United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Monday demanded action against Inspector General of Police Ali Hossain Fakir over his remarks that police would resort to crossfire if the government allowed it. In a statement, Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Advocate Ahsanul Mahbub Zubair condemned the remarks, saying they were contrary to the Constitution and the rule of law. The IGP made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of Community Islamic, the Islamic banking service of Community Bank Bangladesh PLC, in Dhaka’s Chawkbazar today. The Jamaat leader said the police were responsible for maintaining law and order and ensuring citizens’ security, adding that they were servants of the people, not their rulers. He said the police chief’s remarks were unacceptable, particularly amid the country’s deteriorating law and order situation, and warned that they could signal a return to a climate of fear. Referring to alleged abuses under the previous ousted government, he said people had been subjected to extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in the name of law enforcement operations. He called on the government to take action over the IGP’s statement. He also criticised law enforcement agencies for failing to curb violence by BNP activists, extortion and drug-related activities. He urged police officials and members to take effective steps to ensure public safety and make people’s lives more secure.

Physician and former National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Tasnim Jara on Monday questioned Jamaat-e-Islami over its obstruction to the burial of freedom fighter Manik Pashari at his homeland in Pirojpur. “While in opposition, they are preventing someone from being buried at his own homestead. What will they do if all the powers of the state come into their hands?” she said. Tasnim Jara made the remarks on her verified Facebook page at noon. Freedom fighter Manik Pashari, the plaintiff in crimes against humanity case filed against late Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee, was buried at village Chitolia in Pirojpur Sadar upazila amid tight police security early Sunday, amid hindrance from local Jamaat leaders and activists. In the post, Jara wrote that Jamaat leaders and activists spoke as if they owned the land when declaring that Manik Pashari would not be allowed to be buried in Pirojpur, as though people needed their permission to be laid to rest in their own family graveyards. She recalled that Jamaat and Islami Chhatra Shibir were once targeted with the slogan, “Jamaat-Shibir are Razakars (collaborators), leave Bangladesh right now,” and said they should know how unjust such statements were. However, she added, they seemed to have forgotten that injustice even while still in opposition, as soon as they gained some power. Jara also wrote that Jamaat, as a party, had opposed Bangladesh’s independence in 1971. Yet its leaders and activists were now seeking to decide who was a freedom fighter and who was not, who deserved state honours and where someone could be buried. “After death, all of a person's accounts are settled. What remains is for Allah to judge,” she wrote, adding that Manik Pashari could not even have his funeral prayer in his own village, while his family was denied the opportunity to seek forgiveness from the villagers. She accused Jamaat of invoking justice, human rights, due process and human dignity for its own leaders while failing to uphold those principles in its treatment of others, including a deceased person and his grieving family.

National Citizen Party (NCP) Member Secretary Akhter Hossen MP on Monday said the present government is hurting Bangladesh's farmers, who are suffering from fertiliser shortages and falling prey to syndicates due to politicisation of dealer appointments.  "Fertiliser shortages in the northern region, allegations of politicisation in dealer appointments, lack of fair prices for farm produce, and extortion and syndicates are deepening the crisis for farmers," Akhter told reporters after paying tribute at the grave of Sher-e-Bangla A K Fazlul Huq on the occasion of his 153rd birth anniversary. Akhter said farmers are not getting fair prices for their produce on top of the fertiliser crisis. They are forced to sell vegetables cheaply, while consumers in cities then buy the same vegetables at inflated prices. Citing the example of a bottle gourd sold for Tk 2 in Panchagarh but for Tk 60 in Dhaka, he questioned why farmers should be denied fair prices for their produce. To protect farmers' interests, he called for ensuring fertiliser supply, stopping extortion and syndicates in markets, building cold storage and grain warehouses, adopting a sympathetic policy on agricultural loans, and increasing government incentives. Speaking about Sher-e-Bangla, Akhter said that during the Awami League government, the contributions of other national leaders were overshadowed by focusing on a single leader. The present government, too, is not giving them due importance, he added. He called for more discussion on the lives, political philosophy and contributions of national leaders in textbooks and the media, so that the new generation learns about them. Recalling Sher-e-Bangla's pro-farmer politics, the NCP leader said he worked all his life to establish farmers' rights and stood for the unity of Hindu and Muslim farmers, rising above communal divisions. Akhter said Sher-e-Bangla's pro-farmer ideals should be followed by all political parties in the country.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Monday announced a series of nationwide programmes, including rallies, tributes, poster campaigns and a photography exhibition, to observe the historic National Revolution and Solidarity Day on November 7. BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed announced the programmes while briefing journalists after a joint meeting held ahead of the day in the noon. According to the announced programmes, the national and party flags will be hoisted at 6am on November 7 at the BNP’s central office in Dhaka and all party offices across the country. The party will also organise colourful rallies centrally in Dhaka and at district and upazila levels across the country. At 11am, BNP leaders and activists will pay tribute and place wreaths at the graves of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. They will also recite Fateha there. Rizvi said the party’s affiliated and associate organisations would hold separate programmes, including poster campaigns and discussion meetings. The Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal will organise an art competition and a photography exhibition as part of the observance. He said various social and political organisations, including those not affiliated with the BNP, had also informed the party that they would arrange different programmes marking the day. Rizvi said district units would undertake similar programmes, including rallies, while the party would instruct its upazila units to organise rallies as well. Regarding the BNP’s own discussion meeting, Rizvi said a tentative date of November 6 had been set after consultations. The final date would be announced after discussions with senior party leaders and the Prime Minister and party chairman, Tarique Rahman, and his approval. He said other affiliated organisations had also prepared tentative dates for their discussion meetings. The BNP would provide the details of all programmes in writing to the media. Rizvi also said November 7 had been declared a public holiday by the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. He said the day had traditionally been a public holiday, but it was cancelled when the “fascists” came to power. The current government had reinstated the public holiday, he added. Those present at the joint meeting included BNP Joint Secretary Generals Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anne, Khairul Kabir Khokon, Syed Emran Saleh Prince, Publicity Secretary Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, Volunteer Affairs Secretary Mir Sarafat Ali Sapu, among others were present at the programmes. Leaders of the BNP’s affiliated and associate organisations were also present at the programmes.

A tree plantation, tree care and cleanliness programme was held in front of the BNP’s central office in Nayapaltan on Monday at the initiative of Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal, following instructions from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. BNP Acting Secretary General and the Prime Minister’s Political Adviser Ruhul Kabir Rizvi attended the programme as the chief guest at noon. The programme was chaired by Swechchhasebak Dal central President SM Zillani and conducted by its central General Secretary Rajib Ahsan. Speaking at the event, Rizvi said the organisation’s cleanliness campaign would inspire many others to take similar initiatives. He said the organisation is not a government body but a voluntary organisation that had undertaken such activities through its own initiative and contributions from its members. “These activities have achieved two things: they have improved cleanliness and inspired many others to come forward,” Rizvi said. He said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had pledged to promote greenery even before the election and announced a programme to plant 25 crore trees over five years as part of Bangladesh’s responsibility to address global warming and climate change. Rizvi said tree plantation had already exceeded the level required during the first eight to nine months of the programme, adding that the initiative would continue alongside proper care and maintenance of the trees. “Planting trees alone is not enough. If they do not receive water and dead leaves remain around them, their growth and development will be affected. They need proper care and cleanliness,” he said. He said Swechchhasebak Dal had taken the responsibility of cleaning, watering and maintaining trees on road islands and medians along major roads. As part of the initiative, the organisation had arranged several vans equipped with water drums and other necessary tools. Its members would set out from Nayapaltan to carry out similar activities on road islands to the north and south. Calling it a noble initiative, Rizvi said the programme would help protect the environment and safeguard human life. Central leaders of Swechchhasebak Dal and leaders from different units were also present at the event.

National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Organiser (Southern Region) and Cumilla-4 MP Hasnat Abdullah on Monday criticised Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ali Hossain Fakir over his remarks on crossfire, accusing him of speaking like a thug and urging police to remain neutral. “This government-appointed IGP is a thug. Like in the fascist era, he is now threatening crossfire. Let us see what action the government takes against him,” Hasnat said at an NCP public outreach programme in Mugda in the capital in the afternoon. He said the IGP's remarks are unbecoming of a police force meant to serve the people, comparing him with former IGP Benazir Ahmed and former Detective Branch chief Harun Or Rashid, who served during the Awami League government. Hasnat also warned police against serving the interests of political leaders, saying, “You are not the home minister's police, nor the prime minister's police. The uniform you wear is bought with the people's taxes. Do not forget that. Neither the home minister in Eskaton nor the prime minister in Gulshan will protect you. The people will.” Urging the police and administration to remain neutral in the upcoming local government elections, he said they should not work for any political party, be it the BNP, NCP or Jamaat. “Work for the people. Maintain utmost integrity to ensure a fair election,” he said. The NCP leader claimed that people are now regretting voting for the BNP, referring to an incident in Mymensingh in which a woman allegedly went live on social media and hit herself with a shoe to express remorse for voting for the party. He criticised the woman's arrest and demanded her immediate release. “The home minister has unjustly arrested her. She must be released.” Hasnat also raised the case of Miraj Sheikh, who has reportedly been missing in Mongla for more than six months. “The home minister's Coast Guard picked him up and there has been no trace of him since then. The government must answer where Mongla's Miraj is,” he said. Expressing doubts about the upcoming local government elections, the NCP leader alleged that the BNP is plotting to derail the polls. “We cannot trust the present government and administration,” he said. Seeking votes for NCP-nominated Dhaka South City Corporation mayoral candidate Nasiruddin Patwary, he said, “Nasiruddin will be the people's mayor, the mayor of their hearts.” Hasnat also accused the BNP government of nepotism in fertiliser dealership appointments and criticised what he described as an ongoing “syndicate” in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) market. While addressing a programme in the capital on Monday, IGP Ali Hossain said police might resort to crossfire if the government allows it and it becomes necessary to maintain law and order and curb crimes.

BNP Central Executive Committee member Eliza Zaman has submitted her nomination papers as the party’s candidate for the by-election to reserved women’s seat No. 23 in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad. Md Moin Uddin Khan, returning officer for the reserved seats and EC joint secretary, on Monday said Eliza submitted her nomination papers within the stipulated timeframe. Eliza is also a joint convener of Pirojpur district BNP and the organising secretary for the Barishal division of the party’s women’s wing, Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal. According to the Election Commission’s schedule, nomination papers will be scrutinised on October 27, while November 1 is the last date for withdrawal of candidature. Voting is scheduled for November 12. However, if Eliza remains the sole candidate, she will be declared elected unopposed, without a formal vote. Earlier, on October 1, BNP reserved-seat MP Ferdousy Ahmed Mishti resigned after being instructed to step down by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The Parliament Secretariat subsequently issued a gazette notification declaring the seat vacant. The development came amid allegations of her involvement in an attack, vandalism, looting and demolition at the Radda MCH-FP Centre, a maternal and child healthcare facility in Mirpur. The health centre was attacked and vandalised around midnight, with allegations that ruling party leaders and activists at different levels were involved. Mishti, however, denied any involvement in the incident. 

National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam Monday accused the BNP government of conspiring to place its own people in a future caretaker government and warned that the party is emerging as a "new autocrat." "The BNP conspired over the caretaker government in the past. They tried to install their own people in 2006 but did not succeed. Now they are again scheming to make someone of their own the chief adviser of the caretaker government," Nahid told reporters before a meeting of the party's Dhaka North region at a venue in Munshiganj. "This clearly means the BNP will not allow the next election to be held fairly in any way. We are saying that they must come out of this plan. The caretaker government formula must be implemented on the basis of the rank choice system we proposed," he added. The NCP organised the organisational coordination meeting to review nationwide progress of the party and to finalise plans centring on local government and national elections. Speaking about freedom of expression, Nahid Islam said repression is continuing across the country against opposition parties and ordinary people who criticise the government. "We are seeing widespread repression across the country. In the past few months, 22 people have been arrested only for expressing opinions on social media. Yesterday, we saw a news report that a woman in Mymensingh was arrested and taken to a police station for criticising why she had voted for the BNP, or something to that effect," he said. Terming the BNP a "new autocrat," he said, "If we cannot stop and resist this emerging autocrat at the very beginning, we will have to suffer. The Awami League could not be resisted early after 2008, and as a result, it established a dictatorship and stayed in power for 16 years. The BNP is moving in the same style." "No matter how much the BNP now calls itself a 'child government,' we believe it is time to discipline this child right now," he said. On the upcoming local government elections, the NCP leader said, "We do not think this local government election will be held fairly this time. But we want to make it clear that we will not accept any kind of engineering in the local polls." "If there is any such plan, the BNP will not be able to complete its five-year term," he warned.  

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has announced a two-day program on October 27-28, demanding justice for those killed in the violence on Dhaka’s streets on October 28, 2006. Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar announced the program in a statement on Sunday, calling on the government to arrest those involved in the killings and bring them to justice. As part of the program, Jamaat will hold a discussion meeting in Dhaka on October 27, with Ameer Shafiqur Rahman attending as the chief guest. On October 28, the party will organise protests, discussion meetings, and doa across the country. Porwar described the violence involving sticks and oars on October 28, 2006, as a dark chapter in Bangladesh’s political history. He said those responsible for the killings had yet to be brought to justice, describing the delay as unfortunate and shameful. Porwar also urged all branches of the party to implement the announced program and called on people from all walks of life, including farmers, workers, and students, to participate in making them successful. The October 28, 2006 violence, widely known as the ‘Logi-Boitha’ clashes, erupted between activists of the Awami League-led 14-party alliance and those of the BNP-Jamaat-led alliance in Dhaka amid a dispute over the appointment of the caretaker government’s chief adviser. The clashes remain a politically contentious episode in Bangladesh’s history.

State Minister for Sports Md. Aminul Haque on Sunday said sports are essential for bringing about social change and protecting the younger generation from addiction to digital devices. He made the remarks while visiting Khulna District Stadium this noon to inspect preparations for the launch of the second season of ‘Notun Kuri Sports’ on November 5. During the visit, the state minister inspected the overall preparations and security arrangements at the stadium. Following the inspection, he said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would join the inauguration ceremony live from Khulna District Stadium at 3:00 pm on November 5, marking the simultaneous launch of the programme across 503 upazilas nationwide.