formed Janata Party Bangladesh. The party was initially led by actor Ilias Kanchan as president, with Golam Sarwar Milon serving as executive president and journalist Shaukat Mahmood as general secretary. Later, after Ilias Kanchan stepped aside due to illness, Golam Sarwar Milon took charge of the party leadership. END/UNB/ARJ/AM 2422 Hrs

Opposition Leader Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has alleged that the BNP is following the same “fascist path” as the Awami League. “BNP is opposing key issues where the state needs reform. This is a clear betrayal of the nation,” he said. He made the remarks at a rally held at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon, attended by families of those killed and injured in the July Uprising. Dr Shafiqur Rahman, also Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, said the ruling party speaks about July and Shaheed Hadi in Parliament, but its actions do not reflect those claims. NCP's Nahid warns BNP of 'another mass uprising' over intransigence to reforms

Professor Dr Md Abdul Quddus, a former teacher at the Department of Ophthalmology, Bangladesh Medical University (BMU), noted physician, freedom fighter and adviser to the BNP Chairman, died on Saturday afternoon while undergoing treatment at the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital in the capital. He was 76. The BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan confirmed the matter. He breathed his last at around 2:20 pm while receiving treatment at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where he had been admitted for a long time. The deceased is survived by his wife, one son, one daughter, grandchildren and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death. According to family sources, the first namaz-e-janaza of the deceased will be held after Asr prayers in front of the BNP central office at Naya Paltan in the capital. Later, the second janaza will be held on Sunday (April 26) after Zohr prayers in his ancestral home at Gafargaon upazila of Mymensingh, followed by burial at the family graveyard. Professor Dr Md Abdul Quddus was not only a physician but also a freedom fighter. In his professional career, he served as a former teacher of the Ophthalmology Department at BMU and also held the position of Deputy Superintendent. In his political life, he was actively involved with BNP as an adviser to the party chairman and also served as the former president of Zia Parishad Central Committee. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed deep shock at his death and conveyed sympathy to the bereaved family. In separate condolence messages, BNP Standing Committee member and Minister for Social Welfare, Women and Children Affairs, Professor Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain, expressed deep shock and sorrow in a separate condolence message. Besides, VC of the university Professor Dr FM Siddiqui also expressed sorrow, saying his contributions in both medical and political fields will be remembered with respect by the nation.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday strongly criticised Jamaat-e-Islami, saying the party “never thinks in a rational way” and accusing it of attempts to create political confusion and instability in the country. He said, “We all know their past history very well. That is why the entire nation has consciously rejected them. In the future, we must work in such a way that they can be completely eliminated politically.” Speaking at a briefing at the BNP central office in Nayapaltan after a joint meeting, Fakhrul condemned recent remarks made by Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman, who alleged that BNP came to power through “election engineering.” Fakhrul rejected the claim, calling it “completely false and misleading,” and said both domestic institutions and international observers had recognised the past election as the “most free, fair and credible” in Bangladesh’s history. He said the BNP secured 213 seats based on public support and formed the government through a legitimate mandate. The BNP leader further alleged that efforts were underway to destabilise the country and undermine democratic progress, accusing Jamaat and other unnamed groups of spreading misinformation and creating division in politics and on social media. He warned that such activities could push the country towards instability and urged the public to remain alert against what he described as attempts to restore authoritarian rule. Fakhrul also called on party leaders and supporters to make BNP’s upcoming May Day workers’ rally a success, announcing that the event will be held on May 1 at 2:00pm with BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman as the chief guest. He said the rally would be both a celebration and a political commitment to strengthening democracy and labour rights. Senior BNP leaders and affiliated organisation representatives were present at the briefing.

National Citizen Party (NCP) convener and Opposition Chief Whip  in Parliament Nahid Islam on Saturday warned ruling party BNP that it risks provoking another mass uprising if it continues to obstruct reform and follow what he called the “autocratic path” of the ousted Awami League. Addressing a national rally of July uprising martyrs' families and veterans at Suhrawardy Udyan organised by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami to press for implementation of the July Charter in line with a public referendum mandate, Nahid said BNP has been blocking meaningful reform at every turn since the mass uprising. “After the mass uprising, BNP has obstructed reform at every step. When they eventually joined the Consensus Commission, they registered notes of dissent on every major reform proposal,” he said. Accusing BNP of reneging on the referendum, Nahid said the party had initially agreed to a public vote only to begin walking back from that commitment after the election. “The very party born through a referendum is now repudiating the referendum after the mass uprising, in doing so, BNP is essentially repudiating its own existence.” He cautioned that BNP's attempt to re-partisan state institutions mirrored Awami League's methods. “If BNP tries to take this country down the old autocratic road, the people of Bangladesh will rise again. The youth will rise again. The students and citizens who took part in the mass uprising will be compelled to return to the streets.” Turning to governance failures, Nahid alleged that the government was trying to placate the public with family cards and farmer cards while denying a deepening energy crisis, worsening law-and-order, and mounting economic troubles. “Ministers in parliament say there is no fuel crisis but the government has run out of fuel.” Nahid added that BNP had become unpopular within two months of taking office. “I don't know if any government in Bangladesh's history has become so unpopular in so short a time,” he said, while stressing that his party sought no instability. “Our sole demand is that the July Charter be implemented in line with the referendum, and that the July mass uprising and the families of the martyrs be honoured. We are on the streets and in parliament, and we will secure this demand together.” The rally was also addressed by Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Opposition Leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman, Liberal Democratic Party Chairman Col (retd) Oli Ahmad, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Ameer Maulana Mamunul Haque, and other senior leaders of the 11-party alliance.