politics
Voting at Cumilla City polls underway peacefully
Balloting in Cumilla City Corporation, which began on Wednesday morning, is progressing peacefully amid reports of technical fault in voting machines in a couple of centres and slow voting.
Independent candidate and immediate-past mayor Monirul Haque Sakku cast his vote around 9 am at Hossamia High School in the city.
Talking to reporters, Sakku said he is hopeful about his victory if the election becomes held free and fair.
Expressing satisfaction over the overall election environment, Awami League candidate Arfanul Haque Rifat said he is also hopeful about his victory.
Rifat cast his vote at Cumilla Victoria Collegiate High School around 9:15 am.
Later, Mohammad Nizam Uddin Kaiser, an independent candidate and local MP AKM Bahauddin Bahar also cast their vote at the same centre.
A large number of voters were seen standing in long queues to cast their votes despite rain in the morning.
Presiding Officer of Cumilla High School under No 5 Ward, Fazlul Karim, said voting at the polling centre disrupted for 42 minutes due to technical fault at Electronic Voting Machine.
Read: Voting underway in Cumilla City polls
The EVM machine of no 1 booth out of the six booths at the centre went out of order, halting vote casting.
Later, the balloting at the center started after 42 minutes after a technical team repaired the machine and changed it.
The centre is set for female voters and one vote was cast in 51 minutes due to a technical fault.
Arpana Sen, a voter, said “I managed to stand in the queue around 7:30 am but failed to proceed further for a long time.”
During a visit to Reazuddin Government Primary School, this correspondent found that some people wearing boat badges thronged the polling centre. Asked about the presence of many people at a centre, Abdul Kuddus, who was among them, said they are there to help people cast their vote easily.
Contacted, Returning officer of Cumilla City Corporation Election, Shahedunnabi Chowdhury, said they are investigating the incident.
Presiding Officer of the polling centre, Hafizur Rahman, said “No untoward incident occurred till 12 pm and the voters are casting their votes in a peaceful manner.”
The voting began at 8am and will continue until 4pm without any break.
A total of 2,29,920 voters will exercise their voting right through EVM in 105 centres. There are 640 booths in 105 polling stations.
Voting underway in Cumilla City polls
Voters are exercising their franchise in the election to Cumilla City Corporation on Wednesday.The voting began at 8am and will continue until 4pm without any break.A total of 2,29,920 voters will exercise their voting right through EVM in 105 centres. There are 640 booths in 105 polling stations.Five candidates are vying for the office of mayor.
Read: Sakku’s hat-trick or Rifat’s first?It is the third election of the Cumilla City Corporation after its formation in 2011 while the first under the new Election Commission, which will be conducted through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in its entirety.
Law enforcement agencies have mounted tight security measures to ensure peaceful holding of much talked-about polls, said superintendent of Cumilla Police Faruk Ahmed on Tuesday.
The whole city has been brought under security blanket, he said while speaking at a press briefing on law and order situation ahead of the polls at Language Movement Hero Drirendanath Datta Stadium.
Read: Security tightened ahead of Cumilla city polls
The law enforcement agencies have done whatever is needed to ensure security and at least 75 check-posts were installed in the city, he said.
Over 3,600 members of law enforcement agencies have already been deployed in the field to maintain law and order, he added. The last Cumilla city election was held on Mar 30, 2017. BNP leader Monirul Haque Sakku was elected mayor for the second term.
Sakku’s hat-trick or Rifat’s first?
The Cumilla City Corporation (CCC) is set to go to its much-talked-about third polls on Wednesday to elect its mayor and councilors amid tight security measures.
Though BNP, one of the major opposition political parties, is not there in the race, all eyes are fixed on the election as it is the first major polls under the recently formed Election Commission, led by Kazi Habibul Awal.
Five candidates are vying for the mayoral posts while 106 ones for 27 ward councilor posts and 36 women for nine reserved seats in the election.
The balloting will be held with the use of electronic voting machines (EVM) from 8am to 4pm without any recess.
Some 2.30 lakh people (exactly 229,920) are eligible to vote at 105 polling stations in 27 wards of the city.
A total of 2,29,920 voters will exercise their right to franchise at 105 polling stations in 27 wards of the city.
Although five candidates are vying for the mayoral post, the main contest is expected to be held between Awami League candidate Arfanul Haque Rifat and independent candidate and immediate-past mayor Monirul Haque Sakku.
Three other mayoral contestants are Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Md Rashedul Islam and independent ones Kamrul Ahsan Babul and Mohammad Nizam Uddin Kaiser--are also vying for the mayoral post.
Talking to UNB, Sakku, a two-time mayor of the Cumilla city, expressed his optimism about clinching a hat-trick victory in a fair election. But he has doubts about whether the election will be held in a fair and acceptable manner.
He alleged that the ruling party candidate and local influential ruling party leaders are trying to influence the election results by spreading panic among voters, intimidating them and flouting the election code of conduct.
Sakku urged the Election Commission to take proper steps for holding the voting in a credible manner with the spontaneous presence of voters and thus successfully overcome its first major test after the formation of the Commission.
Awami League mayoral candidate Rifat is also confident both about this victory and fair balloting.
He said voters will elect him as an honest and competent candidate for the development of the city. “People want a change in the mayoral post for getting rid of corruption and ensuring proper development of the city.
Rifat also hoped that the election will be held in a festive manner and all voters will be able to cast their votes without fear and favour.
According to voters, Sakku has a major challenge to get the votes of BNP followers as the party has expelled him while intra-party conflict is the major concern for Rifat.
A 16-member security team will ensure security to each vulnerable polling station while a 15-member security team will guard each normal polling station.
There are 27 teams (comprising members of police, APBN and Battalion Ansar) as mobile forces, nine teams as striking forces, two teams as reserved forces to maintain law and order and the electoral environment in the election area.
Apart from this, there are 27 teams of RAB in 27 wards to maintain the electoral atmosphere.
READ: Security tightened ahead of Cumilla city polls
Besides, there are nine judicial magistrates and 27 executive magistrates to punish those who will violate the electoral codes.
On April 25 last, the EC announced the election schedule for the city and the deadline for submission of nomination papers expired on May 17 last.
Cumilla City Corporation was formed in 2011. The first two elections were held in 2011 and 2017. In the two elections, BNP leader Monirul Haque Sakku was elected the mayor.
BNP, however, boycotted the polls as per its decision not to participate in polls under the current Awami League government.
On May 19 last BNP expelled Sakku for life as he was contesting the city polls defying the party's decision. Sakku himself also resigned from his post to contest the polls.
Besides, BNP's associate body Swechchasebak Dal expelled its Central Assistant Organising Secretary and Cumilla city unit President Nizamuddin Kaisar for life as he was also there in the election race going against BNP’s decision.
Meanwhile one Upazila parishad, five municipalities and 123 Union parishads will go to their regular elections in different districts across the country on Wednesday, according to the EC’s factsheet provided on Tuesday.
Also, by-elections to some posts in one upazila parishad, one municipality and 44 union parishads will be held on the same day.
Security tightened ahead of Cumilla city polls
Law enforcement agencies have taken tight security measures to ensure peaceful holding of Cumilla City Corporation polls, said superintendent of Cumilla Police Faruk Ahmed on Tuesday.
The whole city has been brought under security blanket, he said while speaking at a press briefing on law and order situation ahead of the polls at Language Movement Hero Drirendanath Datta Stadium.
The law enforcement agencies have done whatever is needed to ensure security and at least 75 check-posts were installed in the city, he said.
Read: EC announces polls schedule for 3 municipalities
Besides, 27 magistrates in 27 wards of the city and 3,608 members of law enforcement agencies have already in the field to maintain law and order, he added.
Cumilla City Corporation election will be held on Wednesday using electronic voting machines (EVMs) at all polling stations.
Five candidates will contest in the election.
Read: No scope to manipulate polls flexing muscle power: CEC
It will be the third election of the Cumilla City Corporation after its formation in 2011.
The last Cumilla city election was held on Mar 30, 2017. BNP leader Monirul Haque Sakku was elected mayor for the second term in the polls.
Khaleda to be kept under close observation for some more days
The medical board at Evercare Hospital in the capital on Monday decided to keep ailing Khaleda Zia under close observation for some more days.
Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, a personal physician of Khaleda, said this to UNB after a meeting of the medical board formed for ensuring proper treatment of the BNP chief.
“The medical board today (Monday) reviewed Madam's (Khaleda’s) latest condition and various medical test reports. They’ve decided to keep her under close observation for some more days,” he said.
Also read: Medical board to review Khaleda's condition Monday evening
Zahid said seven out of 19 members of the medical board were present at the meeting chaired by Professor Shahabuddin Talukder, a cardiology and medicine specialist at the hospital.
He said the medical board earlier kept her under observation for 72 hours following an angiogram performed on her on Saturday. “It’ll end tomorrow (Tuesday). The medical board will also sit tomorrow at 5 pm.”
Zahid, also a vice-chairman of BNP, said the doctors at the hospital are monitoring Khaleda round the clock and sincerely ensuring her treatment.
He said doctors at the meeting will review the BNP chief’s condition and different reports to decide her next course of treatment.
Earlier on Sunday, he said three blockages were found in the arteries of the BNP chairperson through a coronary angiogram test conducted on Saturday.
Also read: Send Khaleda abroad for treatment to evade public wrath: BNP to govt
Zahid, also a BNP vice chairman, said Khaleda suffered a heart attack due to 95 percent blockage in her left artery. “A stent has been placed there by removing the blockage.”
About two other blockages, Zahid said doctors will take proper measures in this regard after observing her condition as she has chronic kidney and liver problems.
Earlier, Khaleda was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital in the early hours of Saturday as she suddenly fell ill.
A ring (stent) was placed in the main artery of her heart on Saturday afternoon.
Khaleda, a 76-year-old former prime minister, has long been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung and eye problems.
Medical board to review Khaleda's condition Monday evening
The 19-member medical board, formed for the treatment of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at Evercare Hospital in the capital, is going to meet this evening to review her condition.
Professor Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, a personal physician of Khaleda , said the medical board will sit at the meeting at 5pm.
He said doctors at the meeting will review the BNP chief’s condition and different reports to decide her next course of treatment.
Also read: Send Khaleda abroad for treatment to evade public wrath: BNP to govt
Dr Zahid said Khaleda is still under the observation of doctors in the Coronary Care Unit (CCU). “Her cardiac point is not yet completely stable”.
He said the medical board headed by Prof Shahabuddin Talukder has been observing the BNP chief’s condition and ensuring proper treatment to her. “Nothing can be said about her condition before 72 hours are passed.”
Earlier on Sunday, he said three blockages were found in the arteries of the BNP chairperson through a coronary angiogram test conducted on Saturday.
Zahid, also a BNP vice chairman, said Khaleda suffered a heart attack due to around a 95 per cent blockage in her left artery. “A stent has been placed there by removing the blockage.”
About two other blockages, Zahid said doctors will take proper measures in this regard after observing her condition as she has chronic kidney and liver problems.
Earlier, Khaleda, was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital in the early hours of Saturday as she suddenly fell ill.
Also read: Khaleda has two more blockages in arteries; kept under 72-hrs observation
A ring (stent) was placed in the main artery of her heart on Saturday afternoon.
Khaleda, a 76-year-old former prime minister, has long been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung and eye problems.
Don’t play with fire, Obaidul Quader warns BNP
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said on Sunday that his party stands firmly against communal forces and the falsehood of BNP.
Obaidul Quader said this at the tri-annual council of Mohammadpur Thana and Ward Awami League at Mohammadpur Town Hall ground in the capital this morning.
Also read: Quader welcomes new budget as pro-poor, business-friendly
Quader reiterated that the Awami League is a party of the people and will remain so.
“Our party was born through movement on streets and will never leave the streets,” said the AL leader, also the road transport and bridges minister.
Referring to the recent fire in BM Inland Container Depot in Sitakunda Quader said the intelligence agencies are collecting information to determine whether it was a sabotage or otherwise.
Also read: Beware of conspiracy against Padma Bridge: Quader
Denouncing BNP leaders’ attack on the government on this issue he warned then not to play with fire.
Awami League presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Publicity and Publication Secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap, Office Secretary Barrister Biplob Barua, Dhaka Metropolitan North Awami League President Sheikh Bazlur Rahman also spoke at the council.
Send Khaleda abroad for treatment to evade public wrath: BNP to govt
Renewing their party’s demand for allowing ailing Khaleda Zia to go abroad for advanced treatment, BNP on Sunday warned that people won’t forgive the government if anything bad happens to her for lack of treatment.
"We would like to make a final call for releasing Begum Khaleda Zia immediately and sending her abroad for advanced treatment. Otherwise, you must shoulder all the responsibilities...,” BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said.
Also read: Khaleda has two more blockages in heart, kept under 72-hrs observation
Speaking at a rally, the BNP leader also said the government has to take the responsibility for ensuring Khaleda’s advanced treatment abroad.
“Or else, if anything bad happens to her, the country’s people won’t pardon you. They’ll drag you down from power,” he warned.
BNP’s Dhaka north and south units arranged the rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club demanding prompt steps for ensuring advanced treatment of Khaleda Zia abroad.
Several thousand leaders and activists of BNP from different wards of the capital joined the rally with banners and festoons.
Fakhrul said the government has long been obstructing Khaleda from going abroad for treatment though convicted ruling party leaders are availing of the same scope.
“Salim Uddin and Kalim Uddin all can go abroad for treatment. The convicted people also can go abroad for treatment. Some people can go there by air ambulance. Then why she (Khaleda) is not allowed to be treated abroad? ” he questioned.
The BNP leader also said the Awami League government is not releasing Khaleda and allowing her to go abroad as it is afraid of her popularity.
Khaleda has two more blockages in arteries; kept under 72-hrs observation
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been kept under close observation for 72 hours as she has two more blockages in her blood arteries and some other complications, said her physician Dr AZM Zahid Hossain on Sunday.
He said three blockages were found in the arteries of the BNP chairperson through a coronary angiogram test conducted on Saturday as per the advice of the medical board formed at Evercare Hospital for her treatment.
Zahid said Khaleda suffered a heart attack due to around a 95 percent blockage in her left artery. “A stent has been placed there by removing the blockage.”
He said doctors are unwilling to make any comment on her current health condition until 72 hours have passed. “She is now there at CCU under close observation of the doctors.”
About two other blockages, Zahid said doctors will take proper measures in this regard after observing her condition as she has chronic kidney and liver problems.
He said the medicines that are required to remove the two other blockages may worsen the condition of her kidneys.
Considering various aspects, Zahid said the medical board has done stenting on the vessel which was the most critical and hurting her physically.
READ: Khaleda must follow legal process for treatment abroad, says Home Minister
He said a 19-member medical board headed by Prof Shahabuddin Talukder has been observing the BNP chief’s condition and ensuring proper treatment to her with sincerity.
Zahid, also a BNP vice chairman, said no family members and BNP leaders are being allowed to visit her now.
He urged the country’s people to pray for speedy recovery of the BNP chairperson.
Earlier, Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital in the early hours of Saturday as she suddenly fell ill.
A ring (stent) was placed in the main artery of her heart on Saturday afternoon.
Earlier at an emergency meeting, the medical board formed for ensuring treatment of Khaleda decided to perform the angiogram as she suffered a mild heart attack.
Khaleda, a former prime minister, has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung and eye problems.
The 76-year-old was last admitted to Evercare on November 13 last year where she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis.
On February 1, Khaleda returned home after an 81-day stay at the hospital as she was suffering from internal bleeding caused by liver cirrhosis.
The former prime minister was sent to the Old Dhaka Central Jail as a lower court sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018.
Later, she was found guilty in another corruption case the same year.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the government temporarily freed Khaleda from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with conditions that she will stay at her Gulshan home and not leave the country.
Budget aims to protect interests of govt's benefactors: BNP
Describing the proposed national budget for the next fiscal year as an unrealistic one, BNP on Saturday alleged that it has been formulated only for protecting the interests of the government's benefactors.
"This budget is by no means the budget of the common people. It's just a budget for money launderers and those who siphon off dollars,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
He further said, “This year's budget is a completely unrealistic budget at this difficult time of the country. It has been made only for the government-backed people.”
Fakhrul made the remarks while presenting their party’s formal reaction to the national budget at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.
Earlier on Thursday, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presented the budget in Parliament.
Slamming the government for offering amnesty to the money launderers, Fakhrul said the new budget has been formulated to give the looters a scope to legalise and bring back their illegal money home safely.
“This budget has also been made to create an opportunity for the government’s ministers, members of parliament and their relatives and the businessmen to siphon off money abroad,” he observed.
Also read: Budget FY23: It’s a budget of plundering, says Fakhrul
The BNP leader also said the budget has been formulated to allow the ruling party leaders and activists to increase their wealth and make money instead of taking any effective strategy to lower the prices of rice, pulses, salt, sugar, gas, electricity and water and other daily essentials and utility services.
He described the proposed amnesty to money launderers as illegal. "It’s not only immoral but also contrary to the law. It’s also tantamount to pardoning corruption and money laundering."
Fakhrul said this step will make the future of the ongoing money laundering cases uncertain while the launderers will be encouraged to siphon off more money abroad. “This is an unjust, reckless and suicidal move.”
“We think this is also an unconstitutional move which conflicts with the government’s so-called zero tolerance policy against corruption. We strongly condemn it, “he said.
The BNP leader demanded the government annul the scope for legalising the laundered money.
At the same time, he demanded that immediate action be taken against the money launderers by identifying them and confiscating their assets.
Criticising various aspects of the proposed budget, Fakhrul said the new budget is of the businessmen, by the businessmen and for the businessmen. “That means it's a business-friendly budget. Nothing relating to public welfare has been included in the budget.”
Also read: BNP denounces national budget as friendly to looters
He said though the growing inflation rate causing immense public suffering, no step has been taken in the budget to ease their misery. “The tax-free income limit has not been increased and the middle-class people have not been relieved. The import taxes of products that are mainly consumed by the middle-class people have been increased.”
The BNP secretary general also thinks the allocations for the social safety net, health, education and agriculture sectors were not sufficient.
Referring to the budget speech of the Finance Minister on the introduction of digital currency, he said, it is a matter of monetary policy of the Bangladesh Bank. “The Finance Minister can’t interfere in the regulatory jurisdiction of the central bank.”
The BNP leader also bemoaned that the Finance Minister did not say anything about the banking sector that has been grasped by a vicious circle.
He said the minister admitted the rise in the inflation rate but did not make any specific proposal in the budget to control it.
Speaking at the press conference, BNP standing committee member and former health minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the allocation for the health sector in the proposed budget is typical. “There’s no direction in the budget for addressing the weaknesses that have been identified in this sector during the Covid period.”
BNP standing committee members Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Selima Rahman and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, among others, were present at the press conference.