politics
BNP demands neutral probe into similar incidents of explosion
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday expressed deep concern over the two consecutive explosions in the capital and demanded an impartial investigation into the incidents.
In a statement, he said, "Suspicion in public minds is growing as the nature of these explosions is almost the same. So, it’s necessary to investigate whether these incidents are planned.”
The BNP leader also alleged the negligence and failure of the government are the main reasons behind such explosions.
"People's lives have no value under the rule of the current government. So, it’s unable to prevent the deadly incidents that are claiming many lives one after another. I demand a fair and impartial investigation into the blast incidents,” he said.
At the same time, Fakhrul also demanded adequate compensation for the families affected by the explosion and proper treatment of the injured.
He expressed profound grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in a massive explosion in a building near a BRTC bus counter in the capital's Gulistan area on Tuesday evening.
He said, "The incidents of explosions one after another across the country are mysterious. Sixteen bodies have been recovered so far since the explosion in the building near the BRTC bus counter in Gulistan. At least 100 others were injured in this incident.”
Earlier on Sunday, Fakhrul said three people were killed in an explosion in a building in Dhaka's Science laboratory area while seven people were killed and many injured in another explosion and fire at an oxygen plat in Chattogram’s Sitakunda on Saturday.
He bemoaned that at least 25 people were killed in different incidents of explosion in the last few days. “Like the country’s people, we’re deeply shocked over huge casualties in these incidents.”
The BNP Secretary General prayed for the salvation of the departed soul and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
BNP worried over India’s plan to dig two more canals to withdraw water from Teesta
BNP standing committee, the highest policymaking body of the party, has voiced deep concern over the reported move by the West Bengal government of India to dig two more canals under the Teesta Barrage Project to unilaterally withdraw more water from the common river.
“The (standing committee) meeting felt that the plan to dig two more canals without signing an agreement on the distribution of Teesta River water with Bangladesh is an attempt to deprive Bangladesh (of its fair share of water from the common river),” said a BNP press release on Tuesday.
BNP issued the press release, signed by its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, on the outcome of a meeting of the party’s standing committee’s virtual meeting held on Monday.
The BNP policymakers bemoaned that the people of Bangladesh are being deprived of their fair share of water from the Teesta River because of the current Awami League government’s ‘knee-jerk’ foreign policy and its failure to take any effective initiative for signing water sharing agreement.
They urged the government to take immediate steps to resolve the Teesta River water-sharing problem with India.
According to a report by Indian news outlet The Telegraph, the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal on Friday took possession of about 1,000 acres of land to dig two more canals under the Teesta Barrage Project to channelise water for irrigation.
As per the plan of the West Bengal government, a 32km-long canal to draw water from the Teesta and the Jaldhaka will be dug till Changrabandha of Cooch Behar district while another 15-km long canal will be built on the left bank of the Teesta to benefit around one lakh farmers.
The Teesta Barrage project was launched by India in 1975 with a plan to irrigate 9.22 lakh hectares of agricultural land in north Bengal by channelising water from the Teesta River through canals on either bank of the river.
Environment and water experts in Bangladesh say this project has been badly affecting agriculture, ecosystem, and the life of the people of the country’s northern region as the part of the Teesta River that flows through Bangladesh dries up during the dry season due to India’s withdrawal of water from the river.
Bangladesh has long been waiting for signing the Teesta water-sharing deal with India to resolve the water crisis during the dry season scarcity in the northern parts of the country, but West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has been opposing it.
Govt ‘looted’ country’s election system: Nazrul
BNP senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan on Tuesday alleged that the Awami League government has ‘looted’ the electoral system of the country.
"We have got the right to elect our government through the great Liberation War. May Allah give us back that right and achievement as those have been looted by the current government,” he said.
Nazrul made the remarks while speaking at a milad mahfil arranged by BNP at its Nayapaltan central office on the occasion of the holy Shab-e-Barat, the night of fortune that is being observed tonight (Tuesday night) across the country.
He bemoaned that the country's resources are being looted almost openly and a huge amount of money is being siphoned off abroad from Bangladesh.
“We’ll pray tonight to Allah to free us from misrule, bad governance, repressions, and suppressions,” he said.
Nazrul, a BNP standing committee member, urged the country’s people to pray for their party’s leaders and activists who have been subjected to enforced disappearance, killing, and repressive acts.
He said the country’s people are going through serious ordeals due to misrule, corruption, and repression of the government.
The BNP leader expressed hope that the country’s people will get rid of the shackles of current despotic rule under the leadership of their party.
Nazrul claimed that the party's chairperson Khaleda Zia has been "unjustly imprisoned" by the government and prayed to Allah for her unconditional release so that she can again serve the country and its people.
BNP vice chairman Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, chairperson’s adviser Amanullah Aman, joint secretary general Khairul Kabir Khokon, and assistant office secretaries Taiful Islam Tipu and Abdussattar Patwari, among others, joined the mild mahfil.
No scope for dialogue with any party before election: Obaidul Quader
Road Transport and Bridge Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday made it clear that no one is being called for any discussion ahead of the next parliamentary election and there will be no compromise on the question of constitution, i.e. the election-time government.
“We do everything in public. Democracy doesn’t discuss in the backdoor. Discussion will be in public, if any. But I am still not seeing any such opportunity,” Quader said, while answering a question about any possibility of dialogue with the BNP to bring them to the polls.
The senior cabinet member, also general secretary of the ruling Awami League, was speaking with media personnel in the conference room of his ministry.
Mentioning that the election "will be held here like other democratic countries", Quader said: “Nothing has happened in Bangladesh that we have to amend our constitution. There will be no compromise over the constitution.”
Responding to a question about BNP’s movement, Quader said that his government doesn’t see the movement as a challenge. “No movement is possible without people’s participation. It is clear that the party has failed to draw as many people as they hoped. We are not seeing their movement as a challenge. We will face their political movement politically.”
AL was big partner in plot to destroy democracy during 1/11:Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday alleged that Awami League was a big partner in the plot to destroy democracy through depoliticisation during the 1/11 political changeover in 2007.
“We have to keep it in mind that those who are now in power were not separated from that (1/11) conspiracy. Rather, they’re major partners in that conspiracy,” he told a discussion meeting.
The BNP leader also said Awami League has always taken a position against democracy and the country and its people.
“It’s Awami League which established one-party Baksal rule destroying democracy just in 11 minutes in parliament in 1975. The conspiracy to destroy Bangladesh and its nationalism has started since that day in 1975,” he observed.
As part of that plot, Fakhrul claimed that BNP founder and late President Ziaur Rahman was assassinated in 1981. “Similarly, when an illegal government usurped power with the support of the military on 1/11, Awami League joined the swearing-in ceremony of Fakhruddin (the chief adviser of that regime) and extended its support to them."
Bangladesh Chhatra Forum and Uttaranchal Chhatra Forum organised the discussion at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU), marking the 17th anniversary of the arrest of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.
Tarique, the eldest son of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, was arrested on March 7, 2007, by the joint forces on different charges, including corruption, from their then-cantonment residence.
After nearly 18 months of imprisonment, he went to London securing bail from the High Court on September 3, 2009. He has been staying there since then.
Fakhrul alleged that Tarique Rahman was arrested in 2007 as part of a conspiracy to weaken Bangladesh’s independence, and sovereignty and to harm its progress.
He said the ruling party has been carrying out huge propaganda against Tarique and spreading misinformation about him with an aim to portray him as a villain and disqualified to lead the nation. “Those who have taken a stand against Bangladesh and its interests, including some newspapers and TV Channels, have joined this campaign.”
The BNP Secretary General warned that the media owners who are indulging in misdeeds by conducting false campaigns against Tarique and BNP will not be able to sustain themselves since people will not forgive them.
He also said no false campaign against the Zia family and repressive acts against opposition leaders and activists can resist BNP from ousting the current regime.
The BNP leader said the country’s people will no longer allow any monarch and master to rule the country in the future.
“They (Awami League) think that the country is their monarchy and they’re the owner of the country and we all are their subjects. This is how they want to run the country. But people won’t allow them this time to hang onto power,” he said.
Fakhrul said their current movement has created a strong wave to wash away the current “fascist” and monstrous regime.
He also renewed their party’s stance that the next election must be held under a non-party caretaker government to ensure people’s right to franchise.
Jamaat demands the govt declare Ahmadiyyas 'non-Muslim'
Demanding that the government officially declare the Ahmadiyya community “non-Muslim”, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Acting Secretary General Maulana ATM Masum issued a statement on March 5.
The statement released on Jamaat’s website says: “Bangladesh is a Muslim majority country where 90 percent people are Muslims. In this country, Qadiani (Ahmadiyya) community is committing reckless activities against Islam. The Islam-loving people will never accept it. The government’s role in this regard is questionable.”
“The government should resolve the Qadiani crisis permanently paying full heed to the public views and also to declare Qadiani Non-Muslim officially,” the statement added.
On Friday, a protest march against an Ahmadiyya religious event moved towards the Ahmednagar area in Panchagarh. As police stopped the procession at Chowrangi intersection, the men started throwing brickbats at the law enforcers, according to reports.
Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells to disperse them, witnesses said.
Two men died and scores, including policemen, sustained injuries in the clash. Some journalists covering the violence were also among the injured. Shops in Panchagarh town were closed down as violence induced panic among people.
The angry mob also looted around 20 houses belonging to the Ahmadiyya community located in Ahmednagar.
According to a report published in The Daily Star today, the Ahmadiyya community in Panchagarh district are living in fear of further attacks from hardliners.
Many members of the community, particularly the elderly, women and children, have left their houses and are taking shelter in educational institutions or relatives’ homes, adds the report.
Meanwhile, since Friday’s violence, a series of tweets were posted from the verified account of Basherkella – known as a “Jamaat mouthpiece” – with “police brutality” and “boycott Qadiani (Ahmadiyya)” in hashtags.
Members of the community are calling this a “hate campaign” against Ahmadiyyas.
BNP blames govt’s failure for blasts in Chattogram and Dhaka
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday blamed ‘the failure of the government’ for the blasts in Chattogram and Dhaka.
“There’s an explosion in Sitakunda (of Chattogram) yesterday (Saturday) while another one today (Sunday) in Dhaka.... Our question is why are these explosions happening?” he said.
The BNP leader also said such incidents of explosion happen when the government and its agencies concerned fail to monitor and ensure the fire safety and explosion preventive measures in the mills, factories and offices.
“The government agencies have completely failed to take that measure and action. So, such explosions are taking place because of the government's failure,” he said.
The BNP Secretary General made the comments while talking to reporters after a meeting between the liaison committee of BNP and Ganatantrik Bam Oikya at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office.
Fakhrul said it is necessary to unearth the main reasons behind the repeated explosions in different factories that are claiming many lives.
Read: AL won't be allowed to stage farce in the name of election: Fakhrul
He expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the explosions in Dhaka and Chattogram and prayed for the salvation of the departed souls.
Three people were killed and 12 others injured when a building partially collapsed following an explosion and subsequent fire in Dhaka's Science Lab area on Sunday morning.
Besides, a massive fire at an oxygen plant due to an explosion in Kadam Rasul (Keshabpur) area of Chattogram's Sitakunda upazila left six people dead and dozens injured on Saturday.
BNP now announces human chain on March 11
After staging consecutive road-march programmes from the cities to unions across the country for over a month, BNP and like-minded parties on Saturday announced to form human chains in all divisional cities and district towns on March 11 to press home their 10-point demand.
The fresh programme of the simultaneous movement came from the opposition’s march programme observed in all thanas under 13 organisational divisional cities, including Dhaka.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Alamgir launched the programme around 2:45p by taking part in a road march of Uttara East Thana unit BNP in front of Uttra Public College.
As part of the next course of the simultaneous movement, the BNP Secretary General announced the human chain programme in all metropolitan cities, including Dhaka and in all district towns on March 11 to press home their 10-point demand, including the resignation of the current regime and holding the next election under a non-party neutral government.
The programme is also meant for mounting pressure on the government to reduce the prices of daily essential commodities and power and other utility services.
The leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies in all thanas under Dhaka south and north city units arranged separate rallies and brought out processions as part of their road march programme in all divisional cities.
Party standing committee members and senior ones led a similar programme in all thanas in the capital and all other divisional cities.
In the capital, Dhaka south and north city units of BNP staged the road march in 51 thanas of the capital almost peacefully, except for the ruling party's reported attacks on the opposition activists in Hazaribagh and Turag areas.
Besides, police arrested former Jubo Dal President Saiful Islam Nirob after BNP’s march programme in Tejgaon area in the capital
Jubo Dal north unit ex-president SM Jahangir said police arrested Nirob when a road march reached the Tejgaon Rail Line area from Karwan Bazar.
In a press release, BNP alleged that police also arrested its leaders and activists from Khilgaon, Kamrangirchar, Uttar Bhatara areas during the road march programme.
The party also claimed that the ruling party activists attacked the vehicles of BNP media cell convener Zohiruddin Swapan and assistant human rights affairs secretary Syeda Ashifa Ashrafi Papia and the house of BNP’s Dhaka north city unit joint convener Mostafa in Turag area, leaving at least 25 people injured
Apart from BNP, Ganotantra Mancha arranged the march programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club while LDP in Panthapath, Badda, Jatrabari, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote in Bijoynagar and Peshajibi Ganatantrik Jote in Purana Paltan in the capital.
They announced the human chain programme in all divisional cities, including Dhaka, on March 11 to press home their different demands, including the resignation of the Awami League government and holding the next polls under a non-party administration.
From December last year, BNP and like-minded parties and alliances started a simultaneous movement to bring down the government, or at least realise the all-important caretaker or non-party provision ahead of the next election.
Besides, the leaders and activists of BNP’s Dhaka north and south city units observed the march programme in five areas in the capital since January 28.
The party also arranged a similar programme in all unions, districts and divisional cities across the country to press home their 10-point demand.
AL won't be allowed to stage farce in the name of election: Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday warned that the country’s people will not let the Awami League government hold another farcical national election like the 10th and 11th parliamentary ones.
“Awami League is thinking that they will usurp power again by staging a farcical election in the same way as they did during the last two elections and thus they'll again exploit the people and loot their money and assets," he said.
Speaking at a brief rally before launching Uttara East unit BNP’s march programme in front of Uttara Public College, Fakhrul warned that the country’s people will no longer allow the ruling party to cling to power by rigging votes and manipulating the election.
“People have taken to the streets with a movement. We will take the movement forward peacefully. This time we and the country’s people won’t stage any farce in the name of the national election,” he said.
The BNP leader called on the leaders and workers to intensify the movement and drum up public support in favour of their 10-point demand, including the resignation of the current regime and holding the next election under a non-party neutral government.
“Our movement is not for only to go to power. The main goal of our movement is to get back the rights of the people, including the right to franchise and right to speak,” he said.
Stating that their party has been in the movement for 15 years, Fakhrul said they will remain on the streets peacefully until the Awami League government is unseated. “If we are obstructed, we'll definitely overcome it and put up a resistance together with people.
Ganatantra Mancha declares human chain in all cities on Mar 11
Ganatantra Mancha, an alliance of seven political parties, has announced to form human chains in divisional cities, including Dhaka, on March 11 to press home their 14-point demand, including the resignation of the Awami League government.
Rafiqul Islam Babul, the convener of Bhashani Anusari Parishad, announced the fresh programme as part of the ongoing simultaneous movement from a brief rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club on Saturday.
“We announce human chain programme for March 11 to realise our 14-point demand, including protection of voting rights, restoration of democratic rights, the resignation of this government, holding an acceptable election under a non-partisan interim government and reduction of prices of power, gas, and daily essentials,”he said.
Also Read: Ganatantra Mancha announces countrywide march on Feb 11
Babul urged the all the partners and organisations of the Ganatantra Mancha to make the fresh programme a success. “Ganatantra Mancha must demonstrate more strength by observing the human chain programme. So, take all out preparations in this regard.”
As part of the simultaneous movement, leaders and activists of Ganatantra Mancha gathered in front of the Jatiya Press Club around 11:30am.
After the rally there, the leaders and activists of the alliance marched toward Kakrail, to press home their 14-point demand.
Apart from Ganatantra Mancha, BNP and its different other opposition parties and organisations are holding a similar programme in all wards under the metropolitan cities across the country.