Awami League
Plant more trees for greener future: Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday called upon all, including the leaders and workers of Awami League and its associate bodies, to plant at least three saplings to make Bangladesh a much greener country.
The Prime Minister made the call while inaugurating the three-month long tree plantation campaign of Bangladesh Krishok League at her official residence Ganobhaban.
The government wants to ensure overall economic development of the country keeping its environment and surroundings protected, Hasina said.
Read: PM calls for massive tree plantation to save environment
Hoping to see a livelier and much better environment in the country, she mentioned that the government is implementing various programmes to this end.
The Prime Minister said the forestation in Bangladesh now has gone up to 22 percent from mere 7 percent due to massive afforestation across the country during her governments.
Besides, gardening programmes are also on in every house of people alongside social afforestation to further advance the initiative of the government, she added.
Hasina said such steps will help improve the country’s environment alongside expanding afforestation, and this is how Bangladesh will be able to set an example in the world.
Read:BGMEA donates Tk5 crore to PM's fund for Covid-hit poor families
Quader warns tough action against errant party members
Awami League General Scretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday said that the party will be tough on the members who would tarnish the organization’s image and disobey country’s law.
At a regular media briefing at his official residence Quader directed all concerned to refrain from making statements against the party's ideology, interests and discipline.
READ: Govt. is strengthening democratic institutions, says Quader
In this regard he referred to the disciplinary instructions given by Awami League President Sheikh Hasina to the leaders and workers of the party at a meeting of the parliamentary board on Saturday.
Quader reminded the members that no one can dissolve or form a committee or expel anyone from the party without the permission of the central executive committee.
READ: Quader slams BNP for anti-people conspiracy
He also instructed the leaders and workers at all levels to strictly abide by the party discipline.
He said that if there is any problem, the leaders in charge of the division will solve it with all concerned.
The AL leader paid tribute to the memory of Mohammad Nasim, a member of the party's presidium and former minister, on his first death anniversary.
READ: BNP desperate to regain power through dark ways: Quader
Quader also said that the Awami League and the country lost a patriotic, honest and ideal leader in Nasim’s death.
Shun infighting first to launch oust-govt movement: Fakhrul to BNP leaders
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday urged their party leaders and activists to put behind intra-party conflicts and grouping first before launching a movement to oust the current government.
"I would like to clearly say Awami League won’t be able to hang onto power as people will ensure their fall through a strong movement for their misdeeds and injustice,” he said.
Speaking at a virtual discussion, the BNP leader said, “Let’s quickly reorganise ourselves by resolving misunderstandings and divisions among us. We also must unite people to remove this monster regime that has been sitting on our chests like a heavy stone."
Gazipur district and city units BNP jointly arranged the programme marking the 40th death anniversary of party founder Ziaur Rahman.
Also read: Get ready for movement: Fakhrul to BNP followers
Fakhrul called upon BNP leaders and workers to get ready for restoring democracy and establishing a pro-people government by ensuring a credible national election under a non-party administration and the neutral Election Commission through a tough struggle.
He said they will also wage a movement for having their party chairperson Khaleda Zia completely freed from jail.
“We’ve to free our leader (Khaleda) first as a democratic movement. Without her, we won’t succeed. So, we’ve to move on for the restoration of democracy through the movement for Khaleda’s release,” the BNP leader said.
Stating that the country has been going through a critical juncture, he said BNP must play a pivotal role in overcoming it. “Amid the current political crisis, we must stand firmly and turn around to change the situation and get back our rights.”
Also read: Hope that will get you through: Fakhrul to BNP activists
Fakhrul suggested BNP leaders in Gazipur to remove grouping for reorganising the party and strengthening its organizational capacity.
“It’s unfortunate for us that though we do politics for the party of Ziaur Rahman and Begum Khaleda Zia, we look for our own men and create groupings when we try to overhaul the party. You’ve to find the followers of Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia, not your own men,” he advised the BNP leaders.
The BNP secretary general warned that their party will not get success in the movement in the future if its leaders and activists cannot take to the steers in unison removing all the groupings and intra-party conflicts among them.
BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar, chairperson’s adviser Amanullah Aman and BNP organizing secretary Fazlul Haq Milon, among others, spoke at the programme.
By-elections: 94 aspirants collect nomination papers from the Awami League
A total of 94 aspirants collected nomination papers from the ruling Awami League to try their luck in three upcoming by-elections : Dhaka-14, Sylhet-3 and Cumilla-5, the party said on Thursday.
The Awami League said 34 nominations have been sold for Dhaka-14, 25 for Sylhet-3 and 35 for Cumilla-5 until the sale closed at 5 pm Thursday.
The by-polls in these constituencies are scheduled for July 28.
The would-be candidates collected forms from Awami League’s President Sheikh Hasia's political office in Dhmonadhi maintaining Covid-19 health protocol, said the party.
The aspirants already have started campaigning through the posters, offline and online in their respective area alongside lobbying with the senior leaders.
The seats became vacant due to the death of members of parliament. Among them, Sylhet-3 MP Mahmud Us Samad died on March 11, Dhaka-14 MP Aslamul Haque on April 4 and Comilla-5 MP Abdul Matin Khasru on April 14.
Voting in these constituencies could not be held within 90 days of the vacancy. So, the polls would take place in the subsequent 90 days, the Election Commission said.
AL to observe six-point day on Monday
Bangladesh Awami League will observe the historic six-point day on Monday to mark the launching of the charter by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1966.
A press release from the ruling party said it will pay homage at the portrait of Bangabandhu at the historic Bangabandhu Bhaban premises at Dhanmondi at 9 am.
Read:Two senior AL lawmakers blast corruption and tax proposals on private universities
The party will hoist the national and party flags on the premises of the central office in Dhaka and its offices across the country.
Obaidul Quader, general secretary of Awami League, has urged all to unitedly build a developed, prosperous and welfare state under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
He also instructed all party and associate body leaders, activists, followers to observe the day maintaining the proper Covid-19 health protocols.
Read:PM calls for massive tree plantation to save environment
Bangabandhu launched his historic six-point movement, known as a charter of freedom for Bengalis, for greater autonomy for then-East Pakistan in 1966.
The movement was a turning point in Bangladesh's struggle for independence and freedom from Pakistani colonial domination.
Read:Awami League MP Aslamul Haq dies
Two senior AL lawmakers blast corruption and tax proposals on private universities
Prof. Md. Ali Ashraf, a frontline Awami League MP from Cumilla-7, on Sunday said that corruption and money laundering continue despite the government’s vow to stop the vices.
Also on Sunday, another senior ruling party MP Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir from Chandpur-1 castigated the budget proposals to impose taxes on the income of private universities and medical colleges.
Read: New budget proposals inadequate in tackling poverty, say rights groups
Both the legislators were speaking on the Supplementary Budget in the parliament.
Ali Ashraf said, “Our heads go down with shame and hate due to some big thieves.” This is not for what the nation had fought the Liberation War, he said.
“We took part in the country’s Liberation War not for love for our own lives… not with the hope of getting and enjoying something,” he said.
“We had fought in response to the call of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to free the people and to see smile on their faces,” he said.
Read: New budget underestimated impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, says SANEM
He said that although the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government unequivocally have vowed zero tolerance against corruption and those involved in money laundering, “I think adequate and proper steps should be taken in this regard.”
The AL MP also suggested that the government should overhaul the tax administration to increase its efficiency, transparency, honesty and sincerity. “Otherwise, we will not be able to reach our desired destination.”
Lawmaker Muhiuddin Khan criticized the government for imposing tax on the income of private universities and medical colleges in the budget for fiscal 2021-22.
He said, such measures are not education friendly.
Read:Budget fails to reflect people’s aspirations: BNP
He mentioned that spreading of education through private entrepreneurship will be hindered due to imposing of such tax.
Mohiuddin Khan also proposed that the government forms a bank commission and a tax commission for bringing reforms in these two sectors.
40 collect AL nomination papers for JS by-elections
A total of forty aspirants for the Awami League candidacy in the upcoming Dhaka-14, Sylhet-3 and Cumilla-5 by-elections collected the nomination papers in the first two days.
Awami League sources told UNB that eleven, nine and twenty aspirants collected the papers for Dhaka-14, Sylhet-3 and Cumilla-5 respectively.
The ruling party started the sale of nomination forms on Friday (June 4) and it will continue till June 10.
Also read: Fifth phase municipality polls: AL nomination board sits Saturday
Aspirants will be able to collect and submit their forms from 11am to 5pm from party president Sheikh Hasia's political office in Dhanmondi.
Budget only to widen debt burden: BNP
BNP on Thursday described the proposed national budget for 2021-22 FY as anti-poor one and said people’s debt burden will get heavier if it is implemented.
The party also thinks the ruling party leaders and their relatives, not the marginalised poor people, will benefit from the new budget.
“In the 50 years of independence, Awami League government has given the country a budget with a deficit of more than one-third. To fill this gap, the government will take loans from domestic and foreign sources. This is how the government is imposing an additional burden of debt on people,” said BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan.
In an instant written reaction to the budget, he said the budget has been formulated with a 35.56 percent deficit which will be filled through taking loans from foreign or domestic sources.
Also read: New budget unveiled with focus on protecting lives and livelihoods
Dr Moyeen said their party tried in the past to take the country out of foreign-debt dependence. “On the other hand, the Awami League is repeatedly making the country's economy dependent on foreign loans due to their chaotic mega projects and mega corruption.”
He said every child in the country is getting into debt before birth due to formulation of such budgets repeatedly by the Awami League government.
“This year’s proposed budget has manifested that the government is imposing the burden of debt on the common people,” the BNP leader observed.
Another BNP standing committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said the proposed budget is formulated without considering the interests and plights of marginal poor people in the country.
“The extreme poor, day-labourers and those who work in the informal sector, including rickshaw-pullers, those who push carts, those who sell food and beverage and tea sellers, have been badly affected by coronavirus. But there’s no incentive or cash transfer measures for them in the budget,” he said.
Also read: New budget: Tracking prices going up and down
Talking to reporters at his Banani residence, the BNP leader also said the budget has been formulated to appease the ruling party leaders and their relatives. “This budget will help make their bank balances bigger.”
He thinks the budgetary allocation for the health and education sectors are not enough at a time of a pandemic.
Khosru said it is now imperative to protect people’s lives and livelihoods instead of spending money on mega projects.
He said there should be an outline in the budget about how to protect the 5-6 crore people involved in the informal sector. “We must protect those who have lost jobs and are affected financially. Our party has earlier suggested allocating 7/8 percent of the GDP for giving them incentives. But we’ve seen that only 1/2 percent of GDP has been kept for them.”
Parliamentary bypolls: AL to sell nomination forms from Friday
The ruling Awami League will start the sale of nomination forms for bypolls to the parliamentary constituencies of Dhaka-14, Sylhet-3 and Cumilla-5 from Friday.
Read: President to attend parliament to witness budget presentation
Aspiring candidates will be able to collect the forms from Awami League President Sheikh Hasina's political office in Dhmonadhi between 11am and 5pm, the party said in a release.
The party has also asked the aspiring MP candidates to strictly adhere to all Covid-safety protocols during the collection and submission of the nomination forms, the sale of which will continue till June 10.
The party has also instructed all the aspiring MP candidates to carry their National Identity Card (NID).
Read: Parliament’s budget session set to begin Wednesday
The three parliamentary seats became vacant due to the deaths of the respective MPs. Sylhet-3 MP Mahmud Us Samad died on March 11, Dhaka-14 MP Aslamul Haque on April 4 and Comilla-5 MP Abdul Matin Khasru passed away on April 14.
As voting in these parliamentary constituencies could not take place in the first 90 days due to the Covid-induced lockdown in the country, the bypolls are slated for next month.
Read:Speaker announces 5-member JS panel of chairmen
According to the schedule announced by the Election Commission, the bypolls to the three constituencies will be held on July 14.
Quader: BNP suffers from crisis of public confidence
Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Wednesday said the opposition BNP suffers from a serious crisis of public confidence and the people have no interest in its existence in politics.
The Awami League general secretary made the remarks at a briefing at his official residence this morning.
He dismissed BNP leaders’ recent statements about the treatment of Begum Khaleda Zia as just repeat playing of a “broken record.”
Read: Quader criticises BNP for not standing by people during Corona, cyclone
He said the BNP’s allegations make no sense as Begum Zia is getting treatment by the doctors of her choice as the government has been liberal on this issue.
Quader said that Begum Zia's sentence has been suspended and given opportunity to seek treatment at home due to the magnanimity of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Responding to Mirza Fakhrul’s allegations the AL leader said all the recent elections have proved on which side the people take.
He further said that in future also the people will prove that they are with Sheikh Hasina’s politics of development and achievements.
Commenting on Sheikh Hasina's development and visionary politics, Quader said that the BNP is now isolated from mass people for its conspiracies and anti-development politics.
Read: BNP has lost interest in elections, says Obaidul Quader
He said people simply laugh at BNP when its leaders allege that the government has destroyed the country's economy.
He also said that Bangladesh has graduated to a developing economy under the able leadership of Sheikh Hasina and the BNP is too blind to see this.
Quader said he said there is no point for BNP to look ahead if it gets trapped in the circle of negative politics after failures in movement and elections.