politics
Thousands gather in Rangpur city to join BNP’s anti-govt rally
Thousands of BNP activists and leaders on Saturday gathered in Rangpur city to join an anti-government rally amid allegations of using the transport owners and workers by the government to enforce a strike in the region.
A 36-hour transport strike began on Friday morning, but the opposition party is all set to hold its fourth divisional rally in Rangpur.
But the ruling party in Rangpur has denied any involvement with the transport strike.
Party leaders and activists have erected a stage at the Rangpur Collector Eidgah ground where the rally is scheduled to begin at 2pm on Saturday.
Several thousand leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies from different districts under the division started reaching rally venue from Friday afternoon as they used alternative modes of transport.
Read more: BNP set to hold 4th divisional rally in Rangpur Saturday
Though bus communication remained halted between Rangpur and the rest of the country since Friday morning, BNP activists from eight nearby districts were seen coming to different areas adjacent to the city by small vehicles like human haulers, auto rickshaws, three-wheelers, motorbikes, and micro-buses a day before the rally.
AL expects huge turnout in Saturday Dhaka district council in capital city
The triennial council of Dhaka District Awami League will be held on Saturday at the capital's Sherbangla Nagar old trade fair ground.
AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader has hinted that the event will see a huge turnout bigger than BNP's rallies.
Enthusiasm has been observed among the leaders and workers of the party, he said.
Dhaka district consists of 5 upazilas- Savar, Dhamrai, Dohar, Nawabganj, andd Keraniganj.
Bangladesh Awami League presidium member Advocate Kamrul Islam will inaugurate the council while the general secretary of the party Quader will be present as the chief guest.
Read more: No one can destroy Awami League: Hasina
Dhaka District Awami League triennial council was held last September 2016 while Benazir Ahmed, the freedom fighter, was appointed as the president while a 71-member Dhaka District Awami League committee was formed with Mahbubur Rahman as the general secretary.
Due to the Corona pandemic, the council was scheduled to be held in 2019 but was not held on time.
Banner-festoon-posters have been hung in different places of the upazilas.
AL is not afraid of BNP's rallies: Quader
Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Friday said his party hardly cares about BNP's public rallies.
Quader made the comment while speaking at a press briefing at his official residence here.
In reply to a statement of BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, he said there is no reason for the government to be shaken by the turnout at BNP's rallies.
"The BNP was unable to gather one lakh people despite targeting 10 lakh. Pepple see huge public gatherings at the AL's ward- and thana level council in the city, which were reported in media. This is the actual senario of BNP's rally."
He said the AL will play game against those who want to play with the fate of 17 crore people.The game will be played against Hawa Bhaban, looting, money laundering and corruption, and against those who created 1.25 crore fake voters and the vote thefts.
Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said the game will be played against those who opposed the country's development and those who patronised communal forces and who do not believe in the spirit of the Liberation War.
Quader said BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia once stated that none is impartial except the insane and the children.
Read:AL is not obstructing BNP rally, says Obaidul Quader
"So, do you want elections under a caretaker government led by madmen or children? The BNP leaders who are blinded by the lust for power can only seek that," he said.
Quader said there is a constitutional body - Election Commission (EC) - in the country and the election will be held on time under it while the government will only cooperate with the Commission.
He also said the elections will be held in the country the way polls are being held in democratic countries of the world, not under any person or party.
"Do you (BNP) remember how much you left in the reserve?" he asked, adding that when BNP quit power, the country's foreign reserve was less than US$ five billion," he said.
"Has the government gulped the reserve money or has it spent the reserve for the development of the country and the welfare of the people through import expenditure?, he asked.
Quader said from that level, the foreign reserve increased to US$ 48 billion during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government.
Due to ongoing global crisis, the reserve came down to US$ 36 billion from US$ 48 billion, he said adding, not only Bangladesh but also the whole world has been facing this crisis.
"The reserve during the BNP's era was zero. Now how do they (BNP leaders) talk about reserve? The government will be able to import for the next 5 to 6 months with the current reserves," the AL general secretary said.
About Fakhrul's advice to transport owners and workers over the transport strikes, he said hundreds of vehicles were vandalised, petrol bombs were thrown on cars and transport workers and earnings of transport workers were stopped forcibly by the BNP.
Quader said the BNP men had made transport owners' and workers' families destitutes and they did not forget the BNP's arson attacks and terrorism.
Quader said that the transport owner workers are not of any particular party, there are people from all parties here.
He recalled the BNP leaders and said that the President of Transport Owners Association of Awami League, General Secretary from Bangladesh Somajtantik Dal, BNP leader Shimul Biswas is also the Senior Vice President of Bangladesh Workers Federation. Ask him why the strike?
Owners Association composed of all parties, Jatiya Party is the president there, General Secretary Awami League supported, all other parties are represented, - Obaidul Quader urged BNP leaders to talk to them and ask them why they are afraid of you, why they can't forget the painful memories 2013-14, ask them.
No room for arson criminals in politics: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday said though BNP now can hold its political programmes freely, the arson attackers who burned people alive will be apprehended and given proper punishment.
“Since we believe in democracy, now BNP can arrange meetings, processions and all programmes freely…. But the accused who were involved in such killings, arson violence and militancy will have to be apprehended and given appropriate punishment. Because, they violated human rights and killed people burning them alive,” she said.
Hasina, also the President of Bangladesh Awami League, said this while chairing a meeting of her party’s central committee at her official residence Ganabhaban.
Read: Convey misrule, brutality under BNP regimes: PM tells expat Bangladeshis
Referring to arson violence indulged by BNP-Jamaat in 2013-2015, she said they killed people burning them alive, launching arson attacks everywhere including trains, buses, launches and even CNG-run auto rickshaws.
She said the perpetrators have been hiding, but they would come out as BNP is waging movement on the streets.
“They tortured the people. There will be no room for them. The law will take its own course. The law is equal for all,” she added.
The PM said there will be no room for the politics of terrorism and militancy in this country. “We’ll not allow it,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said her party came to power working for the people and winning their hearts and it still has been able to hold the public trust.
“We came to power with votes of the people and their trust. We’ve been upholding the trust of this country’s people for the last 14 years…. Rather Bangladesh Awami League has attained larger popularity in this time,” she said, asking her party’s leaders and activists to go forward maintaining this achievement.
She said the people don’t believe in those who were terrorists, killers, perpetrators of 10-truck arms-haul incident, grenade attackers and who launched bomb attacks simultaneously in 63 districts.
“The people of Bangladesh will never stand beside them and never vote for them as well,” she said.
Talking about the Payra seaport construction, the premier said the project has been implemented with own money drawn from Bangladesh Infrastructural Development Fund which was formed with money from the country’s foreign reserves.
She said the money has been given to the Shipping Ministry at 2 percent service charge and it will pay back the money with the 2 percent interest. So, it will not affect the reserves and rather it will also make a profit from it, she added.
About the energy crisis, the PM said the government is taking steps on how energy can be imported to meet its deficit here in Bangladesh.
In a recent meeting with food importers, she told the businessmen clearly that the government can import energy if they are ready to purchase it at international prices.
The government has no capacity to provide additional subsidy here as it’ll have to provide Tk 46,000 crore as subsidy to purchase foods. Now some Tk 86,000 crore is needed to provide subsidy to agriculture, power and energy sectors, she said, adding that the government has taken measures to enhance solar energy in the country.
PM Hasina asked AL leaders and activists to raise her government’s successes and achievements, development plans and misrules of BNP regimes before the people.
AL triennial council to be held in simple manner amid crisis:
She said Awami League perhaps is the only party that follows its charter and arranges its council regularly as well as works for the people.
She said AL triennial council will be held in December next and they would form a committee to implement the council in Friday’s meeting.
The AL president said this year the council will be in simple manners at a low budget as part of exercising austerity amid the economic crisis.
Explain how money from reserves spent on Payra Seaport: Fakhrul to govt
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday asked the government to explain how the money from the foreign currency reserves was spent on Payra Seaport.
Speaking at a discussion, he also alleged that the government has devastated the country's economy through plundering.
“You (PM) have insisted that the money from the reserves was spent on Payra Seaport. We want to know how the money was spent, by whom it was spent and how the money from reserves have gone,” the BNP leader said.
Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal arranged the programme at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU), demanding the restoration of the caretaker government to oversee the next polls and the unconditional release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Earlier on Thursday, the prime minister virtually inaugurated some development projects, including capital dredging at Payra, aiming to equip it with better facilities for smooth operations.
Speaking at the programme, the PM said, “Many may wonder where the reserves money went. Money from forex reserves went to Payra port, procuring food for the people, fertiliser, and meeting the daily needs of people… No one can chew up that money. That is (forex reserves) for the people. We are using that for import and other necessary purposes.”
Read: Govt swallowed foreign reserves: Fakhrul
Criticising the prime minister for her remarks that money from reserves went to Payra Seaport, Fakhrul said the reserves money is not meant for the construction of a port.
He said the money from the reserves is supposed to be used to pay bills for imported goods and repay the foreign loans.
The BNP leader said the government is now in a very difficult situation as the reverses are depleting fast. “The government used to brag about having reserves of $42 billion. So where has the money from the reserves gone?”
He opposed the the PM’s remark that no one had chewed the money from the reserves, saying, “You didn’t chew it, but swallowed it. You’ve swallowed the entire economy of Bangladesh.”
Fakhrul said the current government’s only work is to loot public money. “They’re eating up everything in every sector. They (govt ) have ruined Bangladesh. If Bangladesh cannot be saved from the hands of Awami League, its existence will be at stake.”
Referring to the expert opinions, he said Payra Seaport will not be economically viable as it lacks the required navigability for ships to come to the port. “They’ve now taken a project of capital dredging for looting more money. They’re depleting the country’s resources in this way.”
The BNP leader said there is no alternative for their party to carrying out the movement to restore democracy and people’s voting rights.
Fakhrul urged the government to quit and dissolve parliament by handing over power to a non-party caretaker government, paving the way for holding a credible election by forming a new election commission.
Or else, the BNP leader warned that the country’s people will ensure the government’s fall by creating a mass uprising.
Govt swallowed foreign reserves: Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said the government has swallowed the foreign currency reserves as it created a grave economic crisis in the country through widespread corruption.
Speaking at a rally, he also questioned the justification of spending money from foreign reserves in the construction of Payra Seaport.
"The main reason behind the country's economic crisis is the corruption of the government. You have brought the economy to the brink of collapse by indulging in theft in every sector over the last 14 years,” Fakhrul said.
He said BNP has the right to ask the government about where the money from the reserves has gone. “The Prime Minister said no one can chew up the money from the reserves. You (govt) have not chewed it, but you have swallowed money from the reserves.”
Slamming the Prime Minister for her remarks that money from reserves went to Payra Seaport, the BNP leader said the reserves money is not meant for the construction of a port.
"Reserves money is supposed to be used to pay bills for imported goods in dollars. Reserves money is also meant for using to tackle a situation when there is an economic crisis in the country,” he observed.
Quoting economists and experts, Fakhrul said Payra Seaport will not be productive and viable as it lacks the required navigability for ships to come to the port. “They’re now using super dredger for the navigability by spending Tk6,500 crore. You installed the super dredger there creating further scope for theft.”
Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, BNP’s youth wing, arranged the rally in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office, marking its 44th founding anniversary. Thousands of leaders and activists of the party from different areas of the capital joined the rally carrying the photos of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister virtually inaugurated some development projects, including capital dredging at Payra, aiming to equip it with better facilities for smooth operations.
Speaking at the programme, the PM said, “Many may wonder where the reserves money went. Money from forex reserves went to Payra Port, procuring food for the people, fertiliser, and meeting the daily needs of people… No one can chew up that money. That is (forex reserves) for the people. We are using that for import and other necessary purposes.”
Fakhrul said the government has become unnerved seeing the wave of people towards BNP’s recent three divisional rallies.
He said the BNP rallies have made the ruling party so much nervous that it is now trying to stop the opposition's such programmes by enforcing bus and transport strikes using the transport owners. “Don’t you be ashamed of yourself? What a coward you are! You’re using the unions of the transport owners and workers to call strikes to stop the peaceful rallies of the opposition.”
The BNP leader said the government tried to obstruct BNP’s rallies in Chattogram, Mymensingh and Khulna by enforcing strikes by the transport owners and workers, but could not resist people from joining BNP’s programmes.
He bemoaned that transport strikes have been announced in advance in Rangpur and Barishal to foil BNP’s planned rallies in the two divisions.
Fakhrul urged the transport owners to stay with people and not to cause public sufferings by enforcing strikes only to help a ‘fascist’ regime, which has been snatching people’s rights.
He alleged that the Awami League government wants to suppress the movement by resorting to shooting and repressive acts. “But the country’s people and the youth won’t let it happen.”
The BNP leader also accused the government of destroying the country’s electoral system. “It (govt) has made the Election Commission which the DCs and SPs don’t care and they won’t be to hold elections."
He categorically said no election will be held in the country without a non-party caretaker government.
Fakhrul urged the government to quit by handing over power to a non-party caretaker government, paving the way for holding a credible election by forming a new election commission.
BNP leaders indulged in spreading politically-motivated falsehoods: Quader
Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Thursday said without considering the critical global situation, the BNP leaders irresponsibly are indulged in spreading various politically-motivated falsehoods.
In a democratic system, every opposition party has responsibility and duty towards the country and the people but Mirza Fakhrul Islam and his party leaders don’t play the role of a responsible opposition and rather continue their usual politics of lies and confusion, he said in a statement.
“It is natural that those who could not add even a single unit of electricity to the national grid during their tenure would make unwise remarks over today's crisises,” he said adding the BNP government also opened fire on people for waging movements to press home their demand for electricity.
Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, said the world is now passing through an unexpected crisis and the world's largest economies are also facing a serious economic crisis.
The crises for electricity and gas have been created alongside the price-hike of food and other daily essentials in almost all the countries of the world including Europe and America. So, Bangladesh is also facing the crisis, he said.
He said the country’s people have not forgotten that the party during its regime institutionalized corruption by opening Hawa Bhaban as well as turned Bangladesh into a failed state through their anti-people policies and looting of public funds.
The AL general secretary said the government under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina is making continuous efforts to offset the crisis.
Quader urged the people of the country to keep faith in Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh will be able to face this crisises with the collective efforts amid patience and responsible behavior through specific plans taken by Sheikh Hasina, he added.
EC will look into the matter if Jamaat seeks registration under different name: Info Minister
Information Minister Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said if Bangladesh Jamaat-e Islami apply for the registration under different name then it will come under the notice of the Election Commission (EC).
“The Election Commission will surely look into the matter,” the minister said in response to a question from reporters at the Secretariat.
Hasan said any political party can apply to the EC to get registered and it is the EC which will decide whether any party will be given registration or not.
His remarks came amid reports that all leaders of newly launched Bangladesh Democratic Party (BDP) that sought EC’s registration belong to Jamaat and its student front Shibir. BDP filed for registration on Wednesday.
In 2013, the High Court declared the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami with the EC illegal effectively banning it from taking part in general elections. In 2018, the EC formally deregistered the Islamic fundamentalist party as it failed to fulfill its prerequisites.
However, Jamaat is still operating as a legal political party amid calls from the secular forces to ban it for its role in the genocide during the Liberation War it vehemently opposed.
However, on Wednesday, Election Commissioner Md Alamgir said that Bangladesh Jamaat-e Islami can get registered with the EC under a different name if they fulfill all the conditions.
Alamgir said the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami was cancelled as its charter was not consistent with the Constitution and the spirit of the Liberation War.
Govt won’t send Khaleda back to jail before election: Law Minister
The government will not send BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia back to jail before the next national election, Law Minister Anisul Huq said today (October 27, 2022).
The minister made the remark in response to a question from reporters, after a training programme organised for sub-registrars at Judicial Administration Training Institute in Dhaka.
The government has no plan to change the decision of suspending Khaleda Zia’s sentence as per section 401 of the Criminal Code of Procedure (CrPC) with two conditions, Anisul added.
Read more: Gatco graft case: Charge framing hearing against Khaleda deferred to Jan 29
On September 19, the government extended the suspension of Khaleda’s jail sentence for six more months.
Amid the Coronavirus outbreak, the government suspended Khaleda’s jail sentence for six months through an executive order on March 25, 2020.
The government extended her conditional release in two corruption cases several times.
Read more: Law to determine Khaleda Zia’s election eligibility: Law Minister
The former prime minister was sent to Old Dhaka’s Central Jail after she was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by a special court in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018.
She was convicted in a second corruption case later.
The 76-year-old BNP chief Khaleda Zia has been staying at her Gulshan residence since her release from jail. A special team of her personal physicians has been overseeing her treatment.
Read AL wants to score in empty field: BNP
Over 20 injured after police obstruct BNP volunteers’ march in Port City; 10 detained
At least 20 persons, including four police officers, were injured in a clash between the law enforcers and the opposition BNP’s voluntary wing, the Jatiyotabadi Swechhasebak Dal (JSD), over the latter bringing out a celebratory procession in Chittagong on Wednesday.
Police detained 10 leaders and activists of the JSD from the spot, after the clash that occurred in front of the BNP’s party office on the city’s Nur Ahmed Road.
Towhidul Islam, former assistant general secretary of South District Swechhasebak Dal, alleged the police fired rubber bullets and lobbed tear shells at them without any provocation when they brought out a procession over the formation of their convening committee.
Read: BNP activists say ‘obstructed’ from joining rally, clash with police at Khulna Station
“At least 25 activists including Member Secretary Jamir Uddin Manik were injured in the police attack,” Towhidul claimed.
Besides, several activists including the new committee’s convenor Manjur Alam were detained in this connection, he said.
Jahedul Kabir, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station, said Swachhasebak men hurled brickbats targeting cops when they were asked to leave the busy Navy intersection to ease traffic movement.
“Four of our members sustained injuries in the wild attack by the BNP men,” the OC said, adding that 10 people were detained from the spot following the incident.
A process was underway to file a case in this connection, he added.