United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar on Thursday blamed the government’s “mismanagement, inefficiency, lack of foresight, widespread corruption and politicisation of various institutions” for the worsening power and gas crisis in the country. In a statement, he expressed deep concern over the severe shortage of electricity and gas and the resulting public suffering, and strongly condemned what he described as the government’s failure to manage the power sector. Porwar said the country has recently been experiencing a severe power and gas crisis, with a significant gap between demand and supply causing widespread public suffering. He said the country was hit by extensive load shedding since August 9. According to the statement, the electricity shortfall stood at 3,671 megawatts on August 9, 3,757MW on August 10, 3,465MW on August 11 and 3,382MW on August 12. “This shows that the country has faced an average power shortage of around 3,500MW in recent days,” the Jamaat leader said, adding that people and the industrial sector were bearing the brunt of the crisis. He also said on Wednesday, gas supply stood at 2,030 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) against a demand for 3,800 mmcfd. “The power and gas crisis has reached an extreme level due to the government’s mismanagement, inefficiency, lack of foresight, widespread corruption and politicisation of various institutions,” Porwar said. He said public anger is growing as the energy crisis deepened, referring to a letter sent by the Bangladesh Palli Bidyut Association to the Police Headquarters on Wednesday, seeking enhanced security at 80 rural electrification co-operatives amid the deteriorating situation. The Jamaat secretary general said the move reflects the government’s failure in managing the power sector. Citing media reports, he said Nilphamari in the northern region was receiving 45-55MW against a demand for 80MW, while Kushtia was receiving 85-95MW against a demand for 155MW. “Such a situation exists across the country, prompting power-sector officials to seek enhanced security,” he said. Porwar said the crisis has worsened because the government has failed to take long-term decisions on power management. Production at industries is being disrupted, while people are struggling to carry out routine household activities, including cooking, because of shortages of electricity and gas, he said. Students are also facing disruptions to their studies, he added. “Overall, people’s lives have become miserable,” the Jamaat leader said, accusing the government of failing to take effective measures to address the crisis and describing it as an indication of its irresponsibility towards the people. He expressed concern that the government could further deepen the crisis by providing renewed benefits to old oligarchs in the name of privatising the energy sector. To ease public suffering, Porwar demanded that the government increase gas supplies, stop gas theft in industries, reduce leakage and system losses, formulate necessary policies and facilitate the import of equipment for energy conversion, and take measures to prevent oil smuggling. He also called for arrangements to import crude oil through government or private initiatives and urged the authorities to take effective measures to improve the skills of those involved in electricity generation and distribution. To address the existing crisis and ensure energy security, the Jamaat leader said it is essential to step up domestic gas exploration by bringing in capable foreign partners for onshore reservoir management, including the use of new technologies, as well as drilling new exploration and development wells. “If the government fails to take initiatives to meet the basic and everyday needs of the people, it will have to bear responsibility for any situation that may arise,” he said.

The ruling BNP and the 11-party opposition alliance, led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, submitted nomination papers for their respective candidates to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on Thursday for the presidential election slated for August 20. BNP filed a nomination paper for its candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, while the 11-party combine submitted two nomination papers for its candidate Col (retd) Oli Ahmad. A BNP delegation, led by its Standing Committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, submitted the nomination paper to CEC AMM Nasir Uddin, who is serving as the returning officer of the presidential election, in the Nirbachan Bhaban at 2:24pm. In the nomination paper, Moyeen Khan is the proposer of Mirza Fakhrul while Gayeshwar Chandra Roy is the seconder. As BNP has an absolute majority in Parliament, Mirza Fakhrul is widely expected to be elected by the MPs in the race for Bangabhaban, the President’s official residence and office. Earlier, BNP announced party's Secretary General and Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul as its presidential candidate. The announcement came after a high-level meeting of the party with its Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Meanwhile, Mirza Fakhrul resigned from the post of BNP secretary general and the party's Standing Committee. The delegation members include BNP Standing Committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee, whips Miah Nuruddin Ahmed Apu, GK Gouse, ABM Ashraf Uddin (Nizan), Rakibul Islam and Akhtaruzzaman Miah, BNP joint secretaries general Habib Un-Nabi Khan Sohel and Abdus Salam Azad. Meanwhile, two separate delegations of the 11-party alliance submitted as many nomination papers for its presidential candidate Oli Ahmad to the CEC. In the first nomination paper, Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman proposed Oli Ahmad as the presidential candidate, while National Citizen Party (NCP) lawmaker Abdullah Al Amin seconded the proposal. In the second nomination paper, NCP lawmaker Mahmuda Alam Mitu is the proposer while Jamaat lawmaker Abdul Baten is the seconder. EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed later confirmed that three nomination papers were submitted for the presidential election – one for Mirza Fakhrul and two for Oli Ahmad. Addressing a press briefing after the deadline for submission of nomination papers expired, he said the nomination papers will be scrutinised from 10am on August 16, with a representative from the Parliament Secretariat present to verify the signatures of the candidates’ proposers and seconders. Replying to a question over two nomination papers filed for Oli Ahmad, the EC secretary said, “We will scrutinise them. If the first one is rejected, we will scrutinise the second one.” After submitting Mirza Fakhrul’s nomination paper, BNP leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy welcomed the participation of the 11-party alliance in the presidential election. “We welcome them. This is by no means an election merely to fulfil a formality. What is supposed to happen under the Constitution and the RPO is happening. Everything is being done by following the rules,” he said. Chief Whip Nurul Islam said, “The beauty of democracy is that we are contesting and being elected.” He said the current Parliament was formed through a neutral election after 17 years of movement and BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is working to fulfil the expectations of the people. Following the submission of the first nomination paper, Jamaat leader AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad said the 11-party alliance is contesting the presidential election despite lacking a majority in Parliament in order to uphold the “beauty of democracy” and restore democratic practices to the right track. “We want to create a new trend in democratic practice in Bangladesh,” he said. “This is not about whether we will win or lose. We do not want any election to be held without contest. That is the beauty of democracy. We have taken this decision to restore democracy to the right track,” he added. Describing Oli Ahmad as a decorated freedom fighter, Azad said he is a nationally respected figure who has remained above controversy and made significant contributions to the country over a long period. “The nation is viewing this positively and appreciating the decision of our 11-party alliance,” he said. However, the Jamaat leader said constitutional provisions (Article 70 of the Constitution that bars MPs to cross the floor) has created an obstacle to democratic practice in the presidential election. Under Article 70 of the Constitution, lawmakers cannot vote against their party’s decision. The 11-party alliance delegation members include Jamaat MPs Nurul Islam Bulbul, Nazibur Rahman and Mardia Momtaz, NCP Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary, NCP MPs Abdullah Al Amin and Mahmuda, Labour Party Chairman Mostafizur Rahman Iran and Jatiya Ganatantrik Party Vice-President Rashed Pradhan. The EC on August 6 announced the schedule for the presidential election, fixing August 20 for voting. The CEC convened a meeting of the Members of Parliament (MPs) at the session chamber of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban for voting from 2:00pm to 5:00pm on August 20. According to the election schedule, the last date for withdrawal of candidature is August 18. A total of 349 MPs are voters in the presidential election as the Chattogram-4 parliamentary seat remains vacant. The voters include 247 BNP lawmakers, 77 Jamaat MPs, eight NCP lawmakers, eight independent MPs, three Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis MPs, and one each from Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP, Gono Odhikar Parishad, Ganosamhati Andolon, Khilafat Majlis, Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Jatiya Ganatantrik Party. Four parliamentary parties – Jamaat, NCP, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis and Jatiya Ganatantrik Party – are the components of the 11-party alliance, giving the coalition a combined strength of 89 votes. This will be the first presidential election in 35 years, which is going to involve more than one candidate. So, the voting is set to be held in the presidential election after 1991. On July 24 last, Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned as President and Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad took charge as the acting President. According to Article 123(2) of the Constitution, an election to fill the vacant office of the President must be held within 90 days of the post becoming vacant due to resignation.

BNP leaders on Thursday denied that the party held a meeting at the Secretariat on the nomination of its candidate for the presidential election, rejecting criticism from opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. “There was no meeting today. Since Tarique Rahman is the prime minister and our party chairman, we had entrusted him with the responsibility of choosing the candidate. He called us and informed us of the decision. There was no meeting there,” BNP Standing Committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said. He was speaking to reporters after submitting the nomination paper for BNP’s presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to the Election Commission in the Nirbachan Bhaban. The BNP leader was responding to a question about Jamaat's criticism over the announcement of Mirza Fakhrul as the BNP's presidential candidate following what was described as a party “meeting” at the Secretariat. A BNP delegation, led by its Standing Committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, submitted the nomination paper to Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, who is serving as the returning officer of the presidential election, at 2:24pm. In the nomination paper, Moyeen Khan proposed Mirza Fakhrul as a presidential candidate while Gayeshwar Chandra seconded his candidacy. Responding to the criticism, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni, also a delegation member, reiterated that there was no meeting at the Secretariat in this regard. “What took place at the Secretariat today was not a meeting. We held discussions there. Discussions can take place anywhere in Bangladesh,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was nominated and elected from a party. The chief whip said the decision on the presidential candidate had already been taken and Tarique Rahman just announced it now. PM’s adviser and BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi also claimed that it was not a meeting of the BNP Standing Committee as it had earlier authorised Tarique Rahman to select the party’s presidential candidate. Earlier in the morning, Jamaat Assistant Secretary General and coordinator of the 11-party alliance AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad questioned the holding of a BNP meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Secretariat to select its candidate for the presidential election. “The Secretariat is an executive place. A top-level political meeting has been held there! We are not aware of any such precedent. Yet they are doing it. So, how do they view democracy?” he told reporters after submitting the nomination paper for their alliance’s presidential candidate Col (retd) Oli Ahmad to the CEC. During the briefing, Gayeshwar Chandra welcomed the 11-party alliance’s participation in the presidential election slated for August 20. About the participation of both BNP and Jamaat-led opposition camps in the presidential election, Moni said, “The beauty of democracy is that we are contesting and being elected.” Noting that this Parliament was formed through a neutral election after 17 years of movement, he said BNP Tarique Rahman is working to fulfil the expectations of the people. The delegation members include Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee, whips of Parliament Miah Nuruddin Ahmed Apu, GK Gouse, ABM Ashraf Uddin (Nizan), Rakibul Islam and Akhtaruzzaman Miah, BNP joint secretaries general Habib Un-Nabi Khan Sohel and Abdus Salam Azad.

Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General and coordinator of the 11-party alliance AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad on Thursday questioned the holding of a BNP meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Secretariat to select its candidate for the presidential election. “The Secretariat is an executive place. A top-level political meeting has been held there! We are not aware of any such precedent. Yet they are doing it. So how do they view democracy?” he said. Fakhrul nominated as BNP’s presidential candidate Azad made the remark while talking to reporters after the nomination paper of Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed, the presidential candidate of the 11-party alliance, was submitted to Chief Election Commissioner and presidential election officer AMM Nasir Uddin in the city’s Nirbachan Bhaban. In this time, the Jamaat leader also referred to a recent remark by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, saying that there had been no change from the past in the administration over the last five or six months of the current government. Azad said the 11-party alliance is contesting the presidential election despite lacking a majority in parliament in order to uphold the “beauty of democracy” and restore democratic practices to the right track. “We want to create a new trend in democratic practice in Bangladesh,” he said. Referring to the 1991 presidential election, Azad said there had been a possibility of a competitive contest then because the BNP did not have a parliamentary majority. “There is not even that possibility now, as the BNP has already ensured its majority through its own tactics. So they are on the safe side,” he said. “This is not about whether we will win or lose. We do not want any election to be held without a contest. That is the beauty of democracy. We have taken this decision to restore democracy to the right track,” he added. Describing Oli Ahmed as a decorated freedom fighter, Azad said he was a nationally respected figure who had remained above controversy and had made significant contributions to the country over a long period. “The nation is viewing this positively and appreciating the decision of our 11-party alliance,” he said. However, he said constitutional provisions (Article 70 of the Constitution that bars MPs to cross the floor) had created an obstacle to democratic practice in the presidential election. Under Article 70 of the Constitution, lawmakers cannot vote against their party’s decision. Azad claimed that the BNP could have introduced secret-ballot voting for the presidential election (bringing change in the Article 70). He said implementation of the July Charter would have led to an amendment to Article 70, allowing MPs to vote independently in the presidential election. The Jamaat leader claimed that the reform has not been implemented due to what he described as the BNP’s “stubbornness” and “narrow partisan interests” after the February 12 election. Asked about expelled Jamaat MP Gazi Nazrul Islam of Satkhira-4, Azad said MPs would have to vote according to Article 70 as long as the provision remained unchanged in the Constitution. A delegation of the opposition alliance, led by Azad, submitted the nomination paper to Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at 11:49am. In the nomination paper, Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman MP proposed Oli Ahmed as the Presidential candidate, while NCP lawmaker Abdullah Al Amin seconded the proposal. The delegation members include Jamaat MPs Nurul Islam Bulbul, Nazibur Rahman, Mardia Momtaz, NCP chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari, NCP MPs Abdullah Al Amin and Mahmuda Mitu; Labour Party Chairman Mostafizur Rahman Iran and Jagpa Vice-President Rashed Pradhan.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who has risen through the political ranks from grassroots activism and steered the BNP through some of its most difficult years, is now the party’s nominee for the presidency. A BNP delegation submitted the nomination paper to Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city's Agargaon area Thursday afternoon, formally putting forward its Secretary General for the country’s highest constitutional office. Fakhrul nominated as BNP’s presidential candidate Earlier, BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman nominated  Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the BNP’s candidate for the presidential election. Tarique announced his decision at the beginning of a meeting with the party’s Standing Committee members and senior leaders at the Prime Minister’s Office at secretariat. Mirza Fakhrul was a student leader in his youth, an economics teacher in his professional life and eventually a politician who went on to become a municipality chairman, a member of parliament, a state minister and a minister. Now, he is set to become the country’s 23rd president. At 78, Fakhrul has had a long and varied political journey, marked by political responsibility, organisational leadership and periods of adversity. Fakhrul, widely regarded as a moderate and seasoned politician within the BNP, remained one of the party’s most visible leaders during its prolonged political struggle against the Awami League government. Early life and education Fakhrul was born on January 26, 1948, in the Kalibari area of Thakurgaon town. His father, Mirza Ruhul Amin, was a lawyer who served twice as a member of the Pakistan Provincial Assembly and later as a member of Bangladesh’s Parliament. He also served as a minister in the Ershad government. Fakhrul completed his primary and secondary education in Thakurgaon before passing his Higher Secondary Certificate examination from Dhaka College. He then enrolled in the Department of Economics at the University of Dhaka where he obtained both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. His involvement in politics began during his university years. He joined leftist politics and became president of the East Pakistan Students’ Union’s Dhaka University unit. He also served as the elected general secretary of the organisation’s SM Hall unit. During the 1969 mass uprising, Fakhrul was president of the Dhaka University unit of the Students’ Union. From teaching to politics After completing his studies, Fakhrul joined the teaching profession and worked as a lecturer in economics at Dhaka College. He later entered government service but left his job in 1986 to pursue politics full-time. His political career took a new turn when he was elected chairman of the Thakurgaon municipality as an independent candidate in 1988. Earlier, in 1979, during President Ziaur Rahman’s administration, Fakhrul had served as private secretary to then Deputy Prime Minister S A Bari. His entry into national politics came through the National Awami Party (NAP) of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani before he eventually joined the BNP. Rise within BNP During the anti-Ershad movement in the early 1990s, Fakhrul joined the BNP. He was appointed president of the Thakurgaon district unit of the party in 1992 and subsequently rose through the party hierarchy, serving in several key positions before becoming a senior joint secretary general. He served as BNP acting secretary general from 2011 and was elected secretary general at the party’s sixth national council in 2016. He has remained in the post since then. Before reaching the party’s top leadership, he also served for years as the first vice-president and later president of the BNP’s farmers’ organisation, Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal. A visible face during BNP’s difficult years Fakhrul’s political journey has been marked by prolonged challenges, particularly during the period following the 1/11 political changeover and the Awami League’s long tenure in power, when the BNP faced repeated repression and political setbacks. During the Awami League government, then BNP Chairperson and firmer prime minister Khaleda Zia was imprisoned for nearly two years from 2018 and later remained largely inactive in politics due to illness. Meanwhile, then acting chairman of the party Tarique Rahman left Bangladesh for London in 2008 during the military-backed caretaker government and continued to lead the party from there. In their absence, Fakhrul provided the BNP’s main  leadership from within Bangladesh. He remained at the forefront of the party’s movement against the Sheikh Hasina government and was jailed several times while leading those political programmes. With the BNP’s top two leaders largely absent from the country’s political arena for extended periods, Fakhrul emerged as the party’s most visible leader at home, helping steer the organisation through successive crises and leading its movement against the Awami League government. Parliamentary and ministerial career Fakhrul was elected to Parliament from Thakurgaon-1 constituency in the 2001 general election on the BNP’s electoral symbol. He served as state minister for agriculture and later as state minister for civil aviation and tourism during Khaleda Zia’s government. In the 2018 general election, he contested from Thakurgaon-1 and Bogura-6 constituencies and won Bogura-6. However, amid allegations of widespread vote rigging, he did not take oath as an MP, an unusual episode in Bangladesh’s parliamentary history. Under the current government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Fakhrul serves as the Local Government and Rural Development Minister. His parliamentary seat is next to that of the Prime Minister. A long-serving party leader Senior BNP leaders have often credited Fakhrul with holding the party together during periods when its top leadership faced legal, political and organisational challenges. His nomination for the presidency therefore comes after a long career spanning student politics, teaching, government service, local government, parliamentary politics, ministerial responsibility and the leadership of the country’s principal political party. Family Fakhrul is married to Rahat Ara Begum. They have two daughters, Mirza Shamaruh Mirza and Mirza Safaruh. His wife, a former senior official of a private financial institution, is now retired. Their elder daughter lives in Australia and works as a postdoctoral fellow in Sydney, while their younger daughter teaches at an English-medium school in Dhaka. With the submission of his nomination paper, Fakhrul’s decades-long political journey has now brought him to the threshold of the country’s highest constitutional office.

BNP on Thursday filed the nomination paper for its presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in the election slated for August 20. A BNP delegation submitted the nomination paper to Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, who is serving as the returning officer in the presidential election, at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city's Agargaon area at 2:24pm. In the nomination paper, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan proposed Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as a presidential candidate while Gayeshwar Chandra Roy seconded his candidacy. The delegation members include BNP standing committee members Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni, BNP joint secretary general and Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee, joint secretary general Habib Un-Nabi Khan Sohel and Abdus Salam Azad.

BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday nominated party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the BNP’s candidate for the presidential election. Tarique announced his decision at the beginning of a meeting with the party’s Standing Committee members and senior leaders at the Prime Minister’s Office at secretariat. “On behalf of the BNP, I am pleased to announce that BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been nominated as the party’s presidential candidate,” BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told reporters coming out of the meeting. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman handed over the nomination paper to Fakhrul. PM Tarique announces Mirza Fakhrul as BNP’s presidential candidate

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has resigned from the post of BNP secretary general and from the party’s National Standing Committee following his nomination as the party’s candidate for the presidential election. Emerging from a meeting of BNP Standing Committee members and senior leaders, BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told reporters that Fakhrul has already tendered his resignations from both posts. Earlier,  BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman formally announced Fakhrul as the party’s presidential candidate. Fakhrul, 78, has been serving as BNP secretary general since 2016.

BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday formally announced Secretary General and LGRD Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the party’s candidate for the presidential election. The announcement came at a meeting of the BNP Standing Committee members and senior leaders held at the Prime Minister’s Office at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman said Tarique made the announcement towards the end of his opening remarks at the meeting. “He announced Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the BNP’s candidate for the presidential election,” Ruman said. The party leaders present at the meeting welcomed the announcement with prolonged applause, he added. Emerging from the meeting , BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told reporters that Fakhrul has already resigned as the party’s secretary general and from his ministerial post. Fakhrul, 78, has been serving as the BNP secretary general since 2016 and is currently the Local Government and Rural Development Minister. The nomination formally puts the veteran BNP leader in the presidential race ahead of the August 20 election. The BNP Standing Committee had earlier entrusted Tarique Rahman with the responsibility of finalising the party’s presidential candidate.

Rashed Khan, Political Assistant to the Prime Minister, on Wednesday alleged that National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam's backing and direct instigation have emboldened the party's chief coordinator, Nasiruddin Patwary, to make uncivil remarks against the Bangladesh Army and the government. “No one in the history of Bangladesh's politics has been as imprudent as this. Nahid must also bear responsibility for Nasiruddin’s insolence,” Rashed said while speaking at a programme organised by the Ex-Forces Association at the Jatiya Press Club. Jamaat's downfall already underway: Rashed Khan Calling on Nasiruddin to apologise to the army, Rashed said the NCP leader had made objectionable remarks about the army chief keeping a beard. “How dare he show such audacity to comment on a country's general in this manner? He keeps making derogatory remarks about the army. He must apologise to the army.” Rashed further alleged that Nasiruddin has been using uncivil language against government ministers. “The language in which Nasiruddin addresses the prime minister and ministers is thoroughly objectionable. This cannot be allowed to continue.” Turning to Nahid Islam, Rashed said the NCP convener now speaks in grandiose terms despite having achieved nothing during his time in the interim government. “He completely failed to implement the Media Reform Commission's recommendations. His successor, another student leader, Mahfuj, also failed in his responsibilities.” Blaming the interim government’s shortcomings on its youth advisers, Rashed alleged that those who took up advisory posts and appointed their own loyalists remained engrossed in lobbying and influence-peddling throughout the 18-month tenure, which he said led to the government's failure. Referring to NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, Rashed claimed Asif himself told him on August 7 that Sarjis Alam, NCP's chief organiser for the northern region, and Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser for the southern region, had betrayed the ideals of the July uprising. He alleged this was why Asif, who ranked fourth among coordinators, was made an adviser instead of Sarjis and Hasnat, who ranked second and third respectively. Rashed also accused the NCP of distorting the early history of the July mass uprising, saying the movement had grown out of the quota reform protests. He claimed that although the July Charter was meant to acknowledge this, NCP had denied the quota reform movement’s role and thereby distorted history. On Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Rashed alleged the party is conspiring to topple the government instead of cooperating with it. “Even if they manage to bring down the government, they will never be able to run the country. No movement or mass uprising under their leadership will succeed again.” Referring to Liberal Democratic Party Chairman Oli Ahmad, a Jamaat-led alliance partner, Rashed said the veteran politician has fallen into NCP's trap and is now “talking nonsense” in his old age. “Listening to Oli Ahmad, it seems as though he is speaking in Nasiruddin's voice. His association with NCP has caused this decline.” On restoring peace in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Rashed said there is no alternative to the army's presence there, warning that the hill region would again turn unstable if troops were withdrawn. He called on all to move Bangladesh forward under nationalist ideals, saying differences of opinion could remain but there should be no dispute over Bangladesh itself.