Dhaka, Jan 23 (UNB) - The fourth death anniversary of Arafat Rahman Koko, the younger son of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and current chairperson Khaleda Zia, will be observed on Thursday.

BNP and its associate bodies have chalked out various programmes to mark the day.

As part of the programmes, BNP will arrange a milad mahfil at its Nayapaltan central office at 11am, said BNP chairperson’s media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan.

Besides, he said, BNP leaders and activists, led by its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, will offer fateha at Koko's grave at Banani Graveyard in the capital around 9:30am.

Sayrul said BNP’s different associate and professional bodies will observe the day with holding various programmes, including discussion and milad mahfil, across the country.

On January 24, 2015, Koko died of cardiac arrest at the age of 45 at his rented house in Malaysia. His body was brought back home on January 27 and buried at Banani Graveyard.

Koko’s mother and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia used to visit his grave every year and pass some time beside it. But she has been now in jail since February 7 last year.   

Dhaka, Jan 23 (UNB)- Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested two suspected members of a syndicate involved in selling stolen handsets from the city’s Gulistan on Tuesday night.

This gang changes International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers before selling the stolen phones. Rab recovered 37 handsets, 13 IMEI changing devices, three tools boxes and other electronic devices from their possession.

“A Rab-3 team raided Gulistan underground mobile market acting on a tip-off and arrested Md Shakil Ahmed, 25, owner of ‘Asha Telecom’,  and Prabir Roy, 30, owner of ‘ Prabir Telecom’,” said Additional Superintendent of Police Bina Rani Das.

During primary interrogation, they reportedly confessed about buying stolen handsets and selling them after changing covers, screens and IMEI numbers.

Bogura, Jan 23 (UNB) – Accusing Awami League of destroying the country’s election system, BNP on Wednesday urged opposition parties to forge a greater unity to force the government to hold a fresh election under a non-party administration.

“Awami League has become the mass enemy of people by staging a mockery in the name of an election. They’ve got isolated from people after the national election as they destroyed the country’s election system,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

The BNP leader further said, “We’ve turned down the results of the December-30 election. All the parties will have to get united to have the election annulled. Now we’ll have to forge a greater unity, and carry out a struggle to force the government to hold the election under a neutral government.”

He came up with the remarks while exchanging views with local BNP leaders and activists at a hotel in the district town on his way back to capital Dhaka from his home district Thakurgaon.

Fakhrul alleged that the country is now in a deep crisis as the ruling party returned to power resorting to ‘vote frauds’.

Stating that their party is now passing through a critical time, he urged BNP leaders and activists to remain united and strengthen the party. “Now our main responsibility is to make the party stronger further and forge a greater unity.”

The BNP secretary general also called upon his party colleagues to wage a mass movement from Bogura to have party chairperson Khaleda Zia freed from jail.

Asked whether their party is going to join the upcoming upazila elections, Fakhrul said they still did not finalise their decision on it.

Bogura district unit BNP president VP Saiful Islam, general secretary Joynal Abedin Chand, party leaders AKM Mahbubur Rahman, Rejaul Karim Badsha, Helaluzzaman Talukder Lalu and Golam Mohammad Siraj, among others, spoke at the programme.

Dhaka, Jan 23 (UNB) – The nomination board of Awami League is going to hold a meeting on Saturday to finalise the party’s candidates for the by-elections to the vacant mayoral post of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Kishoreganj-1 constituency billed for February 28.

“Our party’s nomination broad meeting on January 26 (Saturday) will pick the candidates for by-elections to Dhaka North City Corporation mayoral post and Kishoreganj-1 seat,” he said.

Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, came up with the remark while talking to reporters after a views-exchange meeting with the officials and employees of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) at its headquarters.

He said the nomination board will determine the candidates considering their competence and popularity.

Replying to a question, he said their party may pick anyone from party’s late MP Syed Ashraful Islam’s family based on competency for the Kishoreganj-1 constituency by-polls.

The Kishoreganj-1 seat fell vacant as ex-AL general secretary and its elected MP Syed Ashraful Islam died on January 3, four days after the December-30 general election.

The DNCC mayoral post fell vacant as its mayor Annisul Huq passed away on November 30, 2017.

In January 2018, the Election Commission had announced a schedule for the by-election to the DNCC mayoral post as well as 36 general councillor posts and 12 reserved councillor posts for the 36 new wards being added to the capital’s two municipalities -- equally divided between the north and south.

Later, the High Court stayed the by-election following a writ petition.

The EC announced the fresh schedule for the by-election on Tuesday after the High Court order clearing the way to hold it.

Chattogram, Jan 23 (UNB) – Police recovered the decomposed body of a local Jubo Dal leader from a house in Kazir Deuri area in the city on Tuesday night.

The deceased was identified as Rashedul Hasan Milton, 39, hailing from Mirsarai upazila and a senior member of Chattogram City unit Jubo Dal executive committee. He used to live in a rented house in the area.

As bad adour was coming out from his room, locals informed police.

On information, police recovered the body breaking open the door of his room, said Md Mohsin, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police station.

Police suspected that he died of heart attack or other illness. Milton worked in Hossain and Sons decoration and he remained absent at his workplace from January 17.