politics
Awami League pays tribute at Bangabandhu‘s portrait on Martyred Intellectuals Day
Awami League paid tribute at the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the occasion of Martyred Intellectuals Day today.
Awami League president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, along with party leaders, paid tribute to the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi 32 by placing wreaths.
They stood there in solemn silence for a while as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the illustrious sons and daughters of the soil.
Read: Nation recalls illustrious sons and daughters on Martyred Intellectuals Day
Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader; presidium members Matia Chowdhury, Dr. Abdur Razzak, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya Bir Bikram, Shajahan Khan; Joint General Secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Dr. Hasan Mahmud, AFM Bahauddin Nashim, Organizing Secretary Ahmed Hossain, Advocate Afzal Hossain, Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel, Science and Technology Secretary Engineer Abdus Sabur and others were present.
Earlier, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tribute at the Martyr Intellectual Memorial in Mirpur.
BNP looks to change date of mass procession upon AL request
The opposition BNP may change the date for holding mass procession scheduled for December 24 across the country upon the request of Awami League.
BNP Standing Committee Member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said “We had no idea of the Awami League’s council. The decision to change the date of mass procession was taken.”
“We will inform the next date for the mass procession after holding meeting with allies,” he said, adding that the decision to change the date was taken at a virtual meeting of standing committee on Monday.
Read more: Quader urges BNP not to create chaos on December 24
Earlier, the BNP announced a countrywide mass procession at a rally held at Golapbagh field in the capital on December 10.
The ruling has been raising voice for changing the date of mass procession for the last couple of days as their party council will held in the capital on December 24.
People won, govt defeated on December 10: Mosharraf
BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Tuesday said the government was defeated on December 10 as people turned victorious by holding a massive rally in the capital foiling all obstacles and repressive acts.
“Our rally in Dhaka turned into a sea of mass people despite so many obstacles and arrests. The government tried to foil our rally by arresting our leaders and workers. The government couldn’t do that. The country’s people won on December 10 and the government was forced to accept defeat,” he said.
Speaking at a rally, the BNP leader said their party's 10 divisional rallies were very successful as common people alongside party leaders and activists participated in the programmes spontaneously, giving a clear message against the government’s misrule.
Mosharraf, a BNP standing committee member, warned that their party will tackle the ruling party politically on the streets in the days to come.
“Our target is to ensure the fall of this government. We would like to say that we’ll deal with them (those in power) politically in the coming days. We’ll settle the crisis on the streets. So, we all must prepare to oust this failed, autocratic and fascist regime on the streets,” he said.
Also read: Police looted, vandalised BNP HQ, says Khandaker Mosharraf
He said their party has no other alternative but to unseat the Awami League government through a strong streets agitation to pave the way for the unconditional release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and all other arrested party leaders and ensure a democratic environment in the country.
Dhaka south and north city units arranged the rally in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office protesting the arrest of the party leaders and activists including its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas and the police action at their central office.
This was the BNP’s first programme in front of their central office after the police raid on the office on December 7 last.
On December 7, a Swechchasebak Dal leader was killed and around 50 others were injured in a clash between police and the BNP activists in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office ahead of its December 10 rally.
Besides, in the early hours of December 9, a team of Detective Branch (DB) of police picked up Mirza Fakhrul and Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas from their homes in separate raids in the capital city.
Mosharraf said their party will deal with the ruling party and police and administration together with people
"I would like to say this kind of despotic regime was there in the country in the past. Autocratic ruler Ershad was ousted by the students of this country in a mass uprising and Ayub Khan was also ousted during Pakistan's rule. People in Sri Lanka also overthrew the brothers of Rajapaksa by taking to the streets a few months back. Our people are also ready (to take to the streets),” he said.
The BNP leader called upon the police and administration to take a position in favour of the people and their interests in line with their oath.
“You’re not enemies of people and take a position in favour of them. The bell of the government fall is now ringing. The government will go, but you’ll stay here as you’re the children of this country and the officers and employees of the government. You should not fight with people,” he said.
Democratic practice won't develop without electoral competition: CEC
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Tuesday said that the democratic practice does not develop if there is no electoral competition among political parties..
For this, each party should arrange dialogue among themselves to reach consensus, he told the reporters after a meeting on law and order over Rangpur city corporation (RCC) election at the Deputy Commissioner's office.
“We have to sit at the table and discuss. Showing off power on the streets and election through ballot at the poll centre are not the same thing,” he said.
Read more: Govt’s cooperation needed for holding fair election: CEC
Expecting a participatory election, the CEC urged all parties to participate in the election spontaneously. The election commission cannot force anyone in this regard.
“But I will be happy if the BNP participates in the election,” he added.
The CEC asked the political parties to make people interested towards the election creating such an environment.
“If the election is not competitive, then it does not reflect the exact public opinion.”
Regarding the RCC election, Habibul Awal said strict action will be taken against anyone who obstructs the free exercise of people’s voting rights.
He urged the people of the city to go to the polling centres spontaneously on December 27.
CEC also ordered the returning officers concerned to observe the election on CCTV cameras besides monitoring from Dhaka.
Read more: CEC appreciates environment of local govt polls
Asked about the Gaibandha election, the CEC said action has been taken against those who were involved in the irregularities. This time, instructions have been given so that the poling agents responsible for the election malpractice cannot be present in the re-election.
The Election Commission also decided to use electronic voting machines (EVMs) and CCTV cameras in Rangpur City Corporation election.
A total of 3,93,994 voters will be able to vote at 193 centres to elect the Rangpur mayor, 27 general ward councillors and 11 reserved ward councillors. The last election to Rangpur City Corporation was held on December 21, 2017.
BNP Office Raid: Govt's inhuman attitude exposed to world, says Oli
President of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Oli Ahmed on Tuesday said the inhuman and uncivilised attitude of the Awami League government has been exposed to the outside world through the ‘brutality’ of police at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.
"This attack and atrocities have exposed the government's true colour to the world. The people of the world have realised how horrible they (the govt) are, how barbaric they are and how unfit they are to live in a civilised society,” he said.
Read more: BNP’s Nayapaltan office reopens after 4 days of police raid
Oli made the remarks while talking to reporters after visiting the BNP’s Nayapaltan central office which was raided by police on December 7.
He said everybody has witnessed the atrocities carried out by the police force of ‘Chhatra League and Jubo League’. “The outside world also could know the character of this regime through the incidents that happened from December 7 to December 10. We condemn this brutality at the BNP office.”
BNP office was kept shut by police from December 7-10 following a clash with the party supporters and a subsequent raid by the law enforcers. It was reopened on December 11 as police removed the barricades set up in the area. Leaders of different opposition parties have been visiting the BNP office since it reopened.
Oli, who left BNP 16 years back and formed LDP, along with his party’s leaders went to the BNP office in the morning and visited different rooms of the party that were ransacked by police during their raid.
Read more: Police control of BNP office at Nayapaltan continues amid mounting tension
He said there is no democracy, human rights and justice now in the country where people have no value as it has been run by a dictatorial government.
The LDP leader said the opposition parties will have to oust the current government through a peaceful movement. “Our programme will be what is done in a civilized society and it will be according to the law and the constitution. No matter how wrong they do, let us not fall into their trap."
He said the entire world is now observing how the BNP is leading the country. “Around 90 percent of people are now supporting BNP.”
Oli said the fall of this regime is now a matter of time and LDP will work with BNP until Awami League is ousted from power.
He demanded the immediate release of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and standing committee member Mirza Abbas and other arrested leaders of the party.
Earlier, BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan welcomed Oli as he reached the BNP office.
Later, talking to reporters, Nazrul said it is not normal to enter the office of a political party and to resort to vandalism and plundering in this manner. "It’s manifested a kind of instability and a kind of weakness within the government.”
He urged the political parties to register protests against the police atrocities at the office of a major political party BNP. “The government has been indulging in a foul game and a united and greater movement is necessary to stop it.”
Leaders of different other political parties, including Jatiya Party (Zafar), Kalyan Party, Labour Party, NPP, Jatiya Dal, LPD (Shahadat), NDP, Islamic Party, Muslim League, Jagpa, Samyabadi Dal, Islami Oikya Jote, Democratic League, People’s League, NAP-Bhasani and Bangladesh NAP, also visited the BNP office to see for themselves the devastation carried out by police there.
Police conducted search operation at BNP’s Nayapaltan office for the sake of investigation
Police conducted a search operation at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office for the sake of investigation, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said today.
“It is not unusual for police to search the BNP office, as they have found bombs there, and the law enforcement agencies must check whether there were grenades or other deadly weapons,” he said.
The information minister came up with the remarks while unveiling a book titled “Politics of Bangabandhu’s Three Generations” at the Secretariat.
Read more: Diplomats don’t have the power to put anyone in power: Information Minister
Talking about the BNP’s allegation of police “ransacking” its central office, Hasan said, “Law enforcement agencies carried out the search operation for the sake of investigation.”
Criticising BNP for “exaggerating the damages” during the search operation, the minister said BNP “flopped” on December 10. “They boasted of gathering 10 lakh people, but they finished their rally with only 50,000 people.”
Read more: BNP MPs resigned to impede democracy: Hasan Mahmud
Quader urges BNP not to create chaos on December 24
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Monday urged BNP not to create anarchy ahead of the AL's national council on December 24.
He was addressing a press conference at the party president's political office in Dhanmondi on the occasion of the party's 22nd national council.
Read: BNP 'half-defeated' through holding rally at Golapbagh: Obaidul Quader
"A huge number of leaders and activists from every corner of the country will join the council. So, don't create any chaos", he said.
From a rally on December 10, BNP announced a mass-procession programme in all cities, including Dhaka and district towns on December 24 to realise their 10-point demand which coincides with AL’s 22nd national council.
Read: BNP declares start of ‘simultaneous anti-govt movement’ on Dec 24
Quader said considering the global crisis, their leader Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed them to hold the council in a very simple manner. “We hope a successful council will be held," he added.
"As the December 10 rally became a flop, the BNP's leaders and activists have lost their mind."
He also said that the country's economic situation is good now and it is going towards a better condition.
BNP MPs' decision to resign a 'mistake': Obaidul Quader
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Monday said the BNP’s MPs made a mistake by resigning from the parliament and they will realise their mistake soon.
“BNP has drawn a graph of making everything stand still on December 10 but instead they got immobilised. The BNP MPs resigned but to boycott in such a way is a mistake. They will realise their mistake soon,” he said while addressing the Chattogram South District unit Awami League triennial council held at MA Aziz Gymnasium Stadium in Chattogram, after joining virtually.
Talking about the BNP’s 10-point demand, the Road Transport and Bridges Minister said there is nothing new in their demand, all are old and whether any will be taken under consideration will be checked.
The election will be held as per the constitution and Election Commission is the main strength of conducting the election. The government will just assist them, he said.
Like the BNP, Awami League also demanded neutral and fair elections, said Obaidul.
Meanwhile, Moslem Uddin Ahmed MP has been made the president while Mafizur Rahman was made the general secretary of the Chattogram South city unit Awami League from the council.
Police looted, vandalised BNP HQ, says Khandaker Mosharraf
BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Monday alleged that police indulged in ‘unpredictable’ devastation and vandalism alongside plundering money at their party’s Nayapaltan central office during a drive on December 7.
Speaking at a press briefing after visiting every room of the five-storey building of the BNP office along with the party senior leaders, "In the month of victory, the BNP office was ransacked and looted by the police. They resorted to terrorism nakedly and unpredicted brutality.”
The BNP leader said police entered their party chairperson’s office on the 1st floor by breaking its door and vandalised everything inside the room and destroyed all photos.
He said the police took away all the CPUs, hard disks, printers and all other equipment and important documents from their office.
“Everything was looted from our accounts department. The mural of Ziaur Rahman on the ground floor was also vandalised. No one expected to see such a barbaric incident in the month of victory,” Mosharraf said.
Read: BNP to stage demonstration at Nayapaltan tomorrow
He alleged that the government’s aggressive attitude at our central office in Nayapaltan on December 7 has proved that it is a fascist, terrorist and usurper regime. “We don't have suitable words to condemn the incident.”
“I think it is an unprecedented incident in Bangladesh. There’s no such example in the world as well…even such an attack was not carried out by the Pakistani occupation forces during the Liberation War either,” the BNP leader observed.
“The back of the people are now against the wall, so the people have given us a message that the Awami League has destroyed the country to stay in power by force and it is not possible for them to restore democracy, repair economy, established impartiality in the judicial system and ensuring freedom in law and order department,” he said.
“It is impossible for them to reduce the price of essential goods. So, the people have decided to save the country from this government as we are talking about the people of Bangladesh, democracy and the spirit of the Liberation War,” he said.
Read: 224 BNP leaders including Fakhrul, Mirza Abbas denied bail
Earlier on Monday, Mosharraf along with some BNP leaders including BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan and Gayeshwar Chandra Roy visited the party office .
Meanwhile, financial assistance was given to the family members of the Swechchasebak Dal leader Makbul, who was killed during a clash with police on December 7.
Halima Akter, wife of Makbul received Tk 1 lakh from BNP leaders while Aminul Haque, member secretary of Dhaka North unit BNP took the responsibilities of the studies of her daughter Mithila.
On December 7, a Swechchasebak Dal leader was killed and around 50 others were injured in a clash between police and the BNP activists in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office ahead of its December 10 rally.
On December 8, a Dhaka court sent 445 BNP leaders and activists including Annie and Salam to jail in two cases filed over the December 7 violence.
Besides, in the early hours of December 9, a team of Detective Branch (DB) of police picked up Mirza Fakhrul and Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas from their homes in separate raids in the capital city.
A Dhaka court sent Mirza Fakhrul and Abbas to jail rejecting their bail petitions in the case on the same day.
Later they were shown arrested in a case filed under the Explosive Substances Act with Paltan police station over the clash.
The BNP central office at Naya Paltan in Dhaka was reopened on Sunday, four days after closure following the police raid.
Ganatantra Mancha unveils 14-point for simultaneous anti-govt movement
Ganatantra Mancha, a political platform of seven opposition parties, on Monday announced a 14-point demand for waging a simultaneous movement with BNP to oust the current Awami League government and bring a qualitative change in the governance system.
Mahmudur Rahman Manna, a top leader of the platform and the president of Nagorik Oikya, unveiled the 14-point demands at a press conference at the Bangladesh Shishu Kalyan Parishad office in the city’s Topkhana Road area.
He said the Ganatantra Mancha leaders will go to BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on Tuesday to witness the devastation caused by the police operation on December 7.
Read more: Ganatantra Mancha rally in city adds to opposition's momentum
Besides, a liaison committee will be formed very soon to initiate the simultaneous movement with the party.
Earlier on Saturday, BNP standing committee leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain placed a 10-point demand from the party’s rally in the capital to start the simultaneous movement on December 24 through a mass processions programme.
"We want a qualitative change in the (governance system of the) state. That is why we are placing the 14 points. We’ve also given BNP our points and we’ll discuss those points,” Manna said.
As per the current constitution, the Nagorik Oikya leader said the Prime Minister is more powerful than a Mughal Emperor as she can do whatever she wants. It can’t continue and the constitution must be amended.”
“In order to establish the basic democratic rights of the people as a whole and to ensure their economic prosperity, we think that there should be substantial reforms in the administration, laws, and constitution of the country,” he observed.
Read more: Hasan Mahmud dismisses Ganatantra Mancha as out-of-touch, insignificant
The 14-point demand includes the dissolution of parliament, resignation of the government, formation of a neutral polls-time interim government for a free, fair, and credible national election, reconstitution of the election commission, stopping the use of excessive money in the election and nomination trade, amending the RPO, bringing change in administration, using ballot papers instead of EVMs and annulling the use of party symbol in the local government polls.
Besides, steps should be taken for establishing a balance of power between parliament, appointing the ombudsman, establishing a constitutional court, reforming article 70 of the constitution, introducing a proportional electoral system and bicameral parliament system along with direct elections, and establishing a rational balance of powers between the Prime Minister and the President.
The other demands of the Ganatantra Mancha are release of all political prisoners, including BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, ensuring no barrier to political activities and meetings and rallies, scrapping all black laws including the Digital Security Act-2018 and the Special Power Act 1974 and ending harassment of the workers in the name of Industrial Police.
The 14 points have many similarities with the BNP’s 10 points as the Ganatantra Mancha added some points to the BNP’s demands.