Politics
53 candidates submit nomination forms in six constituencies of Khulna
Fifty-three candidates have submitted nomination papers to contest for six seats in Khulna district in the upcoming 12th national election.
Upcoming national election is unlikely to be participatory: TIB
Khulna Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Khandaker Yasir Arefin said a total of 59 individuals collected nomination papers to become candidates, and out of them, 53 have submitted their nomination papers.
12th parliamentary election: BNM fields candidates in 82 seats
Among the 53 candidates, six are running for Khulna-1, nine for Khulna-2, five for Khulna-3, 14 for Khulna-4, seven for Khulna-5, and 12 are contesting for Khulna-6 constituency in the election.
National Election: Deadline for nomination submission ends
BNP expels Shahjahan Omar for ‘breaching party discipline’
The BNP on Thursday expelled its Vice Chairman Shahjahan Omar from the party's all levels for breaching the party discipline as he sumiited nomination paper to contest the national election as a ruling party candidate.
“BNP National Executive Committee Vice Chairman Barrister Shahjahan Omar seriously violated party discipline by taking a stance against the party,” said a press release signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
BNP Vice chairman Shahjahan Omar submits nomination for Jhalakathi-1 as AL candidate
For this reason, he said Shahjahan Omar has been expelled from the party’s all posts, including primary membership.
Earlier in the day, Shahjahan submitted nomination paper as an Awami League candidate to contest the 12th parliamentary election from Jhalakathi-1 constituency.
He submitted the nomination paper online on Thursday afternoon, confirmed Assistant Returning Officer of Jhalakathi-1 constituency.
BNP Vice Chairman Shahjahan Omar walks out of jail after receiving bail in arson case
Earlier on Wednesday, he was released on bail from Kashimpur Central Jail.
He was arrested in a case filed for setting a bus on fire in Dhaka’s New Market area on November 4.
Former law minister Shahjahan Omar remanded
12th parliamentary election: BNM fields candidates in 82 seats
The Bangladesh Nationalist Movement (BNM) has announced the names of candidates for 82 seats to contest the 12th parliamentary elections scheduled to be held on January 7.
The party announced the names of the nominated candidates in a press release signed by BNM Secretary General Dr. Md. Shahjahan on Thursday.
In August, the BNM had announced to field candidates for 300 seats after getting registration with the Election Commission.
"If you look at our list of nominees, you will see that we believe in quality and not quantity," the party said in a statement. “For this reason, we have finalised 82 out of 478 nominees from different constituencies of the country.”
"If free, and fair elections are held, these candidates will win by a huge margin and play the role of a meaningful and strong opposition in parliament," the statement reads.
BNP leadership is detained in their ‘own prison’: Info Minister
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said the core leadership of the BNP has been detained in their own prison, making it impossible for them to participate in any elections.
"The BNP leadership, by confining their party leaders to their so-called prison, has made them incapable of contesting any elections--be it parliamentary, district, or union parishad elections,” Hasan Mahmud, who is also a joint general secretary of the ruling party, told reporters at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
Films can be part of cultural revolution to beat back arson terrorism: Info Minister
"Today, many (of the BNP leaders) have come out and submitted nomination papers. Former BNP parliamentarians and central committee members have also submitted nomination papers. Many BNP leaders admit that these decisions are gradually leading the party towards destruction," he added.
He said that there is no public support for the BNP’s anti-government protests such as blockade and general strike.
Ctg-Cox's Bazar railway line exceeds expectations: Info Minister
“There is no unanimous agreement on this decision (for blockade and strike) among the core leadership of the BNP. The BNP's entire agenda has been blown away... I hope BNP will step away from this path and return to a healthy political discourse," the AL leader said.
Regarding Transparency International Bangladesh's observation that there is no visible participation for an inclusive election, Hasan said, "The TIB will see the participation on the election day.”
BNP-Jamaat leaders have become ‘enemies of the people’: Info Minister
Responding to a question about whether labour leader Kalpona Akter, executive director of the Bangladesh Centre for Workers Solidarity, is working as anyone’s agent, the minister said, "I don't know if she is an agent, you find it out. However, within a year, she traveled abroad multiple times, spending around Tk 14-15 lakh. Questions arise about where a labour leader gets such money from and why so many foreign trips are necessary."
Leaders of Khilafat Rabbani, Nezam-e-Islami meet PM, discuss polls
Leaders of the Khilafat Rabbani Bangladesh and the Nezam-e-Islami Party met with Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday.
They discussed various issues involving upcoming national elections scheduled to be held on January 7.
Also read: 14 leaders from 9 parties meet PM Sheikh Hasina to discuss polls
Mufti Faizul Haque Jalalabadi and Maulana Anwarul Haque led their respective parties at
the PM’s official residence Ganabhaban.
Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary KM Shakhawat Moon said that during the meeting the leaders discussed the overall issues of the national elections with the premier.
Sheikh Hasina highlighted various steps taken to conduct a free, fair and acceptable election, and expected everyone's spontaneous participation in the election.
Also read: BNP Vice chairman Shahjahan Omar submits nomination for Jhalakathi-1 as AL candidate
The leaders appreciated the steps taken by the PM to make the upcoming parliamentary elections acceptable to all.
They also praised the comprehensive development of Bangladesh under the leadership of the prime minister.
Also read: EU wants to see credible, participatory elections in Bangladesh
BNP Vice chairman Shahjahan Omar submits nomination for Jhalakathi-1 as AL candidate
BNP Vice Chairman Shahjahan Omar has submitted his nomination paper as an Awami League candidate for Jhalakathi-1 constituency.
He submitted the nomination paper online on Thursday afternoon, as confirmed by the Assistant Returning Officer of Jhalakathi-1 constituency.
BNP expels Shahjahan Omar for ‘breaching party discipline’
Earlier on Wednesday, Shahajahan was released on bail from Kashimpur Central Jail.
He was arrested in a case filed for setting a bus on fire in Dhaka’s New Market area on November 4.
BNP Vice Chairman Shahjahan Omar walks out of jail after receiving bail in arson case
BNP to enforce another spell of 48-hour blockade from Sunday
The BNP and like-minded parties will again enforce a 48-hour fresh road-rail-waterway blockade across the country starting from Sunday morning to protest the schedule for the next national election announced by the Election Commission (EC).
Party Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi came up with the announcement at a virtual press briefing on Thursday afternoon.
It will be the ninth round of blockade programme of the opposition parties since October 31.
Read: BNP’s 24-hour blockade underway with arson attacks
He said the blockade will begin at 6am on Sunday and end at 6m on Tuesday.
“We will continue our movement until victory is achieved,” he said.
Rizvi said the blockade is also meant for mounting pressure on the government to quit, hold the next election under a non-party neutral government and release party leaders and activists, including its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
He said other opposition parties, who have long been carrying out the simultaneous movement with BNP, will also observe a similar programme.
The fresh programme was announced around three hours before the end of the opposition’s hartal which will end at 6m today.
Rizvi thanked the country’s people and the opposition leaders and activists for making their hartal a success.
Read: BNP to enforce blockade Wednesday, hartal Thursday
The opposition parties observed blockades in eight phases to mount pressure on the Awami League government to quit power and hold the next election under a non-partisan administration.
BNP and like-minded partied enforced a 24-hour road-rail-waterway blockade across the country starting from Wednesday morning and a daylong hartal on Thursday that will end at 6 pm today.
They also observed a nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal on October 29 in protest against the attacks on BNP’s grand rally at Nayapaltan that ended amid the incidents of torching vehicles and clashes, leaving three people dead.
Read more: 48-hour blockade continues in a lax manner
Half an hour into the start of BNP's much-talked-about grand rally at Nayapaltan on October 28, BNP leaders and workers locked in a clash with the ruling party activists and police at Kakrail. The violent clashes soon spread around Nayapaltan, foiling the rally midway.
Daylong hartal underway with stray incidents in Bogura, 2 BNP activists detained
The daylong hartal, called by the BNP and like-minded parties protesting the schedule for the 12th national election, is underway with some stray incidents in Bogura today.
Supporters of BNP and its associate bodies brought out a procession in favour of the hartal on Banani Matidali Road in Kanchgari area of the district town around 8 am.
Later, they held a brief rally in front of Sarak Bhaban in Bogura city.
Read: Daylong hartal: 161 BGB platoons, 442 RAB patrol teams deployed
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Advisor Helaluzzaman Talukdar Lalu addressed the rally where local party leaders Fazlul Bari Talukdar Belal, Joynal Abedin Chan and Sheikh Taha Uddin Nahid, among others, were present.
Police allegedly chased the BNP leaders and activists when they were leaving the rally spot. Local party leaders Mantejar Rahman and Jahidur Rahman were detained.
Earlier, seeing the BNP’s procession, a bus driver fled leaving his vehicle in front of the school. Later, the BNP men vandalised it, according to police.
Read: Lax hartal underway with regular traffic on the streets
Bogura Sadar police station’s Inspector Shahinuzzaman said the BNP men ransacked vehicles and threw cocktails from the procession.
Two people were detained and a crude bomb was also recovered in this connection, he said.
Meanwhile, miscreants set a truck on fire on Dhaka-Bogura Highway in Bani area of the district last night ahead of today’s hartal.
Later, members of the Fire Service and Civil Defence doused the flame.
Despite its registration being canceled, Jamaat-e-Islami supporters and activists also brought out a procession supporting the hartal in the morning.
Read more: BNP to enforce daylong hartal Thursday
BNP Vice Chairman Shahjahan Omar walks out of jail after receiving bail in arson case
BNP Vice Chairman Shahjahan Omar, who was arrested in a case filed for setting a bus on fire in Dhaka’s New Market area on November 4, walked out of jail on Wednesday evening after securing bail.
Defence lawyer Masum Ahmed Talukdar confirmed the development, saying that his client was released from Kashimpur Central Jail at 6: 05 pm after his bail order reached there.
Former law minister Shahjahan Omar remanded
Earlier, Dhaka Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Faisal Atiq Bin Quader passed the order after hearing a bail plea, he said.
On November 4, a bus of Mirpur Super Link Limited was set on fire at Gausia Market area under the New Market Police Station around 7:15pm. The bus suffered a loss of around Tk 5 lakh. The bus driver filed the case.
BNP's blockade: JCD puts locks on several gates at DU
Later, detective police picked up the BNP leader from a house in the capital in the early hours of November 5 as a suspect in the case.
On the same day, a Dhaka court placed him on remand for four days in the case after he was produced with a seven-day remand prayer.
Quader playing role of Tikka and Niazi, alleges Rizvi, amid 'storm of arrests' in BNP
The BNP leader is the first person to secure bail after the arrest of several BNP leaders, including BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee member Mirza Abbas, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury following the clash with law enforcers centring the October 28 clash.
20, 326 BNP people arrested, 73, 123 sued in 837 cases since Oct 28: Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum
A total of 20, 326 BNP leaders and activists have so far been arrested and 73, 123 party followers sued in 837 cases filed since 28 October following clashes with law enforcers over a grand rally in Dhaka.
Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, a pro-BNP lawyers’ body, shared the information at a press conference at South Hall of Supreme Court Bar Association on Wednesday.
Barrister Kaisar Kamal, secretary general of the forum and also law affairs secretary of the BNP, read out a written statement at the press conference.
Moreover, 17 people including one journalist were killed across the country over the last one month since October 28, he said.
In the scripted statement, Kaisar claimed that 8, 249 people have been hurt since the October 28 attacks carried out by the government agencies and Awami League deliberately out of revenge.
A total of 636 BNP supporters were sentenced for different periods in 35 cases what they call in false cases over the past three months, he said.
Read: BNP to enforce daylong hartal ThursdayHe said that more than 50 lakh BNP men have been sued in over 1.5 lakh cases in 2009-2023.
Kaisar alleged that the government has been harassing and arresting lawyers so that they can’t provide legal assistance to the victims (general people and BNP fellows) who have been arrested and harassed illegally in “ghost cases”.
Relatives of the opposition parties, sick family members, people with disabilities and even under age people have been arrested, he alleged, claiming that houses and business structures of the BNP supporters have been ransacked and looted.
Read: Expulsions continue in BNP ahead of election 'for violating party discipline'
Urging the government to stop the harassment on the BNP men, he demanded that the arrested party fellows including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee Members Mirza Abas and Amir Khasru Mahmud be released immediately.
The forum president and also former attorney general AJ Mohammad Ali, barristers Mahbub Uddin Khokan, Badrudozza Badal, Ruhul Quddus Kajal and advocate Gazi Kamrul Islam Sajal were present at the event.
Read more: Families of arrested, jailed BNP leaders and activists submit memorandum to Chief Justice