Politics
Hasan Sarwardy, who brought so-called ‘adviser to Biden’ Arefy to BNP office, arrested
Detectives on Tuesday arrested the former army personnel, Lieutenant General (Retd) Chowdhury Hasan Sarwardy from Savar, on the outskirts of the capital. He was being taken to the DB office, Faruk Hossain, deputy commissioner (DC-media) of the DMP, confirmed the development on Tuesday evening. A team of the DB police led by its chief Harun-or-Rashid conducted a drive in Savar area and arrested him in a case filed with Paltan Police Station.
US Embassy seeks consular access regarding so-called ‘adviser to the US president’ Mian Arefy A person identified as Mahiuddin Shikdar filed the case against Sarwardy on Sunday night, said Faruk Hossain.
On Monday, Mian Zahidul Islam Arefy, who claimed to be an “adviser to US President Joe Biden,” at the DB office said that “Lt General (retired) Chowdhury Hasan Sarwardi brought me to the BNP party office at 3 pm to discuss their programme. They requested me to deliver a speech.”
‘Said what I was asked to say at BNP office’: So-called ‘Biden’s adviser’ Arefy at DB Office
Earlier today, replying to a query Prime minister Sheikh Hasina in a press conference said she asked authorities to find him to be questioned.
Arefy was detained at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Sunday and now being interrogated.
On Saturday, Arefy visited the BNP central office in Naya Paltan and presented himself as an "adviser to US President Biden" when speaking to reporters.
Mian Arefy, so-called ‘adviser to Biden’, detained from Dhaka Airport
Election will be on time, BNP can’t stop it, says PM Hasina at press conference
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said BNP won’t be able to stop the next general election by resorting to violence as they had failed to foil the 2014 and 2018 polls.
“They won’t be able to stop the election in such a way (through unleashing violence). They couldn’t stop the elections in 2013 and 2018. This time too they won’t be able to do so. Inshallah, the election will be held in time,” she said.
The premier said this while addressing a press conference arranged at her official residence Ganabhaban to speak about the outcomes of her recent visit to Belgium.
Also read: ‘Is Biden holding dialogue with Trump?’
She said those who burn buses will be identified, arrested and punished. “I think the hands they use to set a bus on fire should be burned immediately. If so, they will get a lesson or else not,” she said replying to a question from a journalist.
The PM hoped that the BNP would stop the violence. “If they don’t stop, they will face the consequences for it,” she said, adding that these things won’t be allowed to go without punishment.
In reply to another question, Sheikh Hasina said BNP has again proved that it is a terrorist party by resorting to violence on October 28 last.
Also read: PM Hasina describes as successful her visit to Belgium for Global Gateway Forum
“BNP-Jamaat jote is terrorists. BNP is a terrorist party, which they proved again,” she said, adding that a Canadian court earlier called them so several times.
BNP started regaining public trust and confidence gradually as they were carrying out political programmes in healthy manners (in the recent days), she said, adding that the government didn’t hinder their programmes.
“But they would get nothing other than public indignation after the October 28 incident,” she said strongly condemning the attacks on police and journalists by BNP men on that day.
The prime minister said their (BNP) habit wouldn’t change no matter how much good behavior the government does with them.
Also read: Haas meets CEC, hopes all sides will engage in dialogue without preconditions
“I think they don’t want an election rather they want to create an abnormal situation,” she said.
Hasina, also the Awami League president, said their character is to create sufferings of the people.
“BNP is a terrorist organisation. I think now we should give the terrorists a lesson which they deserve . So, we’ll do it,” she said.
The PM returned home on October 27 last, wrapping up her three-day official visit to Belgium where she attended the "Global Gateway Forum 2023" held on October 25-26 in Brussels at the invitation of the European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen.
No dialogue with BNP: PM
In reply to a question, the prime minister ruled out dialogue with the BNP ahead of the next general election saying the people of Bangladesh don’t want it as well.
“What meeting or talks can be held with the killers who can kill the people in such a way (brutally) and destroy our all development activities,” she said when her attention was drawn that US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas urged all to sit for talks without preconditions.
“Let him (Peter Haas) have dinners and talks,” she said.
She said the people of Bangladesh won’t want dialogue with these killers as well. “Rather the people of Bangladesh now hate them, BNP and Jamaat, for their terrorist activities. They’ve lost what they earned (through peaceful programmes),” she added.
The PM said she will go for dialogue with the opposition if the US President Joe Biden does the same with former president and 2024 US presidential candidate Donald Trump.
“Is (US President) Biden holding dialogue with Mr Trump? If Biden sits with Trump for dialogue, then I will hold the dialogue (with opposition),” she said.
The prime minister criticized the international organization of journalists for remaining silent over the attack on 40-45 journalists by BNP men on October 28 last.
No change in cabinet during election: PM
About the election-time government, the prime minister said the full cabinet will do only routine works during the next election.
“We’ll follow the system that was followed in 2018,” she said, adding that the ministers will do only the routine work after the announcement of the election schedule as per the RPO.
She said the ministers can’t enjoy the government’s facilities after the announcement of the election schedule and the submission of nomination papers as per the RPO. “They will have to seek votes just as a candidate,” she said.
She said Bangladesh will follow the election-time system that is followed by Australia, Canada, India and England.
The prime minister asked the garment workers to refrain from violence while negotiation continues over re-fixing their minimum wages.
She said her government on three occasions raised the minimum wages to Tk 8,300 from only Tk 1,600 in just 14 years.
Hasina expressed dissatisfaction as the workers suddenly took to the streets and engaged in violence and arson attacks on factories when discussion continued over raising the minimum wages from the December next.
Noting that it’s very unfortunate that two lives were already lost there, she asked them to refrain from such activities as they will finally suffer due to the destruction in their workplaces.
About the price-hike of essentials, Hasina said she has already directed to take action against the commodity hoarders, not the retailers.
She said the commodity prices are raised artificially. The hoarders don’t want to reduce the prices, though the commodities start getting rotten, she added.
“So, I asked for action against the hoarders, not for going to (retail) shops. I’ve already issued this directive which is being done so that the commodities can’t be hoarded,” she added.
At the event, a video was screened on the mayhem unleashed by BNP-Jamaat on October 28 and 29 last throughout the country.
Arrest warrant issued against BNP leader Mirza Abbas
A Dhaka court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant against BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas in a graft case filed against him in 2007.
Judge Monjurul Imam of Dhaka's Special Judge Court-6 issued the arrest warrant against him after canceling his bail in the case.
The prosecution's arguments have been set for November 2, said ACC's Public Prosecutor Mahmud Hossain Jahangir.
Crime scene tape before BNP central office removed
On August 16, 2007, the ACC filed the case with Ramna Police Station against Mirza Abbas and his wife Afroza Abbas for amassing wealth worth over Tk 5.67 crore beyond known sources of income and concealing wealth statement of Tk 23 lakh to the commission.
BNP sends letter to foreign missions blaming govt, police for Oct 28 violence
The court framed charges against Mirza Abbas, also a former BNP minister, and his wife on June 16, 2008.
The ACC on May 14, 2008 pressed charges against Mirza Abbas and his wife Afroza Abbas in the case.
Government resorts to ‘targeted killing’ to suppress opposition movement: Rizvi
Crime scene tape before BNP central office removed
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has removed the crime scene yellow tape from in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office amid the presence of huge law enforcers.
However, the collapsible gate of the BNP central office still remained locked from the outside and the party leaders and workers were not seen coming to the party office area till 4 pm on Tuesday.
Talking to UNB, police officers deployed there said the crime scene tape inscribed with "Do not cross' was removed in the early hours of Tuesday as the CID has completed the process of collecting evidence from the spot.
BNP sends letter to foreign missions blaming govt, police for Oct 28 violence
A huge number of law enforces remained deployed in front of the BNP office and its adjoining areas, roads and alleys.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Motijheel Division Deputy Commissioner Hayatul Islam Khan said adequate security measures have been taken in the area to fend off any possible untoward incidents during the blockade.
Besides, he said they would arrest if they find any accused and suspects of Saturday’s violence that killed a police constable and a Jubo Dal leader and injured scores of others, including over 100 law enforcers.
On Sunday, the members of CID earmarked the areas in front of the main gate of the BNP office with the crime scene tape inscribed with "Do not cross' to collect evidence from there for investigation in Saturday’s severe political violence.
Government resorts to ‘targeted killing’ to suppress opposition movement: Rizvi
Later, the CID members collected 10 types of evidence and sent those to the laboratory for test.
Half an hour after the start of BNP's much-talked-about grand rally at Nayapaltan, the party's leaders and workers locked into a clash with some ruling party activists and the police at Kakrail. With the passage of time, Nayapaltan and its adjacent areas turned into a battlefield, foiling the programme.
Opposition parties’ 3-day countrywide blockade to begin Tuesday
AL holding marches, sit-ins on streets protesting BNP-Jamaat’s blockade
Awami League is holding a march and sit-in programme on the streets to protest the 72-hour blockade called by BNP, Jamaat and associate parties.
Leaders and activists of Dhaka Metropolitan North unit of Awami League held a demonstration at Mirpur-1 in the capital on Tuesday at 8 am while leaders and activists of Dhaka Metropolitan South unit of the party have taken a position on the road in front of the party's central office.
Apart from this, Jubo League is holding anti-blockade protest meetings and marches the city.
Awami League leaders and activists were seen shouting the slogan “Sheikh Hasina’s government is needed again and again” while protesting the opposition’s blockade.
Read: 2 dead in three-way clash among BNP, AL activists and police in Kishoreganj
Kamrul Hasan Ripon, president of Swechasebak League Dhaka Metropolitan South unit, organized a rally with leaders and activists in various areas of Dhaka-5 constituency to resist BNP-Jamaat’s blockade and “violence, destruction.”
Ripon told UNB that he gathered with thousands of leaders and activists to prevent subversive activities of BNP-Jamaat and protect the lives and properties of the people.
“We held peaceful marches and rallies in different areas of Dhaka-5. Any anarchy in the name of movement will be met with strong response,” he said.
Opposition parties’ 3-day countrywide blockade underway
A three-day blockade of road, rail and waterways, enforced by BNP and like-minded opposition parties, across the country began this morning to mount pressure on the Awami League government to quit and hold the next election under a non-party, neutral administration.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami also enforced the blockade simultaneously from this morning to Thursday evening with the same demands.
Apart from BNP and Jamaat, the 12-party alliance, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote, LDP, Gonoforum and People’s Party, Gonotantrik Bam Oikya, Gono Odhikar Parishad, Labour Party and NDM are also observing the programme separately.
Meanwhile, AL has vowed to resist any violence during the blockade.
Read more: Jamaat to observe countrywide blockade program on Oct 31 and Nov 1-2
Police and other law enforcement agencies have already alerted their units to increase vigilance and beef up security across the country.
Police have also taken up positions and set up checkpoints at the entry points and all major points of Dhaka.
After observing a day-long hartal, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday evening announced the countrywide blockade for three consecutive days.
He, however, said vehicles of newspapers or media, ambulances and vehicles transporting oxygen cylinders and medicines will remain out of the purview of the three-day blockade.
Read more: BNP sends letter to foreign missions blaming govt, police for Oct 28 violence
BNP sends letter to foreign missions blaming govt, police for Oct 28 violence
BNP sent a letter to embassies and high commissions in Dhaka on Monday, blaming the government, ruling party "cadres" and the police for the incidents of violence centring its Nayapaltan grand rally on October 28 (Saturday).
A BNP senior leader, preferring not to be named, said the seven-page letter, along with some documents and video and audio clips, was sent to the foreign missions in Dhaka on Monday afternoon.
Also read: Gonoforum MP questions if the government lost confidence in itself
In the letter, signed by the party's Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, BNP also informed the foreign diplomats about prevailing political situation in the country.
With seven sub-heads in the letter, BNP elaborately explained what actually happened on October 28, and the reasons behind announcing tougher programmes like the countrywide hartal and blockade.
“On 28 October 2023, during the grand rally of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), certain individuals from the authoritarian Awami League government’s heavily politicised law enforcement agencies and the ruling party terrorists orchestrated violent attacks, leading to chaos and damage to public lives and property. BNP, as a political party with a firm belief in peace and liberalism, vehemently denounces and expresses profound disappointment and outrage over this situation,” the letter read.
Also read: ‘Every human life matters, whether BNP understands that or not’: Momen briefs foreign diplomats
“If we scrutinise the targets and victims of a carefully orchestrated master plan by the Awami League to sow discord on that significant day of our grand rally, it becomes evident how the state machinery exploits the unfortunate murder of a policeman as a crucial legal tool to implicate numerous eminent BNP leaders and passionate activists across the country,” it continued.
BNP said the government’s intentions are clearly driven by the deadly agenda to arrest, harass, and entangle BNP leaders and followers in legal troubles ahead of the election.
“We view this as an integral part of the Awami League's three-pronged strategy: first, undermining the BNP's peaceful and nonviolent demonstrations with controversial clashes and confrontations; second, spreading widespread fear and intimidation among millions of opposition grassroots and followers through violent attacks; and third, ensnaring BNP leaders and key activists in fabricated, high-risk cases in a vain effort to keep us away from the ongoing one-point demand movement,” the letter also read.
BNP had sent the letter before Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen briefed the foreign diplomats on the current political situation and political violence on October 28.
Also read: US Embassy seeks consular access regarding so-called ‘adviser to the US president’ Mian Arefy
Gonoforum MP questions if the government lost confidence in itself
Gonoforum MP Mukabbir Khan on Monday came down heavily on the government for hasty passage of the bill in Jatiya Sangsad at the fag end of the tenure of running government.
The opposition MP even raised the question--has the government lost confidence in itself?
Mukabbir Khan said this while participating in the discussion on the passage of 'Bangladesh Institute of Management Bill-2023' in parliament.
The ongoing 25th session of parliament will continue till November 2. This will be the last session of the 11th parliament.
A total of 22 bills are expected to be passed in this session of 9 working days. 18 bills were passed in the last session of the 10th Parliament.
Read: PHQ orders all units to take all-out security measures during blockade
Mukabbir Khan said that the government is trying to update several old laws, which is positive.
"But in the last period of the government, it is difficult to say which law is being placed and passed in the House. I fear that the government has lost confidence in itself. Is the government assuming that they will not be able to stay in power or will not be able to form a government through the next elections,” he questioned.
He said that Does any interest of any particular person or group are involved (with the passage of the bills)? This needs to be clarified.
He asked why there are so many bills in the last period of the government?
Saying that a report of seven bills were received in parliament last Sunday, Mukabbir said how the MPs will study on those bills within such a short period of time. Passage of bill in a hurry has little chance of becoming standard legislation.
Read: Opposition parties’ 3-day countrywide blockade to begin Tuesday
Commenting that domestic and foreign investors are losing interest in investing in Bangladesh, Mukabbir said that Investment requires a stable environment.
"The people of the country are extremely worried about the elections. People are suffering from insecurity. In the name of so-called democracy, two political circles are standing in conflict. It is making the country a war zone."
Jamaat to observe countrywide blockade program on Oct 31 and Nov 1-2
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in a statement on Monday urged to observe a three-day blockade program tomorrow on October 31 and November 1 and 2 in continuation of the ongoing movement for the resignation of the government.Acting Secretary General of Jamaat Maulana ATM Masum called this in a statement in this regard on Monday (October 30).
No election without caretaker govt: Acting Ameer of JamaatIn the statement, he said that different opposition political parties, including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP, announced the program of a mass meeting in the capital Dhaka on October 28.The law enforcers’ agencies of the country, instead of cooperating in the implementation of the program of the peaceful mass gathering, obstructed the way for the leaders and activists to come to the assembly.
Streets empty, vehicles burnt and vandalised in Dhaka as BNP-Jamaat observe hartalThe leaders and activists coming to the rally were searched from their cars and arrested after getting off the bus, launch, and trains. Awami League cadres attacked a peaceful assembly of opposition parties and law enforcers broke up the assembly with tear gas, bullets, and heavy lathi charge, the statement said.
Sylhet hartal clashes: 539 BNP-Jamaat activists sued in 5 casesAmong them, 4 people including journalists and BNP activists were killed and thousands of activists were injured due to police teargas and bullets. Around 2000 leaders and activists of opposition parties including Jamaat have been arrested in the last few days in connection with mass gatherings and hartals.Resignation of the government, re-establishment of the caretaker government system to make the upcoming twelfth parliamentary elections free, fair, and neutral, release of all arrested political leaders and clerics including Ameer Jamaat Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, curbing the rise in prices of daily essential commodities, attacks on the opposition party's general meeting, Jamaat is announcing a program of blockade of roads, railways, and waterways across the country tomorrow on October 31 and November 1 and 2.Masum called upon the people of Jamaat-e-Islami at all levels and the people of the country to carry out the declared blockade program peacefully in the greater interest of the country.
Government resorts to ‘targeted killing’ to suppress opposition movement: Rizvi
Stating that a terribly suffocating situation has been prevailing amid the government’s repressive acts, BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday alleged that the government has resorted to ‘targeted killing’ to suppress the opposition’s ongoing movement.
Speaking at a virtual press briefing, he also asked their party leaders and activists to remain alert as the government is plotting to unleash violence like attacking the temples of the minority communities to shift the blame onto BNP.
Also read: Opposition parties’ 3-day countrywide blockade to begin Tuesday
“There’s an awful, suffocating and scary situation in the country. Especially, the lives and normal movement of the leaders and workers of the democratic political parties are under threat,” the BNP leader said.
He said there is hardly any BNP central leader whose house was not raided by law enforcers while their Nayapaltan central office was kept cordoned off with crime scene tape. “The country’s people and the entire world community have been observing it.”
The BNP leader said many videos containing the scenes of violence planned by the Awami League have been going viral on social media every day since the attacks on BNP’s grand rally at Nayapaltan.
Also read: If BNP genuinely wanted elections, they wouldn’t have resorted to acts of terrorism: Quader
He claimed that a video went viral with the footage of how some people carrying sticks attacked the chief justice’s residence with ‘police protection’.
“There’s another alarming thing which I want to share. It seems target killing is going on in the same old style. Two doctors in Rajshahi--one MBBS doctor, and another village doctor--were killed on the same night. They’re the local leaders of a party (Jamaat),” Rizvi said.
Besides, he said Zakir Hossain, a leader of Swechchasebak Dal in Cumilla, died after he had been chased by police. “It seems to us that these are all targeted killings. We express deep concerns over these incidents. We think it has started all over the country as the government has taken a dangerous plan of target killing to suppress the opposition and traumatise the entire nation with fear,”
Also read: Fakhrul denied bail, sent to jail
He said the government has hatched a dangerous plot centring the BNP’s grand rally on October 28. “The evidence of that conspiracy has been exposed now through different video footage and photos. Though the government gave permission for the rally, they made a destructive blueprint to attack the programme.”
From various incidents reported in the media, Rizvi said it seems that government agents may be plotting to carry out subversive activities in the temples of various religious communities in the country to blame the BNP.
“Because an audio clip containing the conversation of the law enforcers about such thing (attacks on temples) was found. It has exposed they’re hatching a deep plot. We ask the leaders and activists of BNP and its all associate bodies to remain alert about it,” he said.
Rizvi said the fall of the government is imminent as the ongoing movement for holding the next election under a non-party administration cannot be stopped by attacking the BNP leaders and activists and arresting them by implicating them in different cases.
Also read: Fakhrul shown arrested in CJ’s house vandalising case