politics
Govt has staged the Nayapaltan clash to foil Dec 10 rally: Mirza Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Wednesday that violent clash between BNP activists and police outside the party’s central office at Nayapaltan was planned by the government to foil the party’s upcoming divisional rally in Dhaka on December 10.
“I came to Nayapaltan and tried to enter my party office after taking permission from the Home Minister and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner. Still, police officials barred me from going inside, which is totally unacceptable in a democratic country,” Fakhrul said while sitting on the footpath outside BNP’s central office after the violence.
Fakhrul added that the government might have any other ill motive behind the day’s clash.
“I’ve called upon the Home Minister and the DMP commissioner to withdraw police from the area immediately and restore a peaceful environment here. We’ll definitely hold the government responsible for today’s unexpected incident,” Fakhrul added.
Fakhrul further said that the government has committed a heinous crime by letting police to raid BNP’s office.
“Only police will be able to tell if there was any bomb inside our party office or not. By raiding our office and planting explosives in there, police have destroyed democratic principles,” Fakhrul said.
Read: It’s an unjustified action of police: Fakhrul on Nayapalton clash
Asked about the allegation that BNP activists had entered the office carrying bags containing explosives, Fakhrul strongly denied the allegation, saying that it’s police who had entered the office with bags.
The BNP leader also said that Awami League is a political party, which continuously deceives people.
“The Home Minister had told me to go to our party office, saying that there won’t be any problem. Such a lie from him proves that Awami League is a party of traitors,” Fakhrul Said.
Replying to a question, Fakhrul added that there is no environment for holding a rally at this point. He also said that BNP will arrange a press conference at the Lakeshore Hotel on Thursday to brief the journalists about BNP’s next move.
Meanwhile, DMP Commissioner Khondker Golam Faruq justified the police action, saying that they’ve conducted an anti-terrorism drive and found cocktails inside rice and lentil sacks.
Tension was mounting for the last few days regarding the stalemate over the selection of venue for BNP’s December 10 rally. Party activists were gathering almost every day outside BNP’s Nayapaltan office and conducting political showdowns.
The presence of party workers increased on Wednesday. To keep the situation under control, more than a thousand police members were deployed in the area.
Read: 1 killed in police-BNP clash at Nayapaltan; Over 150 leaders, activists held
Around 3:00pm, the party activists gathered in front of the office and started chanting slogans. Sensing that the situation could be turning volatile, police asked the party members to leave the area immediately. This resulted in a heated argument and at one point, police started to beat the activists with batons to disperse them.
Taking shelter in nearby lanes, BNP activists started throwing brickbats in return. To quell the protesters, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets towards them, which injured around 50 people.
Falling sick due to inhaling tear gas, some 200 activists took shelter inside the BNP office. Later, police conducted a drive inside the office and arrested around 100 of these activists along with party leaders like Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed and Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie.
In another development, police obstructed Mahmudur Rahman Manna-led Ganatantra Mancha at the Nightingale Intersection of the capital from advancing towards Naya Paltan.
It’s an unjustified action of police: Fakhrul on Nayapalton clash
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul on Wednesday strongly condemned the police action on BNP leaders and activists and alleged that the government deliberately carried out the attack.
“It’s an unjustified action of police. We strongly condemn it,” he told reporters sitting on a footpath in front of Nayapaltan party office after the fierce clash between BNP activists and police that left a man dead and many others injured in the afternoon.
Over 100 BNP leaders and activists, mostly from BNP central office, were arrested after the clash. Around 20 injured activists were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Read: Police will look into why BNP wants to hold Dec 10 rally at Nayapaltan: Home Minister
Fakhrul rushed to BNP office around 4:40pm hearing the news of clash.
He said the situation is very awful as many BNP leaders and activists were injured in police firing while the law enforcers are arresting whoever they find.
He alleged that he was not allowed to enter the party office, forcing him to squat on the footpath in front of the party office. “It’s very unfortunate.”
Read: BNP rally at Nayapaltan if govt can’t give alternative venue: Abbas
Next general election to be held first week of 2024: PM Hasina announces at Cox’s Bazar rally
The next general election of the country will be held in the first week of January in 2024, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared it at a public rally here on Wednesday.
Addressing the huge rally at Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium here the prime minister reiterated her call to the people to vote for her Awami League party to sustain the country’s development momentum.
“I am urging all of you to cast your vote for the symbol of Boat,” she said.
The jubilant people raised their hands when Hasina, who is also the president of Awami League, asked them if they will vote for her party. She expressed gratitude to the crowd.
The rally, organized by Cox’s Bazar Awami League, was presided over by its acting president Advocate Faridul Islam Chowdhury.
Read more: Next national election by Jan 29, 2024; EVMs to be used in 150 constituencies
Hasina said that the ruling AL was able to come to the power for three consecutive terms as the people gave their verdict in favour of Boat, the party’s election symbol.
“From 2009 to 2022 there is a democratic process in the country leading to unprecedented development in the country. Bangladesh has got recognition as a developing country,” she said.
At the outset of the rally, the PM inaugurated 29 development projects, and laid foundation stones of four schemes involving Taka 1963.86 crore.
PM Hasina highlighted a number of her government has launched to mitigate the woes of the lower middle class and low-income people declaring that as long as she is in power it is her responsibility to look after the welfare of the people of this country.
“As the daughter of the Father of the Nation, it is my duty to look after your welfare as long as I am in power,” she said.
Read more: Next general election to be held first week of 2024: PM Hasina announces at Cox’s Bazar rally
She once again slammed BNP and its ally Jamaat for causing miseries to the people.
“Arson terrorism, killing, murder, looting, money laundering, smuggling country’s money to abroad, smuggling these all they can do,” she said.
She also mentioned that Khaleda Zia embezzled the money of an orphanage and for that reason she had been convicted of corruption for ten years.
“And her son Tarique Rahman, known for siphoning off country’s money, had been convicted for seven years and a fine of Tk 20 crore as fine,” she said about trial by court.
Sheikh Hasina also mentioned that Tarique Zia was involved in arms smuggling on board 10 trucks.
“I do not know for what purpose he brought those arms,” she asked.
The AL chief said that in August 21, 2004 Khaleda Zia and Tarique Zia and their companions had hurled grenades, which are used in wars, on AL rally leaving 22 AL members dead.
“But I narrowly escaped with the grace of Almighty Allah,” she said.
She said that BNP always pampers looters, militants, siphons off country’s money and killl people through arson attacks.
“Can a human being kill another human with fire?, she asked. This movement of BNP, Tarique Zia and Khaleda Zia is aimed at killing people through arson attacks. They do not know anything without destruction,” she said.
BNP rally at Nayapaltan if govt can’t give alternative venue: Abbas
BNP has said that they will hold their December 10 rally in front of their party office in Nayapaltan if the government doesn’t come up with an alternative venue.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) standing committee member Mirza Abbas said this at a press conference held at the party’s central office at Nayapaltan on Wednesday noon.
“Our rally will be peaceful. We’ve chosen Nayapaltan for our programme, now the government has to suggest an alternative and acceptable venue. If the government can’t provide a suitable venue, we’ll carry out our rally at our chosen place, no matter what happens,” said Abbas.
Replying to a question, Abbas said they expect that police will be neutral while performing their duties.
Read: BNP activists in Khulna say police carrying out mass arrests
“They say that our program will cause public suffering. But the road in front of Awami League’s central office in Gulistan and road no 32 in Dhanmondi have been blocked for the last 20 years. Aren’t the people of these areas suffering due to the blockade?” added Abbas.
Abbas further said that the Awami League leaders are in fear of losing power as they’re using the law enforcement agencies for conducting drives at the houses of BNP leaders and activists and arresting them without any valid reason.
BNP’s Publicity Secretary Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee said that they want Motijheel Ideal School and College premises to be the alternative venue for their rally.
Read: Nothing to be worried about BNP’s Dec 10 rally, says Momen
“We attended a meeting with police today at 2:00pm when we have reiterated that we want our rally to be held either at Nayapaltan or the Ideal School premises. We’re currently waiting for a response from police,” said Anee.
BNP activists in Khulna say police carrying out mass arrests
Leaders and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party's Khulna city say they have left their houses to avoid arrests as police have intensified drives ahead of the opposition party’s mass rally in Dhaka on December 10.
Police are raiding houses of BNP leaders and activists every night by preparing an area-wise list of those who are set to participate in the Dhaka programme, they said.
Police raided the houses of numerous leaders and activists, and arrested at least 50 of them in the last four days.
Read: Nothing to be worried about BNP’s Dec 10 rally, says Momen
Police arrested Shariful Islam Tipu, in charge of the Metropolitan BNP office, when he went to the police station with food for the arrested activists on Tuesday.
Khulna Metropolitan BNP convener Shafiqul Alam Mana said that political leaders and activists are being arrested and harassed in the name of a special operation to thwart BNP's mass rally in Dhaka on December 10.
Hasan Al Mamun, officer-in-charge (OC) of Khulna Sadar police station, told UNB, "We are conducting operation as part of an anti-terrorism drive."
Read: No confusion over Dec 10 rally in Dhaka, says Fakhrul
Though no directives have been given from central leaders, activists are going to Dhaka to avoid arrests, Shafiqul Alam Tuhin, member secretary of Metropolitan BNP, said.
Nothing to be worried about BNP’s Dec 10 rally, says Momen
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday said there is nothing to be worried about BNP's December 10 rally in Dhaka, noting that it is meaningless if there is no people’s support behind any initiative.
Talking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said there is a government in the country and the government has a responsibility and an obligation to maintain peace and stability.
Read more: BNP ready to hold rally in Dhaka on December 10 braving all obstacles
“And we will do that. We don’t think there will be something big. We are not worried about it at all,” he said when his attention was drawn about the travel advisory issued by the British government.
The British government has updated its travel advisory and said political rallies may result in violent clashes, including with law enforcement agencies.
Read more: December-10 rally: BNP delegation sits with IGP
“Political rallies are expected on 10 December 2022 in Dhaka, with potential disruption to transport, communication networks and movement around the city. An increased law enforcement presence in the days surrounding 10 December 2022 is likely. You are advised to avoid all large gatherings, including political rallies,” reads the advisory.
No confusion over Dec 10 rally in Dhaka, says Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday said their party will undoubtedly hold a rally on December 10 in Dhaka to intensify the ongoing anti-government movement with fresh programmes.
“No one should have any confusion about the December 10 programme as we must hold the rally on that day in Dhaka,” he said.
Speaking at a seminar, the BNP leader also said the country’s people will dream afresh to get rid of misrule through this rally.
“People will take to the streets more intensively with new action programmes from this rally to defeat the current monstrous regime,” he said.
BNP arranged the seminar titled “Violence and Politics of Blaming” at a city hotel ahead of the party’s December 10 rally.
Dr Shakhawat Hossain Sayantha presented the keynote paper at the programme while a documentary on violence during the current government was screened.
Fakhrul said their party wants to establish a government of people by holding a credible national election under a non-party caretaker government.
Read more: Will make Dhaka rally a success at any cost: Fakhrul
The BNP leader also said the Awami League government must quit power and dissolve the parliament by handing over power to a caretaker government, paving the way for holding a locally and internationally accepted national election.
Govt plotting to carry out arson violence
Fakhrul said the Prime Minister staged a drama a few days back by holding a meeting with the victims of arson violence during the movement in 2014-15 and cried there to give people a wrong idea about the politics of blaming.
The BNP leader said the PM’s such efforts raised BNP’s suspicion about her government’s plot to stop the ongoing spontaneous movement of people by carrying out arson violence.
“We have got information from various sources that around 200 buses have been arranged to set on fire. We have also got some hints that some cadres of Chhatra League and Jubo League will be deployed at every ward and thana in the name of preventing violence. We’ve become alert about it,” he said.
The BNP leader said the government is working to indulge in its old game of carrying out violence and blame BNP for those incidents.
High time to resist govt
Fakhrul said it is a proper time to put up a strong resistance against the current regime since people of Bangladesh have woken up. “This is not an elected regime, and it lacks people’s mandate. This regime has been carrying out a steamroller of repression and injustice.”
He said over 600 BNP leaders and activists were the victims of enforced disappearance and over a thousand were killed while many others were maimed and repressed in various ways over the last 15 years.
Read more: BNP ready to hold rally in Dhaka on December 10 braving all obstacles
“People now want to get rid of the dreadful monstrous regime…we know it’s very tough for a democratic force to fight against a fascist regime. But we have to move forward with well-thought-out plans and strategy to carry out such a fight,” the BNP leader observed.
He said around 40 lakh opposition leaders and activists up to the village level have been facing ‘false’ political cases.
Fakhrul alleged that the government has siphoned off huge money abroad from the country very consciously, depleting the banks and indulging in looting from mega projects.
He said though the country’s economy is suffering, the government is saying there is no economic crisis only to mislead people and thus prolong its power.
Fakhrul said they are carrying out the movement together with people to restore democracy and the voting rights of people by ousting the current regime.
He called upon people of all walks of life to come forward to protect the county and made it liveable one through necessary reforms after a credible election under a non-party caretaker government.
BNP's Dec 10 rally: Obaidul Quader optimistic about a wayout for venue
Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said on Tuesday that the dispute over allocating space for BNP’s rally on December 10 will be resolved soon.
“A problem surfaced over the venue for BNP’s December 10 rally and there is no solution yet,” he said while talking to reporters after a meeting with newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Kumar Verma at the Secretariat.
Replying to a question, the minister said “I am always optimistic, and I am optimistic over it. Whatever the situation is, a solution will come out.”
Read more: BNP to avoid AL's trap over December-10 rally: Gayeshwar
“There is no reason for the people to panic. On behalf of my party, I want to say that we are in power, why would we want to create any unrest? Why will we do something that could create panic? We don’t need that,” he said.
“Now, if anybody attacks us, if there is any instigation, if they jump on us, will we sit idle? We hope the opposition will hold their rally peacefully,” he said.
Referring to the visit of the Indian High Commissioner, Quader said “There are many projects under road communication , and we have discussed the progress of the projects. We also discussed the Teesta issue. In reply to the Teesta issue, he said he will try his best (to resolve it).”
On September 27, BNP announced a series of public rallies in 10 divisional cities. The party will conclude the divisional programmes by holding its last rally in Dhaka on December 10.
Police in Dhaka have asked BNP to hold the rally at Suhrawardy Udyan, but BNP is determined to dol its rally in front of its party headquarters at Naya Paltan in Dhaka.
Read more: December-10 rally: BNP delegation sits with IGP
The BNP has long been demanding that the next general election be held under a caretaker government, not under any political government--a demand sharply rejected by the ruling Awami League as the constitution does not contain any such provision.
Strong vigilance everywhere from tomorrow to thwart BNP’s sabotage plan: Quader
The government will ensure strong vigilance everywhere in the country from tomorrow to prevent sabotage plan of BNP, said Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday.
"Get ready for the month of victory. Vigilance will be ensured in all allies, districts, cities, wards, unions, upazilas, thanas from tomorrow," he said.
Read more: People are afraid of BNP’s Dec 10 rally: Obaidul Quader
Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, was speaking at the 30th National Council of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of Bangladesh Awami League, at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the AL president, inaugurated the council around 11:30am.
Quader said, “We must save Sheikh Hasina. The lives and property of the country must be protected. So stay careful.”
"Two days ago, the foundation stone of Dhaka-Sylhet road was blown up at midnight. Who did this? They are the sponsors of militancy; they are the source of communalism. Who are they, they are Bangladesh ‘Nalish’ Party (BNP)," he said.
“BNP calls a mass rally, but it turns into a rally. And the Awami League calls a rally, in reality it becomes a mass assembly.”
Read more: 'Smart Bangladesh': Quader reveals AL's slogan for next election
Regarding the country’s shrinking forex reserve, Quader said reserves are increasing again, export earnings are on the rise too and the amount of remittance is increasing day by day.
Quader urged the BCL leaders and activists to bring the old glory of BCL back.
BCL president Al-Nahean Khan Joy presided over the opening session conducted by its general secretary Lekhak Bhattacharjee. The last BCL national council was held in May, 2018.
‘Just mention BNP-Jamaat’s misdeeds under their propaganda posts on social media’
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday (December 06, 2022) asked Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leaders and activists to counter anti-government propaganda on social media, and point out the misdeeds of BNP-Jamaat.
“We have created ‘Digital Bangladesh’. But today, social media is flooded with propaganda against us. I would like to ask our Chhatra League leaders and activists to give fitting replies to these,” she said.
The premier was addressing the 30th National Council of BCL, the student wing of Bangladesh Awami League, at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka.
Read: PM opens Japanese Economic Zone: Expected to draw $1.5bn investment, create over 1 lakh jobs
“When they write something against us, you don’t even need to give a reply. If only their misdeeds can be mentioned in the comments (under propaganda posts on social media), they will stop,” she added.
Sheikh Hasina, also AL president, inaugurated the council at around 11:30 am.
AL general secretary Obaidul Quader spoke on this occasion.
Read: BCL’s 30th National Council begins at Suhrawardy Udyan
BCL president Al-Nahean Khan Joy presided over the opening session conducted by its general secretary Lekhak Bhattacharjee. The last BCL national council was held in May 2018.