Awami League
Saddam, Inan to lead BCL central committee
Saddam Hossain and Sheikh Wali Yeasir Inan were named president and general secretary respectively in the newly formed committee of the ruling Awami League’s student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).
The party’s General Secretary Obaidul Quader announced the names of the president and general secretary on Tuesday night, over 45 days after the 30th national council of the BCL at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital.
The newly formed BCL committee’s President Saddam and General Secretary Inan are both students of the Law department of DU and their session was 2011-12.
Earlier, Saddam performed duty as general secretary of the DU unit BCL.
Besides, Mazharul Kabir Shayan and Tanvir Hasan Saikat were also made president and general secretary of the Dhaka University unit BCL.
They are students of Anthropology and Theater and Performance Studies disciplines respectively and their honours sessions were 2011-12 and 2013-14.
Read more: BCL council on Dec 8-9
Riaz Mahmud and Sagor Ahmed were named as president and general secretary of Dhaka north unit BCL while Rajibul Islam and Sajal Kunda of Dhaka south unit.
Earlier in the BCL central committee, Al Nahian Khan Joy and Lekhak Bhattacharjee performed their duties as president and general secretary.
BNP cannot be suppressed by arrests, attacks: Khandaker Mosharraf
BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Tuesday said that their party activity can never be suppressed by carrying out arrests, attacks and suing the top leaders.
Around 25,000 leaders and activists have been arrested in the last 15 days, he said. “Even after so many attempts, you (the government) could not suppress the BNP."
Read more: ‘Structural reform of state’: BNP announces 27-point outline
Mosharraf was speaking at a human chain programme in front of the party's Nayapaltan central office demanding the release of party leaders and activists.
“This BNP has become stronger, the support of the BNP has increased - you have seen in the 10 divisional rallies.”
Regarding Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader’s comment on BNP's 27-point state reform proposal, Khandaker Mosharraf said Awami League has destroyed the country’s judicial system, democracy and social infrastructure.
Read more: BNP’s reform proposal is ridiculous: Quader
“Now their (AL) General Secretary is saying that the state system collapsed during the BNP's regime. People will not believe such an allegation," he said.
“People know that the Awami League has destroyed the country's democracy, destroyed the economy, looted and smuggled money. Their character is clear to the public today,” he added.
General amnesty announced for AL rebel candidates
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Qauder on Saturday announced a general amnesty for rebel candidates of local government elections and those who were involved in anti-disciplinary activities of the party.
He said this to journalists after a meeting of the ruling party’s national committee at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government residence Ganababhan in the capital.
Read more: Chhatra League lifts suspension of Eden College committee
He said the general amnesty was for those breaching party discipline, contesting in local elections as rebel candidates and internal feud after over 100 applications were placed for the amnesty.
Quader, also road, transport and bridges minister, said the budget for holding the party’s council was fixed at Tk 3.13 core by reducing Tk 30 lakh in line with the austerity drive of the government.
Read more: BNP MPs' decision to resign a 'mistake': Obaidul Quader
PM mourns Pirojpur AL leader's death
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed shock and deep grief at the death of Pirojpur Awami League (AL) General Secretary and heroic Freedom Fighter Advocate MA Hakim Hawladar.
Hakim Hawladar, 76, died Saturday night while undergoing treatment at a Khulna hospital.
Read more: PM mourns Ekushey Padak winning journalist Ranesh Maitra
Sheikh Hasina also prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and extended her heartfelt sympathy to the AL leader and his family.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim, a lawmaker from Pirojpur-1, also mourned the death of Hakim Hawladar.
Get ready to face defeat: Obaidul to BNP
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Saturday asked the BNP to get ready to face defeat in the race of movement and election.
He came up with the remark while addressing a rally before bringing out a procession over the Victory Day organised by north and south units of the ruling party on Engineers’ Institution premises near the Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital as chief guest.
Accusing the BNP of instigating the US on the security issue, he said, “We are assuring the US envoy that there is no security threat in Bangladesh, and all are secured in the country”.
Read more: Vested quarters out to destroy democracy: PM
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Hasan Mahmud said those who are working for Pakistan as collaborators will be buried and any anti-state attempts will not be allowed to succeed.
The party’s Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said the anti-liberation forces BNP-Jamaat will be removed from politics to keep development and advancement of the country on track.
He said there will be no rights to do politics by the anti-liberation forces--BNP-Jamaat--in the country.
AL Presidium Members Dr Abdur Razzak, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhry Maya, Advocate Kamrul Islam, Joint General Secretaries Dr Dipu Moni, AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Organising Secretary BM Mozammel Hoque, among others, were present at the rally.
Read more: AL's V-Day vow: To build fully-developed, Smart Bangladesh by 2041
Earlier, leaders and activists with banners, festoons, and party flags from several parts of the capital started gathering at the programme venue at 1pm.
Starting the rally from the Engineers’ Institution ended at Bangabandhu Bhaban in Dhandmondi after parading several roads of the city.
Anti-liberation forces are still active: Quader
Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Friday said the anti-liberation forces are still plotting to destablise the country even after 51 years of victory.
“Communal forces, militants are conspiring to thwart the joy of victory,” he told reporters after paying tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War at the National Memorial in Savar.
Read more: Don’t allow arsonists, anti-liberation forces to assume power: PM
Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, also urged the pro-liberation forces to come forward to resist them.
AL presidium member Abdur Rahman, publicity secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap were also present.
Earlier, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also paid tributes to the heroes of 1971 at the National Memorial.
Read more: Anti-liberation forces want to see ‘famine’ in Bangladesh: Minister
We uphold human rights in Bangladesh: PM Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said that her Awami League party safeguards human rights instead of violating in Bangladesh.
“Awami League doesn’t violate human rights here in this country, rather gives protection to it. Awami League ensures the rights of the people,” she said.
The premier was addressing a discussion arranged by Bangladesh Awami League (AL) in the city’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, marking the Martyred Intellectuals Day-2022. She presided over the meeting.
Slamming opposition BNP men for talking about the killings and forced disappearance issues, she said it is Ziaur Rahman (founder of BNP) who had started the culture of forced disappearance in the country.
Hasina, also the AL president, said Ziaur Rahman was responsible for killing many officers and soldiers of Bangladesh Army and Air Force. At the same time, he was also behind the killing of many AL leaders and made them disappeared, she added.
She said the families and relatives could never see the bodies of the victims. “How come the BNP talks about forced disappearance and killing?”
Read more: PM: During BNP’s regime, human rights were violated at every step
Hasina, the eldest daughter of slain Bangladesh leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, said they, who lost their dear ones on August 15, 1975, had no right to seek justice. She was not allowed to file a case after returning home in 1981. “Where were my human rights? Why couldn’t I see the bodies of my parents?” she added.
Pointing at the USA and some other countries, she said they are protecting the human rights of killers and human rights violators. “They are busy in protecting the human rights of the killers,” she said.
The PM also blasted BNP for taking no programme to observe the Martyred Intellectuals Day and not showing respect towards the martyrs. “Today we’re observing the Martyred Intellectuals Day. But what is the BNP’s programme on this day? Do they have any?”
Pointing at BNP, she said they have intimacy with the killers of the intellectuals and the Father of the Nation, the murders and corrupt persons.
The premier said BNP and Jamaat know how to loot and kill the people, and engage in corruption. So, they don’t show any respect toward the intellectuals, she added.
“What respect can they show? We can’t expect that they would show respect (to intellectuals),” she said.
The AL president said her party had pledged to hold the trial of the killers of the martyred intellectuals and today her government tried them accordingly.
Read more: I can understand PM Hasina’s pains: Bachelet
AL general secretary Obaidul Quader delivered the introduction speech, while AL leaders Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, Abdur Rahman, Mahbubul Alam Hanif and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, among others, spoke at the discussion.
At the outset of the event, a minute of silence was observed as a mark of respect to the memories of the martyred intellectuals as well as Bangabandhu, four national leaders and the martyred freedom fighters.
The nation observed the Martyred Intellectuals Day on Wednesday, paying tributes to the intellectuals who had been killed systematically by the Pakistan occupation forces and their local collaborators at the fag-end of the country’s Liberation War in 1971.
Sensing an imminent defeat, the Pakistani occupation army and their local collaborators carried out the cold-blooded mass murders under a carefully thought-out plan to intellectually cripple emerging Bangladesh.
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.
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.