Dhaka, Sept 15 (UNB) – All the expired committees of Awami League district, city, upazila, thana, pourosava, union and ward units have been asked to complete their respective councils by December 10 next.

AL general secretary Obaidul Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, on Sunday gave the directives by sending letters to the presidents and general secretaries of all the district and city units of the ruling party, said an AL media release.

Bangladesh Awami League will hold its 21st national council on December 20 and 21 next, according to a decision taken at a meeting of AL Central Working Committee, held on Saturday last.

The meeting also decided to complete the councils of all the party units, having committee tenures expired, before the national council, reads the letter adding that the Prime Minister has directed to complete the councils by December 10.

Dhaka, Sept 15 (UNB) – Jatiya Party secretary general Moshiur Rahman Ranga on Sunday said they hope that the Awami League will extend its support to Saad Ershad in Rangpur-3 by-election since both the parties joined the last general election under the Grand Alliance.

Speaking at a press briefing at Jatiya Party chairman’s Banani office, he also hoped that their party candidate will win the by-election with a margin of over one lakh votes. 

“We participated in the 11th parliamentary election in alliance with Awami League. Our late party founder HM Ershad had repeatedly been elected from the Rangpur-3 seat. We hope Awami League will extend support to our candidate in the by-polls,” Ranga said.

He said Jatiya Party has formed an 11-member committee, headed by its chairman GM Quader, for conducting election campaign and other activities in favour of Saad Ershad.

Ranga said their party leaders and activists in Rangpur-3 seat have already started working to ensure Saad’s victory.

The by-election to the Rangpur-3 seat, which fell vacant following the death of Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad, will be held on October 5.

Ershad won all the elections he had taken part from this seat since in 1991.

Dhaka, Sept 15 (UNB) – BNP on Sunday alleged that the government has halted the council of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) through the court to hush up the extortion incident by ruling party’s student body Bangladesh Chhatra League.  

“The president and secretary of Chhatra League were removed for indulging in extortion. Chhatra Dal’s council was halted only to hush the extortion incident of Tk 86 crore by the Chhatra League leaders,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

He further said, “There has been a huge outcry over the extortion by Chhatra League. Sheikh Hasina stopped the council of Chhatra Dal to divert people’s attention to a different direction from the extortion incident.”

Rizvi came up with the remarks while speaking at a rally in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office taken out by the party leaders and activists marking the International Day of Democracy. 

He alleged that the current government is now using the court as a knife of butchers to halt political activities. “A democratic council was stopped through the court.”

Rizvi said Sheikh Hasina made such BCL president and general secretary who demanded Tk 86 crore as toll from Jahangirnagar Universality VC for their expenditure during eid. “People are now expressing their hatred towards Chhatra League as the extortion incident has now become a talk of the town.”

Amid various controversies, BCL President Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury Shovon and General Secretary Golam Rabbani were removed from their respective posts on Saturday.

On Thursday, a Dhaka court issued an ad interim injunction on holding the JCD council as its ex-assistant religious affairs secretary Md Aman Ullah Aman filed a case seeking a permanent injunction on it.

Meanwhile, BNP senior joint secretary general and ex-JCD president Habib-un-Nabi Kahn Sohel demanded the government bring the removed BCL president and secretary under justice for indulging in extortion.

“Two BCL leaders were removed from their posts on charge of extortion. We demand they also be put on trial,” he told a human chain programme.

Jatiyatabadi Matsyajibi Dal arranged the programme in front the Jatiya Press Club demanding the release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.  
 
Sohel said the BCL leaders should face trial as they stigmatised the student politics by indulging in extortion.

Dhaka, Sept 15 (UNB) – BNP on Sunday alleged that the current government has established an ‘electoral autocracy’ in the country by destroying all the democratic institutions. 

“The government has destroyed all the democratic institutions with a motive to establish an autocratic rule in the country. An electoral autocracy is now there in the country undercover of democracy,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. 

He further said, “They (govt) are holding elections to show there’s democracy, but they’re doing everything against democracy. But our party has cent percent commitment to democracy.”

Fakhrul came up with the remarks while speaking at a press conference at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, marking the International Day of Democracy.

He said the International Day of Democracy is being observed in Bangladesh at a time when Khaleda Zia, who had repeatedly spearheaded movement for restoration of democracy, has been in jail in ‘false’ cases. “What can be the bigger farce than it?”

The BNP leader said the country now lacks democracy and a representative government as the current one was ‘not’ elected with people’s votes.

“On this day, we call upon all to get united to restore democracy, free Khaleda Zia, ensure good governance, remove inequality and build a democratic state as per the spirit of the Liberation War,” he said.

Fakhrul alleged that the government has created a political anarchy in the country over the last 10 years with its repressive acts. “The opposition parties have been subjected to immense repression, killing and enforced disappearance. Over one lakh cases were filed against 26 lakh opposition leaders and activists in the last 10 years. The government has created a reign of terror with killing, enforced disappearance, false cases and custodial death.”  

He said the United Nations can ask the Bangladesh government as to how it runs the country violating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights despite being a signatory to it.

The BNP leader said different rights bodies and democratic countries, including the UK, the USA and Canada, have recently voiced deep concern over the human rights condition in Bangladesh.

“In this undemocratic environment, the government may have the self-satisfaction that it has occupied entire Bangladesh using the state machinery. But they couldn’t win the hearts of 18 crore people.” he observed.

Dhaka, Sept 15 (UNB) – BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday voiced happiness over the removal of the president and general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) ‘on charge of graft’ as he said it is a recognition that the ruling party is indulging in ‘widespread’ corruption.

“Awami League President and the Prime Minister has removed the president and general secretary of an organisation after just revelation of a graft incident. It’s exposed how corruption is going on unabated all over the country,” he said.

The BNP leader further said, “It’s also proved that they (ruling party leaders) all together are indulging in corruption, and the Prime Minster has given its recognition by removing them (BCL president, general secretary).We’re happy over the incident.”   
BNP arranged the press conference at its chairperson’s Gulshan office, marking the International Day of Democracy.

Amid various controversies, BCL President Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury Shovon and General Secretary Golam Rabbani were removed from their respective posts on Saturday.

Replying to a question, Fakhrul said as Sheikh Hasina is the main guardian of the BCL, she can take such action against its president and general secretary. “But I don’t know what provision is there in the constitution of BCL about it.” 

He alleged that the government has ‘destroyed’ all the democratic institutions with a motive to establish an autocratic rule in the country.

About the court injunction on the council of BNP’s student body Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the BNP leader said politics cannot go on when the government tries of control it with the law. “It’s an unprecedented incident that the court is trying to control the politics of a political party at the behest of the government. It only demonstrated that the government doesn’t believe in democracy and opposition.”