Politics
BNP holds talks with Samyabadi Dal, DL to wage greater movement
BNP Thursday sat with a faction of Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal and Democratic League (DL) as part of its move to work out a strategy to wage a greater anti-government movement.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and party standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan had separate meetings with the parties, also the components of the 20-party alliance, in the evening at the party chairperson's Gulshan office.
An eight-member delegation of Samyabadi Dal, led by its general secretary Sayed Nazrul Islam, first sat with the BNP leaders.
Later, the BNP leaders had a meeting with a six-member delegation of DL, led by its general secretary Saifuddin Moni.
Read: BNP appreciates CEC, but won't join any talks with current EC
Later, Fakhrul told the media that their party's talks with political parties remained suspended for some days due to floods and Eid. "We resumed the dialogue again through the two meetings with Samyabadi Dal and Democratic League today."
He said they are trying to unite the political parties through the talks to launch a greater movement to restore democracy.
During the meetings, Fakhrul said the two parties agreed to wage a united street movement to force the current Awami League regime to quit power and establish a pro-people government through a credible election under a non-party administration.
"We've already sat with many parties, and we hope we'll be able to conclude the talks within a short time," the BNP leader said.
On May 24, BNP formally began the dialogue with other opposition parties with the first meeting with Nagorik Oikya – aimed at forging unity among opposition political parties.
The party also had talks with Labour Party, Ganosanghati Andolon, Bangladesher Biplobi Workers Party, Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar), National Democratic Party (JAGPA), Nap (Bhasan), Muslim League, Islami Oikya Jote and Jamiat Ulama-e Islam.
CEC: Army may be called out for next parliamentary polls
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Thursday said that the upcoming national elections may require the deployment of the army along with other forces.
He said this in a dialogue with the Bangladesh Jatiya Party at the conference room of EC building.
"We will try to install CC cameras in every polling station according to our capacity in the National Assembly elections. I would like your help so that I can control the muscle power," he said
He added that the EC can’t do it alone. The participation of district administration, police, BGB, district magistrate and even the army may be necessary.
Also read: CEC says sorry for his rifle for sword remarks
Saying 'The Electoral Act has given the commission quite a bit of power,' Habibul also pointed out that they can use that power to reduce potential violence or use of muscle power.
Regarding the use of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the CEC said, "I am aware of the skepticism and lack of confidence (about it). We have not blindly taken any decision on EVM. But we are not ruling out that there are some good or bad sides to it. EC is trying to test how objective that potential is."
Also read: EC in the soup as major parties differ: CEC
Calling upon all the parties to participate in the election, he said balloting will be held on time as it is the responsibility according to the constitution.
"If there is no party, we cannot force it. But again and again we expect your participation," he said.
The CEC also said that your (parties') proposals are reasonable. That's why you have to be strong and active. “We will be stronger.”
He said the national election is not a joke as the government will be formed through the election of the national parliament and the highest administrative organization of the state will be the cabinet.
"So we think that the election is not a matter of negligence, the election should be representative of the people and the government should be formed with the support of the people. This requires a free, impartial election, where voters can cast their ballots unhindered," he said.
The 12-member Bangladesh Jatiya Party team was led by its chairman Professor MA Mukit.
Four election commissioners, EC secretary and senior officials of the organization were also present.
Bangladesh inflation lower than many countries in the world: Info Minister
Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday said that inflation in Bangladesh is lower than many developed and South Asian countries.
Hasan said this at a news compilation publishing event held at the Secretariat.
“Many developed countries are experiencing record-breaking inflation rates. Inflation rate in the US is at 8.6 per cent, while in the UK, Germany, Russia, Turkiye and the Netherlands the inflation rates are 9.1 per cent, 7.9 per cent, 17.1 percent, 73.5 per cent and 9.6 per cent, respectively,” said Hasan.
The minister, also the Joint General Secretary of the ruling AL, added that among the South Asian countries, inflation rates in Sri lanka and Pakistan are at 39.1 per cent and 13.8 per cent, respectively.
Read: BNP lost the right to do politics, says Information Minister
“In India, the inflation rate is hovering above seven percentage points. Inflation rate in Bangladesh was around six per cent a few days ago. Recently, it has gone up to seven percentage points. Commodity prices have started to fall around the world and I think that we’ll be able to reap the benefits of this downward trend of prices within two to three months,” added Hasan.
Replying to a question, the minister reaffirmed that the next general election will be held in ways elections are held across the world, which is under the incumbent government and the current Election Commission (EC).
BNP appreciates CEC, but won't join any talks with current EC
BNP senior Leader Mirza Abbas on Wednesday appreciated Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal for inviting their party to talks, but he said they will not participate in any dialogue with the Election Commission (EC) unless there is a change in the government.
“BNP was invited to join a dialogue with the Election Commission today (Wednesday). We didn’t take part in it as we neither understand and know Election Commission nor accept it,” he said.
Speaking at a rally, the BNP leader said they want the EC to be reconstituted under a new government after the dissolution of the current parliament and the departure of the current government. “We’ll participate in that election and we will join the dialogue of that commission."
In response to the CEC’s comment that BNP would be repeatedly invited to the EC, Abbas said, "We thank you (CEC). You would invite BNP again and again because you would not be able to hold the election without BNP.”
He also warned that no one in Bangladesh has the ability to hold the election without BNP’s participation. “We won’t spare this failed, fraud and rogue government under any circumstances."
Dhaka South City unit BNP arranged the rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club protesting indecent comments by a ruling party leader against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
Read: BNP fears grave economic crisis ahead
Abbas, a BNP standing committee member, urged the government to quit power and hand over power to a neutral administration. "I say enough is enough. You (govt) please free the people now (from your misrule).”
He said there is no problem for their part to accept if Awami League can come to power through an election under a non-party administration. "But the people of Bangladesh will never accept that you will be there in power without an election."
Slamming Awami League general secretary Obaidur Quader’s comments that nothing matters if BNP does not participate in the election, Abbas said, “Even the CEC, the country’s people and Awami league understand that the election won’t be acceptable without BNP, but this government does not understand it. Because the government thinks that they can come back to power without an election.”
About the countrywide load-shedding, he said electricity generation at many power plants remains stopped causing the power outages, but the owners of those plants will continue to get money from the government.
"Instructions have been given to keep ACs off in mosques and places of worship. But ACs will not be switched off in big government offices. Why will the AC be on there?’ he said.
Abbas criticised the government for increasing the cost of the under-construction elevated metro rail project by 52.24 per cent like the Padma Bridge project.
“The revised cost now stands at Tk 33,471.99 crore from Tk 21,985.07 crore. We understand due to the strong current of the river, the ground beneath the pillars of the Padma Bridge has shifted. Is the soil of Dhaka city now moving, forcing you to enhance the cost?
Defeated party in next JS polls may get eliminated from politics: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Tuesday feared that the losers in the next national elections may get wiped out because of the prevailing political reality in the country.
“The political leaders of the country are responsible for such a political reality,” he said.
Speaking at a views-exchange meeting of Dhaka south city unit Jatiya Party and its chairman’s Banani office, GM Quader said the governments change and new governments are formed peacefully in different countries of the world.
“If someone in the government resigns, it is fulfilled through peaceful voting. But the reality is different in our country,” he observed.
The Jatiya Party chief said the election is like a war in Bangladesh, where those who lose have to be annihilated. “The liberation war was not waged for such a Bangladesh. Heroic martyrs did not sacrifice their lives for this Bangladesh.”
He alleged that the ownership of the country has been snatched from the people. “The real ownership of the country belongs to people and their elected representatives will run the country based on public opinion.”
Read: CEC says sorry for his rifle for sword remarks
GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, bemoaned that the common people have once again become like the subjects of the colonial period losing their ownership of the country.
Stating that the reality of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka is very similar, he said Sri Lanka had not gone bankrupt even after ten years of civil war. “But Sri Lanka has now become bankrupt through undertaking economically unviable and unplanned mega projects and repaying foreign debt with interest by its imprudent and unaccountable government.”
GM Quader said there are some similarities between the current situation in Bangladesh and that of Sri Lanka.
He said there are allegations that mega projects cost too much in Bangladesh due to alleged plundering. “As a result, it may become impossible to repay the loan with the income of those projects.”
Referring to experts’ views, the Jatiya Party chief said the economic situation of the country may turn dire when it will have to pay the foreign debts with interests.
CEC now says it was a joke
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has said that his comment about combating words with rifles during elections was a joke.
The CEC gave this explanation in a dialogue with the Bangladesh Revolutionary Workers Party at the election building on Monday .
“You must have a concerted effort. If someone stands with a sword, you should stand with a rifle or another sword. If you run, what do I do? We will help. We’ll have command over the police and the government,” the CEC had said at the meeting with a team of Nationalist Democratic Movement (NDM) yesterday.
Also read: EC in the soup with the election as major parties differ, says CEC Habibul Awal
"A Chief Election Commissioner does not have enough commonsense to comment like this? If that is true then I am arrested under Arms Act, which I did under Arms Act. The police will come and take me away. There is one thing - whether it is said from the heart or a joke, these must be understood," he said.
CEC said that the main news in the paper about this, is to bring down a man. After that, there is no more morale to work.
A delegation of 10 members led by the General Secretary of Bangladesh Revolutionary Workers Party participated in the EC dialogue. Among others, four Election Commissioners and senior EC officials were present.
Also read: CEC’s statement on election-time violence suicidal: TIB
Faced with load-shedding people won’t take development tablets: Abbas
Stating that load-shedding can lead to the government’s fall, BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas on Monday said people of the country can no longer be fooled by development tablets.
"The government has long been feeding the people of Bangladesh with development tablets. It can’t talk about development by carrying out load-shedding. So, the development tablets now won’t work anymore,” he said.
Abbas was speaking at the council of Ramna and Shabagh thana units of Dhaka South City BNP at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh.
Abbas, a BNP standing committee member, said people of Sri Lanka are now vomiting after overeating the development tablets. “They now don’t take the development tablets. After ruining the country in the name of development, their president fled to Singapore."
Also read: Saving electricity: Bangladesh to begin daily one-hour staggered load-shedding from Tuesday
He said Awami League leaders have also worked out their escape routes in advance.
He said the government used to brag that there is no shortage of power as they could reach the electricity to people’s houses through the quick rental power plants.
“The government is now making contradictory comments as they’re going to introduce load-shedding from tomorrow (Tuesday). If this is the fact, then why did you set up quick rental by spending so much money?" the BNP leader asked.
He also said the owners of quick rental power plants will now get money sitting idle, no matter whether they generate electricity or not.
"If people have to endure load-shedding even after so much plundering of public money in the name of quick rental in the power sector, I think it can be the reason for the government's fall as the common people are becoming intolerant,” Abbas observed.
He also alleged that the country is now facing a serious crisis of dollars as the ruling party leaders indulged in widespread siphoning off money abroad.
Also read: BNP getting ready to oust govt, not to join polls under Hasina: Abbas
“It’s now being directed that if you have to import anything from abroad, then you have to take permission from the Bangladesh Bank. It is my liberty to business. I’ll open the LC and import goods by sending dollars. But why has our country no dollars? It’s happened due to siphoning off dollars abroad through the airport,” the BNP leader alleged.
Referring to newspaper reports, he said three-four billion dollars from Bangladesh are being deposited regularly in Swiss banks.” If my country's dollar goes to Swiss banks, how will the people of this country live?"
Abbas slammed Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal for his comments that contestants in elections should stand with a rifle or a sword if someone comes with a sword. “Only a stupid person can make such a remark,” he said.
“Can he (CEC) play the role of a referee? You can't do that either. Our position is clear that BNP won’t go to any election under such a worthless Election Commission" he said.
The BNP leader said a credible election is impossible under the Awami League government even if an election commission is hired from abroad as all the institutions, including police and administration, have been politicised.
He said the parliament must be dissolved, the Prime Minister has to quit and an independent Election Commission must be constituted to hold a fair and acceptable election in the country.
Abbas warned that they will take to the streets and besiege Bangabhaban or the Secretariat in the days to come to force the government to quit.
About the media report that a cargo plane carrying arms for Bangladesh from Serbia crashed in northern Greece, the BNP leader asked the government for whom they procured weapons.
EC in the soup as major parties differ: CEC
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Monday said the commission is facing a dilemma because of contrasting stances of the major political parties over the next parliamentary polls.
"I am in difficulty in regard to the election. One big party is saying that it will not participate. Another party is saying that there will be elections. There is a dilemma in the political environment," he said.
He made this comment at a dialogue with the Bangladesh Islamic Front at Nirbachan Karjalay.
He once again vowed to hold free and peaceful elections by any means. If necessary, he said, he will leave the responsibility and make the way easier.
"We want to have an acceptable election and the formation of a beautiful parliament and government. What BNP is demanding, they have to gain it through dialogue and movement. Because the constitution is involved in it," he added
The CEC said there should be a representative government. There is no other choice. If the election is not a genuine election, “we will never go for staging a drama in the name of vote.”
Read: No more caretaker government in Bangladesh: Law Minister
"We have no affection or dislike (for any party). We have only one job: People should be allowed to exercise their right to vote. We will definitely try to take legal action if voters are prevented from voting in villages, towns and cities," he warned.
Habibul said that the Election Commission has a lot of powers. In the past it may not have been able to fully exercise that power for some reasons. “But we will try to implement it.”
The process of bringing various ministries under the EC during elections is complex. There are constitutional issues involved. All political parties can have a dialogue on this among themselves, he explained.
He said that if BNP can achieve what it wants after reaching agreement with Awami League, then the EC cannot have any objection.
"We want acceptable elections. We want to create favorable environment and level playing field,” he added.
An 11-member delegation led by Chairman of Bangladesh Islami Front Allama Mohammad Abdul Mannan participated in the dialogue with the EC.
The Election Commissioners and senior officers also participated in it.
Islami Front’s general secretary MA Matin presented nine written proposals to the EC.
This includes bringing the local government, public administration, home, defense and finance ministries under the Election Commission in a constitutional manner during elections.
Party General Secretary MA Matin said that caretaker government system can never be a permanent system. An independent EC can offer the nation free and fair elections. However, questions have been raised about the powers of the EC.
AL wants competitive elections: Obaidul Quader
General Secretary of Awami League Obaidul Quader said Awami League wants competitive elections with the participation of all political parties.
"Awami League does not want uncontested elections, it wants competitive elections with the participation of all political parties," he said.
Minister of Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader said this to the journalists after an exchange meeting with the concerned officers and employees at the head office of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation - BRTC this morning.
He said Awami League never wants to score goals in an empty field.
The Election Commission is sitting in dialogue with the registered political parties from today, the dialogue of the Election Commission will continue till July 31 while the delegation of 10 members of Awami League will participate in the dialogue with the commission, said the general secretary of Awami League.
He also said that it is the duty of patriotism of all political parties to participate in this dialogue called by the Election Commission. Those who want to change the government through elections should participate in the elections.
Expecting that every registered political party will participate in the dialogue of the Election Commission, Obaidul Quader said that we want to see this election as a competitive one. That's why a free, impartial and credible election will be held with the participation of all registered parties.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already made a lot of improvements in the electoral system to further improve the electoral system.
Read: EC begins talks with political parties
Obaidul Quader hoped that the current system will also be conducive to a fair, free and impartial election.
Saying 'The election will be held under the current government' - Obaidul Quader said If the election commission is neutral, then the election will be free and neutral, there will be no involvement of the government here. The government will only support the commission.
He said that no agency or office of the government related to the election will run under the direction of the government during the election. It will run under the Election Commission.
Awami League General Secretary hoped that the registered political parties would participate and play their responsible role in the political dialogue called by the Election Commission.
Earlier, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader attended an exchange meeting with BRTC officials.
Meanwhile, Road Transport and Highways Department Secretary ABM Amin Ullah Noori and BRTC Chairman Md Tajul Islam and other officials were present.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said that BRTC has returned to the profit trend - this trend should be continued.
EC begins talks with political parties
The Election Commission (EC) Sunday has started its dialogue with the registered political parties ahead of the next parliamentary elections.
The Nationalist Democratic Movement, Bangladesh Nationalist Front, Bangladesh Congress and Bangladesh Muslim League joined the talks Sunday as part of a dialogue series.
The EC commissioners and secretary also joined the meeting.
The commission will continue the dialogues till July 31, the EC officials said.
The Bangladesh Islamic Front, Bangladesh Sangskritik Muktijot, Khilafat Majlish and Bangladesh Biplobi Workers Party are scheduled to join the dialogue Monday.
The commission invited the Bangladesh Kalyan Party, Islamic Oikya Jote, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish and Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal to talks Tuesday.
The EC is scheduled to sit with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Ganatantri Party and Bangladesh National Awami Party Wednesday.
However, the BNP already said it would not join the talks.
The EC will have talks with the Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, Bangladesh Jatiya Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and Gano Front the next day.
The Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan, Jatiya Party (JP), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and Islamic Front Bangladesh are scheduled to join the EC dialogue on July 24 and the Bangladesh Muslim League, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal and Liberal Democratic Party on July 25.
Also, the commission invited the Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam Bangladesh, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, Islami Andolan Bangladesh and National People's Party to its dialogue on July 26.
The Bangladesh Jatiya Party, Zaker Party and Krishak Sramik Janata League were invited to talks on July 27.
The commission is also scheduled to hold dialogues with the Gano Forum, Bangladesh National Awami Party and Communist Party of Bangladesh on July 28.
The Awami League and Jatiya Party are scheduled to hold talks with the EC on July 31.
Earlier, the commission had invited 39 political parties registered with it to talks on the use of electronic voting machines; 28 political parties responded to the commission's invitations while 11 parties, including the BNP, rejected it.