politics
BNP, like-minded parties start mass sit-in protest
The mass sit-in programme, by the BNP and other like-minded opposition parties, alliances and organisations began today in the capital and other divisions in the county as part of the simultaneous movement against the current government.
The four-hour programme began at 10 am and will continue till 2 pm — separately by opposition parties — to realise their 10-point demand, including holding the next polls under a non-party neutral government.
Leaders and activists of BNP and other like-minded opposition parties have already gathered in Nayapaltan.
It is the second programme of the simultaneous movement after the mass procession by the 33 opposition parties on December 30.
READ: 'Not one iota of democracy now in Bangladesh': BNP's Tuku
BNP leaders said the programme was worked out for January 11 keeping in mind the political changeover that took place on that day in 2007 - an episode popularly known as “1/11” in the country.
BNP vice chairman Dr AZM Zahid Hossain along with party law affairs secretary Kaiser Kamal met Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq on Tuesday and they got permission for observing the sit-in programme in front of their party’s Nayapaltan central office from 10-am to 2pm.
DMP Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq said they urged BNP to observe the programme keeping traffic movement normal. "They (BNP) have to take the responsibility if there is a disruption in traffic."
BNP senior leaders, including secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Mirza Abbas, will address the programme.
Besides, Ganatantra Mancha will hold the programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club while the 12-Party Alliance at Bijoy Nagar Water Tank, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote at Purana Paltan, LDP at FDC crossing and Ganatantrik Bam Oikya in the east side of the Jatiya Press Club and Gonoforum (Montu) at Arambagh.
READ: Restoring people’s ownership of country is BNP’s main challenge: Mosharraf
Though Bangladesh Jamaat Islami joined the mass procession programme with BNP and other parties on December 30, the Islamist party has decided not to observe the sit-in programme due to a strategic region, said a senior leader of the party.
Bangabandhu’s blood debt to be repaid by building a smart Bangladesh: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday expressed firm conviction to build the country as developed, prosperous and smart Bangladesh by 2041 to repay the blood debt of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“He had paid the debt (of people’s love towards him) by his blood. Now it’s our turn to repay his blood debt. And we’ll be able to repay the blood debt when every homeless person gets home and we can make the country a developed and prosperous one by ensuring food, cloth, home, healthcare and education for the people of Bangladesh,” she said.
The premier said this while participating in the discussion on a resolution brought in the House to pay tribute to Bangabandhu and take a vow for building his dream ‘Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal), marking his historic Homecoming Day after the 1971 Liberation War.
Awami League lawmaker Mostafizur Rahman (Dinajpur-5) placed the resolution under the section 147 of the Rules of Procedure, which was adopted unanimously by a voice vote following the discussion over the proposal.
Hasina said the people of Bangladesh had taken up arms in their hands responding to the call of the Father of the Nation and shed their blood and made the country an independent one.
So, the Father of the Nation in his historic speech delivered in then Race Course maidan returning home on January 10, 1972 promised to repay the debt of this Bengali nation’s love toward him anyhow even with his blood, she said adding that he repaid the debt with his blood.
The PM said her government has successfully implemented its Vision-2021 and turned the country into a developing country in 2021 during the golden jubilee of the country’s independence and the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation.
She said her government has implemented the pledges whatever her party Awami League made in the 2008, 2014 and 2018 election manifestos.
“We’ll build a develop-prosperous-golden Bangladesh by 2041 after completing Bangladesh's graduation into a developing country by 2026,” she said.
Read more: Homecoming Day of Bangabandhu: PM pays tribute at Dhanmondi-32
Noting that her government turned the country into a Digital Bangladesh, the premier said, “We’ll build the country as a hunger-poverty-free Sonar Bangla as dreamt by the Father of the Nation, which would be smart Bangladesh having the population equipped with modern technological knowledge. Then it would be repayment of the blood debt of the Father of the Nation,” she added.
Hasina elaborated the lifelong struggles and sacrifices of the Father of the Nation for establishing an independent Bangladesh and bringing smiles on the faces of the people.
AL lawmakers Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, advocate Qamrul Islam and Nurul Islam Nahid, Jatiya Party MPs Kazi Firoz Rashid, Sayed Abu Hossain and Rowshan Ara Mannan, Jasod lawmaker Hasanul Haq Inu and Workers Party lawmaker Rashed Khan Menon joined the discussion.
In the resolution, Mostafizur Rahman said, "Parliament is in the opinion that the historic homecoming of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on January 10 is a special glorious day in the national life of Bengalis. Sheikh Mujib, the undisputed leader of Bengalis, returned home on January 10, 1972 after being freed from Pakistan's captivity 24 days after the victory in the Liberation War……. On this day, let us remember the greatest Bengali of all time and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and take a firm oath for building the golden Bengal as dreamt by him in line with the spirit of the Liberation War by bearing his ideology in hearts.”
The proposal also reads that the Pakistanis had taken various plans to kill Bangabandhu during his incarceration at that time. Bangabandhu was not only tortured, but also taken to the gallows. But the Pakistani rulers had to bow down ultimately to the popularity of Bangabandhu at home and abroad, and his indomitable courage. In the absence of Bangabandhu, the Bengali nation continued the bloody war following the path and ideology of Bangabandhu. On December 16, 1971, the Pakistani occupation forces were forced to surrender, it said.
Read more: PM thanks JaPa for playing positive role in parliamentary democracy
Bangabandhu returned to the country on January 10, 1972 via London and New Delhi after being freed from Pakistan prison. On that day, he returned to an independent and sovereign country. 10th January is a special day in the life of the Bengali nation, it added.
BNP, like-minded parties set to observe sit-in protest in Dhaka, other divisions Wednesday
BNP and other like-minded opposition parties, alliances and organisations are set to observe a mass sit-in programme in Dhaka and other divisions in the county as part of the simultaneous movement to unseat the current government.
The four-hour programme will be observed from 10am to 2pm separately by the opposition parties and the organistaions to realise their 10-point demand, including holding the next polls under a non-party neutral government.
It will be the second programme of the simultaneous movement after the mass procession by the 33 opposition parties on December 30.
Read more: BNP’s 27 points parts of anti-govt movement: Amir Khosru
BNP policymakers said the programme was worked out for January 11 keeping in mind the political changeover that took place on that day in 2007 - an episode popularly known as 1/11 in the country.
Meanwhile, BNP vice chairman Dr AZM Zahid Hossain along with party law affairs secretary Kaiser Kamal met Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq on Tuesday evening.
Coming out of the DMP office around 7:20pm, Dr Zahid said they got permission for observing the sit-in programme in front of their party’s Nayapaltan central office from 10-am to 2pm.
DMP Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq said they urged BNP to observe the programme keeping traffic normal. "They (BNP) have to take the responsibility if there is a disruption in traffic."
BNP senior leaders, including secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Mirza Abbas, will address the programme.
Besides, Ganatantra Mancha will hold the programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club while the 12-Party Alliance at Bijoy Nagar Water Tank, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote at Purana Paltan, LDP at FDC Crossing and Ganatantrik Bam Oikya in the east side of the Jatiya Press Club and Gonoforum (Montu) at Arambagh.
Though Bangladesh Jamaat Islami joined the mass procession programme with BNP and other parties on December 30, the Islamist party has decided not to observe the sit-in programme due to a strategic region, said a senior leader of the party.
After the sit-in, the opposition parties and alliances are likely to announce fresh programmes to intensify the simultaneous movement.
Besides, BNP senior leaders will take part in the mass sit-in programme in different divisions.
Read more: Restoring people’s ownership of country is BNP’s main challenge: Mosharraf
As per the plan of BNP, party standing committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy will lead the programme in Sylhet Division while Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan in Rajshahi, Nazrul Islam Khan in Mymensingh, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury in Chattogram, Selima Rahman in Barisal, and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku in Rangpur, Vice-Chairmen Barkat Ullah Bulu in Comilla, Shamsuzzaman Dudu in Khulna and Advocate Ahmad Azam Khan in Faridpur.
Earlier on December 30, BNP and 32 other like-minded opposition parties staged a mass procession programme in different parts of the capital and Rangpur city as the first programme of the simultaneous movement.
They also separately announced the sit-in programmes across the country for January 11 as their next course of action, to press home their 10-point demand, including the resignation of the current government and formation of a polls-time caretaker government.
Earlier on December 24, BNP held the mass-procession programme in all divisional cities and district headquarters. Due to the national council programme of the ruling Awami League and Rangpur city polls, BNP rescheduled the same programme in Dhaka and Rangpur for December 30.
Public suffering for BNP’s mass sit-in programme won’t be tolerated: Minister
Issuing a note of warning, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said public suffering and anarchy centering the BNP’s mass-sit-in programme in the city will not be tolerated.
“BNP won’t face any obstruction if they hold their programme peacefully. If their programme becomes reason of public suffering then it won’t be tolerated,” he said while talking to reporters after inaugurating a Mujib Corner at Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) headquarters.
The government did not create any obstructions to BNP’s programmes but the party resorted to violence in their previous programmes, he said adding “The law enforcers will resist them if they block roads and carry out vandalism and destructive activities in the name of mass sit-in programme.”
Also Read: Will act against those trying to create anarchy: Home Minister
Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, Inspector General of Police (IGP) and commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan and high official concerned were present.
Earlier, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) announced mass sit-in programmes in all divisional cities of the country on January 11. The party will organise the sit-in programme in Dhaka in front of its central office at Nayapaltan.
Awami League ready to quash domestic, foreign conspiracies: Quader
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said that the party is ready to quash domestic and foreign conspiracies, organised violence in the name of movement, and the rise of communalism.
He made the remarks after AL paid tribute to Father of the Nation on the occasion of Bangabandhu's Homecoming Day at the historical Bangabandhu Bhaban premises at Dhanmondi-32 at 8:30 am.
Obaidul Quader said Awami League, under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, is more united, and much stronger, than before.
Reda: Bangabandhu’s Homecoming Day today
Earlier, Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tribute to the portrait of Father of the Nation on the occasion of Bangabandhu's Homecoming Day.
Later, as the president of Awami League, she paid tribute to Bangabandhu's portrait for the second time with top leaders of the party.
Fakhrul vows to intensify anti-govt movement
Finally walking out of jail after a month, BNP secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday took a fresh vow to intensify their ongoing movement to oust the government and restore democracy and people’s voting rights in Bangladesh.
“The more they will repress us, the more people will burst into anger and defeat them through a movement,” he said.
Speaking briefly in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan Central office, he said their party has no option to back down from the movement.
“We’ll only move forward with our movement and will free all our arrested leaders and activists. We have to intensify our movement to defeat this regime and our movement will be successful,” he said.
Fakhrul said they want to carry out their movement in a peaceful manner. “Let us come forward to free Bangladesh from a fascist and autocratic rule and restore democracy and people’s voting rights. After coming out of jail, we are taking a fresh vow that we’ll carry on our movement until we succeed,” he said.
The BNP leader said the government will not be able to stop the movement to restore democracy by resorting to mass arrests, injustice, torture, killing, and oppression as people have woken up to get back their rights.
“The government has turned the entire country into a jail. Many of our leaders and activists are still staying in prisons. Unfortunately, they are living inhumane lives there. I demand their immediate release,” he said.
Fakhrul said the government thought that it would be able to suppress BNP’s movement by arresting its leaders and activists, sending them to jail, ransacking the party office and gunning down the opposition activists. “But the movement intensified. Entire Bangladesh has been rocked by protests. We’ll defeat this fascist regime through a peaceful movement.”
He called upon people from all walks of life to make the countrywide sit-in programme on January 11 (Wednesday) a success with their spontaneous participation.
Speaking at a programme, BNP standing committee members Mirza Abbas said the government had the plan to create violence at Nayapaltan over BNP’s rally on December 10, but they avoided it.
“They (govt) thought we will hold our December 10 rally at Nayapaltan and engage in a clash with police and they will make a political gain by shifting the blame on us for the violence,” he said.
The BNP leader further said: “We wanted to hold the rally peacefully avoiding clashes…I was arrested as I did not give the government a chance to create violence at Nayapaltan on December 10. My offense is I did not allow the government to ensue violence. I was arrested as I tried to avoid violence.”
Abbas said their party wants to observe their all programmes peacefully in a democratic manner. “I call upon the government not to do anything that may invite violence.”
The BNP leader said their party must carry out the movement to save the country and restore people’s voting and other rights.
They both expressed their gratitude to the party leaders and workers for carrying out different programmes seeking their release.
Fakhrul and Abbas were freed from jail on bail from Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj around 6pm.
BNP leaders and activists and the relatives of the two top leaders received the duo at the jail gate. From there, they went straight to BNP's Nayapaltan Central office.
Several hundred leaders and activists received Fakhrul and Abbas as they reached the party office around 6:30pm amid various slogans and clapping.
On Sunday, the Appellate Division upheld the High Court order granting bail to Fakhrul and party standing committee member Abbas in a case filed over the clash between police and the party activists at Nayapaltan on December 7 last year.
The High Court granted six months' bail to Fakhrul and Abbas, in the case on January 3.
Earlier on December 9, at the ungodly hour of 3.30am, a team of the Detective Branch (DB) of police picked up Fakhrul and Abbas from their homes in separate raids, a day before the party’s much-talked-about rally in the capital.
They were arrested in a case filed by police over a 'clash' between police and the party activists in the capital's Nayapaltan on December 7 centring the rally. A Dhaka court sent them to jail rejecting their bail pleas.
The time it took to secure bail for the two senior leaders raised eyebrows in many quarters.
BNP, however, went ahead with the rally in the absence of Fakhrul and Abbas and placed a 10-point demand, including the resignation of the current government and holding the next polls under a caretaker government.
Fakhrul, Abbas freed from jail after a month
Just after a month of their arrest, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and standing committee member Mirza Abbas were freed from jail on bail on Monday evening.
They walked out of Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj around 6pm after the bail order reached the jail authorities, said media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan.
He said BNP leaders and activists and the relatives of the two-party top leaders received the duo at the jail gate.
Getting released from jail, Fakhrul came straight to BNP's Nayapaltan Central office.
Several hundred BNP leaders and activists received him as he reached in front of the office around 6:30 pm.
The party leaders chanted anti-government slogans.
Earlier on Sunday, the Appellate Division upheld the High Court order granting bail to Fakhrul and party standing committee member Abbas in a case filed over the clash between police and the party activists at Nayapaltan on December 7 last year.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order disposing of the state's petition challenging the High Court order.
On January 4, Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Jahangir Hossain fixed Sunday for the hearing of the petition at the full-bench of the Appellate Division.
The petition was filed on the same day with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court seeking stay on the High Court order granting bail to the two BNP leaders in the case.
The High Court granted six months' bail to Fakhrul and Abbas, in the case on January 3.
On December 9, a team of Detective Branch (DB) of police picked up Fakhrul and Abbas from their homes in separate raids in the capital, a day before the party’s much-talked about rally in the capital.
Later, they were arrested in a case over the clash between police and the party activists in the capital's Nayapaltan on December 7 centring the rally. A Dhaka court sent them to jail rejecting their bail pleas.
BNP, however, arranged the rally in absence of Fakhrul and Abbas and placed a 10-point demand, including the resignation of the current government and holding the next polls under a non-party polls-time government.
Bakul made BNP student affairs secretary
Former Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal Vice-President Rakibul Islam Bakul has been made student affairs secretary of the BNP.
BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman nominated Bakul for the post, exercising the powers given to him by the party constitution, said a press release signed by Syed Emran Saleh Prince, acting office secretary of the party, on Sunday night.
The BNP's central committee was announced after its 6th national council in March 2016, but no one was nominated for the post of student affairs secretary.
Read: ACC turns into BNP suppression commission: Mosharraf
The party has nominated Bakul for the post of BNP student affairs secretary after six years of the council.
Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee was the student affairs secretary of the last national executive committee of the BNP. He became the party's publicity secretary after its 6th council.
Bakul contested the 11th parliamentary election from the Khulna-3 constituency as a BNP candidate.
Divisional duties assigned among new AL committee
The ruling party Awami League on Sunday distributed divisional duties among the joint-general secretaries and organising secretaries, said a press release.
Among the joint-general secretaries, Mahbubul Alam Hanif was given charge of Sylhet and Chattogram divisions, Dipu Moni was made responsible for Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions, Hasan Mahmud got Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions, and AFM Bahauddin Nasim got Khulna and Barishal divisions.
Among the organising secretaries, Ahmed Hossain was given Sylhet division division, BM Muzammel Haque given Khulna Division, Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud Swapan got Chattogram 1adivision, SM Kamal Hossain got Rajshahi division, Mirza Azam was given Dhaka division, advocate Afzal Hossain got Barishal and Sujit Roy Nandi got Rangpur division.
The party chose prime minister Sheikh Hasina as the president of Bangladesh Awami League for the 10th consecutive term and road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader as general secretary for the third successive time at its 22nd national council on 24 December.
New anti-govt platform 'Samamona Ganatantrik Jote' launched
A new anti-government platform, “Samamona Ganatantrik Jote” (Like-minded Democratic Alliance) comprising 15 organisations was formally launched on Sunday to join the collective movement to restore democracy in the country.
Saidur Rahman, the chief coordinator of the new alliance and the president of Youth Forum, came up with the announcement at a press conference at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office.
“The 15 organisations who believe in nationalist ideology are going to start the journey of Samamona Ganatantrik Jote to achieve BNP’s 10 points for the restoration of democracy and to take part in the collective movement to implement the 27 points placed by BNP for the repair of the state structure,” Saidur said.
Read: Ganatantrik Bam Oikya announces joining collective movement against govt
He said their new alliance will simultaneously carry out all the programs to be announced by the BNP against the current “authoritarian, usurper, fascist, and voter robber” government.
The members of the of the newly formed platform include Youth Forum, Zia Nagorik Sangsad, Democratic Movement, Shaheed Zia Ainjibi Parishad, Jatiyatabadi Nagorik Dal, Bangladesh Justice Party, Constitution Preservation Parishad, Ganatantra Raksha Mancha, Chalak Dal, Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha '71, Ghure Darao Bangladesh, Movement for Democracy, Bangladesh Democratic Council, Desh Raksha Manush Bachao Andolan and Bangladesh Jubo Oikya Parishad.
BNP standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku and chairperson’s advisory council member Amanullah Aman were present at the press conference.
Read: Gonoforum to take part in collective movement: Montu
Earlier on December 28, “Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote” comprising 11 parties of the BNP-led 20-party alliance was formally launched to strengthen the anti-government movement.
Besides, a 12-party alliance was launched with 12 parties of the 20-party alliance on December 22, while two other existing alliances outside of the BNP's fold - Ganatantra Mancha (Democracy Forum) and Bam Ganotantrik Jote (Left Democratic Alliance) have also announced their intent join the simultaneous movement to work towards the fall of the Awami League government.