Politics
Petition submitted for extending suspension of Khaleda’s jail term, treatment abroad
A petition was submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday seeking another extension of the suspension of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's jail term and permission to take her abroad for better treatment.
Khaleda Zia’s younger brother Shamim Eskander submitted the petition saying that her life is at risk.
Earlier on September, 18, 2023 the government extended the conditional suspension of Khaleda Zia’s jail term for another six months. With this, her jail sentence suspension was extended for the eight time.
AL government synonymous with syndicate: Rizvi
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order by suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with conditions that she would stay at her Gulshan house and would not leave the country. Since then, her release term has been extended every six months following the family's plea.
Khaleda was sent to the Old Dhaka Central Jail as a lower court sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018. Later, she was found guilty and convicted in another corruption case the same year.
AL establishes oligarchs denying mass people’s demand, alleges Moyeen
Khaleda, a 78-year-old former prime minister, has long been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung, heart, eye problems.
Bangabandhu to remain as source of inspiration always: Quader
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday said although Bangabandhu is no longer among us but he is always a source of inspiration for the people of the country.
“Bangabandhu's birth means the birth of Bangladesh's independence,” he said.
He expressed his doubt whether Bangladesh would have become independent if a leader like Bangabandhu had not been born.
Quader, also road, transport and bridges minister, came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after paying homage to the portrait of Bangabandhu in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhaka’s Dhanmondi-32, marking the 104th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation and National Children’s Day-2024.
Calling Bangabandhu the sole beacon of all sorrows of the Bangalees, he said the Father of the Nation will guide the nation to address all disasters and crises.
“Bangabandhu is no more today. We will continue the fight under the leadership of his daughter Sheikh Hasina. Our today's pledge is to continue our journey under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina to build a developed, prosperous and smart Bangladesh,” said the AL leader.
‘BaKSAL 2’ has been established in the country: Dr Abdul Moyeen
BNP Standing Committee Member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan on Saturday said that “BaKSAL 2” has been established in the country.
Dr Abdul Moyeen made the remarks while talking to reporters after visiting Dhaka district Jubo Dal’s former president Rezaul Karim Paul’s residence, who was recently out of jail.
Dr Abdul Moyeen said, “You know that in the past the BaKSAL had been established in the parliament by killing democracy. Now, there is no room for opposition voices. This is the reality of Bangladesh today.”
“We have said repeatedly that it’s impossible to wipe out the opposition through suppression,” he said.
AL government synonymous with syndicate: Rizvi
“We believe in the power of the people. BNP founder Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, who also declared the independence of the country, had said that people are the source of all power,” he added.
“They say BNP was born in the cantonment… I don’t know from where they got this information, but I want to clarify this. Ziaur Rahman was a soldier but he reinstated multi-party democracy by freeing it from BaKSAL rule. On the other hand, AL claims they are a pro-democracy and pro-independence party, but they have established a one-party BaKSAL rule by stealing democracy,” the senior BNP leader said.
“This is the difference between AL and BNP,” he said.
“AL claims they are a pro-democratic political party, so why are they killing democracy in the country? — Dr Moyeen raised the question.
“The founding spirit of Bangladesh was democracy. Fifty-three years ago, we had said that under the Pakistan structure, no democracy is possible, and for that Bangladesh was formed,” the BNP leader said.
“The beauty of democracy is in the coexistence of ruling and opposition parties, but AL does not believe that,” Dr Abdul Moyeen said.
Extortion in transport sector will never stop completely: Quader
Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said that extortion in transport has been going on for a long time.
"And efforts are underway to bring it under control," he was speaking in a press conference at Awami League's central office at Bangabandhu Avenue this morning.
Regarding the prices of essentials, Quader said the government is working sincerely to control the price of goods in the market. "We are working and the result will come one day."
As Ramadan is about to begin, prices of essentials high in Khulna kitchen markets
About BNP, he said that BNP is daydreaming the change of government in a short time.
"There is no alternative to change the government without elections. So, if they (BNP) want to change the government, they have to wait for another election," he said.
Quader said BNP has become isolated. People have no interest in the BNP's movement. People are happy with Sheikh Hasina. Sheikh Hasina's leadership is trusted and the people of this country have accepted her honesty, diligence and leadership, he added.
"There is no alternative to Sheikh Hasina as the leader of Bangladesh."
Industries Minister announces special drive to control standard, prices of goods during Ramadan
Whether Dr Muhammad Yunus' sentence will affect the relationship between Bangladesh and the United States, Quader said I don't think it will affect the relations between the two countries.
Among others, Awami League Organizing Secretary BM Mozammel Haque, Afzal Hossain, Publicity and Publication Secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap, Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua, Deputy Office Secretary Sayem Khan and other central Awami League leaders were present.
AL government synonymous with syndicate: Rizvi
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Friday said the Awami League government is known to the people as a syndicate and plunderer.
After failing to control the soaring prices of daily commodities, AL has let loose Chatra League to attack on Muslim devotees' iftar arrangement, he alleged.
When AL comes to state power, it undermines the religious belief of Muslims and their culture and suppress the alem-ulemas (Islamic scholars) community. They do it to please their master, he claimed.
Rizvi made the comments at a press briefing held at BNP Nayapalton Central office.
All kinds of programme except Iftar are allowed to organise on university premises where AL leaders Obaidul Quader and Hasan Mahmud were present to glorify the occasion. But Iftar organisers have suffered from AL attack. It is a part of conspiracy against Muslims, Rizvi stated.
When Muslims want to celebrate any occasion, why Quader and his party's men feel ashamed, askef the BNP leader.
Sometimes, AL uses Islam for their interest, sometimes throwsvit away, he alleged.
The majority Muslim people of the country are going to lose their culture and values as they have already lost their right to vote, he alleged.
“Dummy AL government could not care less about poor people's voice also," he said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fails to hear the ‘SOS message’ of hungry people in this Ramadan, he claimed.
AL resorts to corruption and misuse of power as one of their former ministers owned more than 350 assets in London worth two hundred million pound. Besides, they have laundered money to Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Europe, Australia and America, he continued.
Rizvi said after January 7 dummy election the AL’s one and only agenda is to wipe out the BNP from politics.
As part of their plan, they are not allowing former PM Khaleda Zia to go abroad for better treatment besides spreading slander against Tarique Rahman to tarnish his image, he said.
Noting that a few media houses have lost their sense, the BNP leader said that without any proper investigation and fact check and only to please Sheikh Hasina they have made it as a habit to publish news against BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
The people now believe that yesterday a report was published on a daily newspaper’s online version following the prescription of an intelligence agency, Rizvi added.
The newspaper could not maintain neutrality as an institution, he alleged.
Democracy International hosts iftar party to promote cross-party engagement
Senior leaders of the Awami League, the BNP and the Jatiya Party on Thursday attended a multi-party Iftar programme organised by the Democracy International.
More than 50 political leaders gathered for the event organised at a hotel in the capital on Thursday.
For more than a decade, the Democracy International has been working with the three main political parties of the country with the aim of promoting women and youth leadership and cross-party tolerance and cooperation.
Lower cost of all agricultural inputs, give direct supply to genuine farmers: Left Democratic Alliance
Leaders of the Left Democratic Alliance (LDA) on Thursday called for lowering the cost of all agricultural inputs, giving direct supply to genuine farmers and forming cooperatives of producers and consumers to reduce the cost of the country's produce.
They said that the imported products are being controlled by some syndicate traders and the prices of those products cannot be controlled without being freed from them.
For this, they observed that it is necessary to ensure the efficient and corruption-free import and sale of the necessary products at specific prices. For this, a universal ration system and fair price shops should be established across the country.
New hike in fuel prices only to benefit commission agents, pro-govt businessmen: CPB
The leaders expressed strong anger and concern for not taking adequate measures to bring back the smuggled money and recover the defaulted loans saying that these looters cannot be defeated without changing the governance system.
For this reason, people of different professions should unite and fight for their own demands. At the same time, the left democratic alternative forces’ unity should be formed by involving the people.
The leaders expressed anger over the power and energy crisis in the country and said that they have been saying for a long time that the government is trying to manage this sector in a way that will not solve the crisis but will lead to disaster at some point.
Due to the policies of the government, this sector is only increasing the burden on the country's economy and increasing the burden on individuals, they said.
They said that now the government is trying to put more responsibility on the shoulders of the people by increasing the prices regularly for the next three years.
The leaders also said that the energy sector has been turned into an import-dependent sector without taking proper measures to explore and extract onshore and offshore gas.
CPB decides not join election under incumbent govt
Gas extraction and exploration work should be done by hiring foreign contractors transparently through the involvement of domestic institutions by ensuring a 100 percent ownership of these resources by the people of the country.
In this case, the people will not accept any unequal agreement made by undermining the interests of the country through legal loopholes.
In the meeting, conscious citizens were urged to continue the ongoing movement against the increase in the price of daily commodities, the increase in the price of electricity and the resulting crisis in the production of agriculture sector.
The meeting with Central Coordinator of Left Democratic Alliance and President of CPB Ruhin Hossain Prince, General Secretary of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) Bazlur Rashid Feroz, Coordinator of BSD Marxist Masud Rana, leader of Revolutionary Communist League Professor Abdus Sattar, Democratic Revolutionary Party leader Shahidul Islam Sabuj, Bangladesh Socialist Party Executive President Abdul Ali addressed the meeting held at the CPB central office.
AL is distorting the history of Liberation War, says BNP leader Major Hafiz
Former minister and BNP Vice Chairman Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on Thursday alleged that the ruling Awami League is responsible for distorting the history of the country’s great liberation war.
He said this after attending a meeting of BNP’s committee for celebrating the upcoming Independence Day in which he was made the convenor.
Major Hafiz said the independence achieved in 1971 is a matter of pride for the Banglee nation. He regretted that 53 years after the independence the history of liberation war is being made debatable.
The history of liberation war is being written every day like a story and a poem, he said.
During the war the number of freedom fighters was 80,000 or 100, 000, but now “we are seeing about 250, 000 are getting allowance along with other benefits as freedom fighters, Hafiz said.
People are being kept in dark about how the war of independence had started, he added.
AL establishes oligarchs denying mass people’s demand, alleges Moyeen
The armed war of independence started after 25 March crackdown by Pakistani military. The people of the country had sacrificed their lives to bring the independence. The ruling AL doesn’t talk about it because they have no contribution in the war of independence, he claimed.
Major Zia’s declaration of independence influenced the people from every corner to join the liberation war, he said. World community came to know after Zia’s announcement. But the ruling quarter jokes about Zia’s declaration saying that “guard rang the bell”, Hafiz said.
The BNP vice-chairman said Major Zia was one of the lionhearted freedom fighters and also sector commander who led the war staying in the battle field while other sector commanders stayed in India.
But the AL portrays him as the agent of Pakistan’s Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) to misguide the young generation, he said.
BNP will get more isolated if it continues movement during Ramadan: Quader
Major Hafiz alleged that the war of independence is being distorted as the AL claims all credit ignoring the contribution hundreds of thousands of students, youth and solders.
Some political parties who had no contribution in Bangladesh war of independence have hijacked the independence and all achievements, he added.
Govt investigating whether BNP has connections with syndicates, hoarding: Quader
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Thursday (March 14, 2024) said the government is trying to identify those who are involved in market syndicates and investigating whether BNP has any link to the syndicates and hoarders.
The AL leader said this while speaking at an opinion exchange meeting at the Awami League's central office at Bangabandhu Avenue.
BNP will get more isolated if it continues movement during Ramadan: Quader
Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, expressed worries that such syndicates could attempt to destabilise the government and disrupt the progress of the elected government.
Regarding the surge in commodity prices, the minister said the governmen under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working to bring the commodity prices within the reach of common people.
On the issue of commodity price control, Quader referenced his recent visit to Singapore, where he observed a significant rise in commodity prices.
“Efforts are being made to control prices in our country. The government is not inactive here. The Prime Minister is giving time to deal with the crisis. We have no negligence here. The whole world is facing the rise in gas, fuel and commodity prices. This crisis is also going on in the US, Europe, the other developed countries,” he said.
Responding to questions about the recent hijacking of Bangladeshi ship and crew in Somalia, the minister assured that the Foreign Ministry is engaged in securing their release.
He said 23 crew members have insurance coverage, and efforts are underway to ensure their safe return.
Hasan Mahmud says Ganatantra Mancha attacked police to incite chaos
Regarding the negative impact on relation with the US over the conviction of Dr Yunus, the minister said,” Dr Yunus is a person. I want to who he is in the US. He is a citizen of Bangladesh. Bangladesh has its own law and court and law is equal for all.”
AL establishes oligarchs denying mass people’s demand, alleges Moyeen
BNP senior leader Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan on Wednesday alleged that the ruling Awami League (AL) has established the oligarchs in the country denying the mass people’s demand.
He said they have created conducive environment for 220 well-off families to control the country’s almost all sectors while the number of such families was 22 during Pakistan regime.
Dr Moyeen made the comments while visiting BNP Dhaka Metropolitan South unit's member secretary Rafiqul Alam Majnu at his Shajahanpur residence who recently walked out of jail after serving about 10 months in prison.
CNG stations to remain closed for 6 hrs, not 5 hrs
Mentioning a German-based research organisation’s report, he said Bangladesh is one of the countries in the world where rich-poor wealth gap is high and becoming a billionaire within a short time is possible in the country.
Dr Moyeen said BNP is waging movement against the current regime to restore rights of people, not to capture sate power.
He said BNP wants to reconstruct the state where people will enjoy their rights and will live with honor and dignity without any discrimination for religion or race.
Moyeen, a former minister and a BNP standing committee member, said BNP doesn’t believe in using muscle power for establishing democracy in the country, rather in peaceful movement.
Alleging Awami League for establishing ‘totalitarian politics’ in the country, the BNP leader said this kind of politics will destroy the party itself in future.
BNP to host iftar for orphans, Islamic scholars today
He said they are pro-liberation political party, but they are the only a party which dishonors more the sprit of the Liberation War , he claimed.
Terming January 7 election a farce, Moyeen Khan said world’s powerful media like The Economist, Washington Post assessed this election as one-sided and labeled Bangladesh a country of one-party rule.
The BNP senior leader said after October 28 crackdown on BNP rally, the government arrested about 26000 leaders and activists of the party while in the last 15 years they have filed about one lakh false and ghost cases where more than 50 lakh people were accused.