Jatiya Oikyafront on Sunday sent a letter to prison authorities seeking permission for its five leaders to meet ailing BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia at Bangabandhu Sheik Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).

Talking to UNB, Oikyafront office secretary Jahangir Alam Mintoo said their five leaders, led by Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rob) president Abdur Rob, will meet Khaleda in the first phase.

The four other leaders are JSD vice-president Tania Rob, Nagorik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Gonoforum general secretary Reza Kibria and Gonoshasthya Kendra founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury.

As per the discussion with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan during a meeting on October 22, he said they sent the letter mentioning the names of five Oikyafront leaders to the IG Prison to meet the BNP chief in the first phase.

Mintoo said they requested the jail authorities to allow the five leaders to meet Khaleda either on Monday or Tuesday.

He said four-five other Oikyafront leaders will meet the BNP chairperson later in the second phase.

Khaleda has been in jail since she was convicted in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case in February 8, 2018. She was found guilty in another corruption case later the same year, though her party claims both the cases are 'politically motivated'.

She has been receiving treatment at the BSMMU since April 1 last.

BNP will stage protest rallies across the country on Monday against the unusual hike in the prices of essentials, including onion.

The decision was taken at a meeting of BNP standing committee members held at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office on Saturday.

“The price of onion has unusually increased, and it’s already proved that a government-backed syndicate is involved with it. Not only onion, but also the prices of all the essentials marked a sharp rise due to the government’s failure,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, he further said, “We’ll hold protest rallies all over the country, including Dhaka, on Monday against the unusual increase in the prices of onion and other daily essentials.”

Fakhrul said their party also decided to participate in the public hearing to be held on November 28 on the government’s proposal to raise the power tariff again.

He said a team of their party, led by its standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, will join the public hearing and present their party’s views on it.

As per their earlier decision, the BNP leader said, their party will send a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina either on Sunday or Monday seeking detailed information about the bilateral documents signed with India during her visit to the neighbouring country last month.

He alleged that the tenure and expenditure of the Padma Bridge project have been increased again for plundering more public money.

Fakhrul said their meeting denounced the derogatory remarks of Jatiya Party Secretary General Moshiur Rahman Ranga against Noor Hossain, and demanded parliament take punitive action against him. “We think such a person shouldn’t have the membership of parliament.”

He criticised the Prime Minister for taking position in favour of the Jahangirnagar University Vice-chancellor, saying it is very regrettable.

The BNP leader said their party has extended its support to the movement of Jahangirnagar University teachers and students against its VC as the party thinks their demands are justified ones.

He said another appeal will be filed on Sunday seeking bail for their chairperson Khaleda Zia as her health condition is very bad. “We hope the judiciary will work independently and grant her (Khaleda) bail on health grounds as she deserves it. We expect she’ll get justice from the court.”

BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Jamiruddin Sircar, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Selima Rahman and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku were present at the meeting.
 

Dhaka, Nov 16 (UNB) – Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Saturday urged the freedom fighters (FFs) to come forward to build a new Bangladesh free from poverty, inequality and social injustice.

“We got the independence under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, but our struggle for emancipation from poverty, economic discrimination, social injustice and discrimination among people is not over yet,” he said.

Quader further said, “The freedom fighters who were ready to sacrifice their lives for the country have to play a responsible role in the struggle for establishing the justified rights of people. Freedom fighters must come forward to build a new Bangladesh under the leadership of Jatiya Party.”

He came up with the remarks while speaking at a programme of Jatiya Muktijoddha Party at Jatiya Party chairman’s Banani office.

Quader said their party’s late founder HM Ershad honoured the freedom fighters in various ways as he considered them as the best sons of the soil.

He said Ershad initiated allowances for the freedom fighters and set up offices for them. “The current Prime Minister further enhanced the trend of respecting the freedom fighters.”

Jatiya Party secretary general Moshiur Rahman Ranga said people will ever remember with gratitude the sacrifices of the freedom fighters for the country and their contributions to it.

“Many people will be able to MPs and ministers, but those who did not fight for their country will never become freedom fighters. That’s why HM Ershad called the freedom fighters the best sons of the nation,” he said.

Fazlul Huq Montu, Azam Khasru and Molla Abul Kalam Azad were made Sramik League new president, general secretary and executive president respectively.

Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader announced their names in the afternoon.  

Earlier, the Prime Minister inaugurated the council of Sramik League through hoisting the national flag with national anthem playing. 

Chaired by Jatiya Sramik League President Sukkur Mahmud, the function was addressed, among others, by Labour and Manpower Affairs Secretary Habibur Rahman Siraj, State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Munnujan Sufian, ILO Country Director Tuomo Poutiainen, General Secretary of the ITUC Asia-Pacific Shoya Yoshida and General Secretary of South Asian Regional Trade Union Council Laxman Bahadur Basnet.

Sramik League general secretary Sirajul Islam delivered the welcome speech while executive president Fazlul Huq Montu read out the condolence motion.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman founded the Sramik League in 1969 aiming to protect the rights of workers. 

The last council session of the Jatiya Sramik League was held seven years back on July 17, 2012, when Sukkur Mahmud and Sirajul Islam were made president and secretary respectively.

BNP senior leader Moudud Ahmed on Saturday alleged that the government has not taken proper steps to face the cyclonic storm ‘Bulbul’ and protect costal people from possible disasters.

 “I’ve heard the great danger signal number 10 has been advised to hoist due to the approaching cyclone, but the government has not taken 'adequate measures' to tackle it. Our lakhs of people will be affected if the cyclone hits the country,” he said.

Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader further said, “We also saw in the past that the poor people in coastal areas were affected badly by storms and natural calamities due to negligence of the government.”

Jatiyatabadi Matshyajibi Dal arranged the discussion at the Jatiya Press Club, marking what it says the ‘National Revolution and Solidarity Day’ commemorating the ‘civil-military uprising' on November 7, 1975.

According to the Met Office, cyclone ‘Bulbul’ is likely to cross West Bengal-Khulna coast-- near the Sundarbans-- by Saturday evening.

It said the coastal districts of Bhola, Barguna, Patuakhali, Barishal, Pirojpur, Jhalakathi, Bagherhat, Khulna, and Satkhira and their offshore islands and chars will come under great danger signal No 10.

Moudud, a BNP standing committee member, said the government used to brand itself as a role model of development, but the capital goes under knee-deep water after a rainfall for 15 minutes. ”It takes about 45 minutes to travel a one-km path in the capital which they call a role model. They boast so just to fool people.”

He said Bangladesh has now become the role model of ‘snatching democracy’, torturing and raping women, and the model of irresponsibility and culture of impunity. “Bangladesh is also the role model of setting up casinos. The entire world knows there are 150 casinos in Bangladesh’s capital run by ruling party men.”

The BNP leader alleged that the ruling party leaders are indulging in widespread corruption and plundering in every sector. “They (AL leaders) themselves are hastening their fall through corruption.”

He said the government established one-party rule destroying the rule of law. “Judges now cannot work independently due to the government’s influence.” 

Moudud said the media also cannot play its due role as the government is controlling those in many ways.