Politics
BNP is a party of ‘political monsters’: Hasan Mahmud
Foreign Minister and Joint General Secretary of Awami League, Hasan Mahmud, on Saturday said BNP is a party of “political monsters”.
“In horror movies, monsters burn people. The way BNP carried out attacks on people, burning people alive, this applies to BNP as well… BNP is a party of political monsters,” he said.
He made the remarks when a journalist sought his opinion on BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s earlier comment.
Mirza Fakhrul earlier said that a monster with destructive rage is destroying everything in Bangladesh.
Minister Hasan said that BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman is enough to destroy the party. “As long as Tarique Zia (Rahman) remains their leader, BNP has no chance.”
He said that BNP called for a boycott of Indian products as part of their plan to destabilise the market.
“But no one in the country responded to their call, not even the leaders and workers of BNP. We have been able to control the market. The prices of many products have also decreased,” Hasan said.
He said the government is determined to crack down on the unscrupulous syndicates, and the media also has an important role to play in this regard.
Responding to a question regarding the hijacked Bangladeshi ship, MV Abdullah, the Foreign Minister said that efforts are being made and talks are ongoing with the Somali pirates.
“Sailors are fine. There is no problem with their meals. They are in the cabins. As negotiations have progressed, we hope it will be possible to get them back soon,” he said.
“In addition to the discussion, there is also pressure on the pirates. It is not possible to share any specific date but much progress has been made,” Hasan said.
'Awami monster' destroying Bangladesh: Mirza Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday said a monster with her destructive rage is destroying everything in Bangladesh.
He said it while delivering his speech as a chief guest at Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) iftar mahfil held at Jatiya Press Club.
“The entire nation is in a dire situation where no one can escape the fury of this fascist regime. One after another, institutions were destroyed. We lost all our institutions from that time when we lost the democratic system," he said.
The media, where people from all walks of life tried till the last to keep faith, ended up destroyed by the fascist government, he added.
“They shut down newspapers, televisions, tortured and forced to disappearance those who wrote truth against the government”.
By using digital security act (DSA) and other laws, the government imprisoned journalist and killed them, he said.
BNP secretary general said it is difficult to believe that Bangladesh is a sovereign, independent country. An aggressive and fascist regime has alighted on state’s neck.
"We, the leftists and rightist politicals, started the joint movement against this fascist regime. The police ran s a brutal crackdown to destroy our October 28 grand rally, Fakhrul said.
“Many people are thinking the BNP’s movement has been destroyed after October 28 crackdowns, but I want to say the movement has assumed more energy to continue its struggle against autocracy.”
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir again spoke against Israeli atrocities against Palestinian mass people further saying that the Gaza people could not perform their pasting as Israel is bombing and using food as a tool. As a result, the Palestinian is struggling with hunger and world community fears about famine in there.
It is a matter of sorrow that the Muslim world, those who claimed worked for Muslims’ could not stand beside the Palestinians with enough support.
BNP uttering nonsense for fear of its political existence: Law Minister
Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq on Friday said that BNP is talking nonsense due to its fear of political existence.He said this in response to questions from journalists about the BNP's stance on India at Kasba Upazila Parishad in Brahmanbaria.
AI needs to be regulated for future generations of 'Smart' Bangladeshis: Law MinisterHe stated that when any political party fears about its existence, they tend to say things that make no sense. Whatever the BNP is saying is not to be taken seriously. Later, he joined as the chief guest at a laptop distribution event among 80 female entrepreneurs at the Upazila Auditorium.
Hoarders of essential commodities to face action under Special Powers Act: Law ministerThe District Administration and the Brahmanbaria Information and Communication Technology Department organised the event, chaired by the Deputy Commissioner, Mohammad Habibur Rahman. Special guests included Police Superintendent Mohammad Shakawat Hossain, Kasba Upazila Chairman Rashedul Kaisar Bhuiyan Jibon, and Upazila Executive Officer Shahriar Mukhtar.
Bill to appoint new HC judges to be introduced: Law Minister
EC introduces online nomination submission system in 6th upazila election
The Election Commission (EC) has introduced an online nomination submission system which has been made compulsory for the sixth upazila parishad election.
Candidates who want to participate in the election can submit complete nomination papers online and complete the activities related to collecting necessary documents from anywhere, according to a press release of the EC on Friday.
Any polling centre where fake votes cast to be closed, presiding officer to be fired: Election Commissioner
Candidates will also be able to provide security deposit in the preferred conventional effective way online for the submission of nomination papers.
Filing nomination papers in a technology-based manner will save the candidate's time. Online nomination submission system can be accessed directly by visiting the link www.ecs.gov.bd notice board ('Online Submission of Nomination Papers' or onss.ecs.gov.bd), it said.
Election Commission begins scrutiny of nomination papers
To submit a nomination online, candidates need to complete the registration. In this case, NID verification and face identification are checked. After successful completion of registration, the user ID and password will be sent to the mobile number with which the registration has been done, which has to be stored carefully.
After nomination papers are submitted, the returning officer will perform all the necessary tasks by acknowledging the receipt of the nomination papers submitted online, confirmation, verification / scrutiny, appeal, withdrawal of candidacy, symbol allocation. By logging in using the provided user ID and password, the candidate can know the update of their submitted nomination papers at any time; As well as receive messages on mobile.
Election Commission issues show cause notice to Shakib Al Hasan
Upazila Election Offices can be contacted for any need related to submission of nomination papers online. EC asked the candidates concerned to ensure the submission of nomination papers online with enough time in hand without waiting for the last time.
For the convenience of the candidates, a video tutorial can be found on the website as well as the designated Facebook page of the Election Commission, Bangladesh Election Commission Secretariat and the following link “https://youtu.be/hcImF47SkO8?si=eloeoZ1rI_liBs_G।“.
Arsonists, ‘political rogues’ shouldn’t be allowed to do politics: Hasan Mahmud
Referring to the opposition BNP and Jamaat, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said those who are engaged in arson attacks and “burn people to death in the name of politics” should not have the right to be active in politics.
“They are not politicians. They are political rogues. There is a need to build resistance against them,” he said.
The Awami League Joint General Secretary was speaking at a discussion at Jatiya Press Club as the chief guest.
Hasan also criticised those who are financially supporting such politicians who are “killing people through arson attacks”.
He said there were arson attacks at various times under the leadership of BNP-Jamaat.
“They are still looking for opportunities. We need to resist them in a united way,” Hasan said.
The Foreign Minister said Bangladesh demonstrated its growing capacity through its modern burn units that impressed Bhutan.
He said a Bhutanese citizen with burn injuries was successfully treated in Bangladesh after a failed attempt in Kolkata.
Bangladesh will help build a Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit in Thimphu and a memorandum of understanding has already been signed, Hasan said.
AL govt’s only success has been in money laundering: Moyeen Khan
BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan on Thursday said that the Awami League government has only two success stories: the oppression of the opposition parties and laundering the poor people’s money abroad.
“It has failed in every other sector,” he said while visiting the family of Habib Un Nabi Khan Sohel, jailed BNP's joint secretary general, at his Circuit House Road residence.
Dr Moyeen said since October 28, about eighteen leaders and activists of BNP have been killed and many more were made to disappear.
The senior BNP leader wondered how could the government file more than 400 cases against Habib Un Nabi.
“Those who challenge the government’s illegal activities and criticise them are often accused in false cases and subjected to imprisonment and inhuman torture”, alleged Moyeen.
He repeated the allegation that the government arrested 26 thousand BNP leaders and activists after the authorities foiled the grand rally the opposition party held in Dhaka on October 28 last year to demand a neutral caretaker government to oversee the national polls.
He denounced the parliament formed after the January 7 national election.
“The current parliament has been formed through an one-sided dummy election. It doesn’t represent the country’s people,” he said.
AL government has destroyed all institutions of the state like judiciary, civil administration, police administration and even the Election Commission, Moyeen claimed.
“Without reconstructing these institutions, the rule of law and an environment to hold a free, fair and participatory election won’t be possible. In this environment of hooliganism BNP won’t participate in any election,” he declared.
Not only has the government destroyed political stability and democratic process, it also has ruined the country’s financial system, said Moyeen.
He alleged that the banking sector is suffering from liquidity crisis as billions of dollars have been laundered abroad.
“They have established begum para in Canada, Gulshan 3 in Dubai, second home in Malayasia by looting poor people money,” he said.
Bank managers are now saying sorry to customers after failing to pay them, he said.
He further said the government has started playing a new game in the name of merging weak banks with so-called stonger ones.
Dr Moyeen said the government has failed to resolve Rohingya issue as they could not succeed to send a single Rohingya back in Myanmar.
However, Rohimgyas could be sent home by the governments of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia and late president Ziaur Rahman, he added.
Fakhrul asserts national unity as sole path to overcome ‘extreme fascism’
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, addressing a gathering in Thakurgaon on Wednesday, depicted a grim picture of life under what he termed an "extreme fascist regime" in Bangladesh.
He emphasized the urgent need for national unity to combat the government's “authoritarian” policies, dismissing the significance of individual or party prominence over the collective fight for rights.
80 per cent BNP leaders, activists faced torture: Fakhrul
Speaking at an event organized by the Bangladesh Nationalist Lawyers' Forum, he criticized the government's deviation from constitutional principles, highlighting rampant corruption and the politicization of state institutions as key issues plaguing the nation. The entire state apparatus has been transformed into a “party tool,” the BNP leader said, adding that it has led to a widespread sense of helplessness among the populace.
Fakhrul pointed to the loss of judicial independence and the biased nature of law enforcement agencies, accusing the current administration of converting the state into a “one-party” dominion and rendering elections “a mockery.” He further alleged that opposition parties were sidelined from participating in what he called "sham election," orchestrated solely by the ruling Awami League.
Fakhrul urges people to continue fight for voting rights, democracy
Reflecting on the historical context, the BNP leader recalled periods of one-party rule under the Awami League and lamented the ongoing struggles faced by political opponents, including the incarceration of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and “over 30,000” party leaders and activists on various charges.
The discussion was attended by notable figures from the legal and political communities, including Mirza Faisal Amin, Advocate Abdul Halim, Advocate Joynal Abedin, Advocate Mohammad Fazle Alam, and Advocate Sarwar Hossain, among others.
1971’s dreams now elusive, says Mirza Fakhrul ahead on Independence Day
Boycotting Jan 7 polls left BNP leadership in a state of helplessness
Foreign Minister and Awami League joint general secretary, Hasan Mahmud, expressed his views on Wednesday regarding the repercussions faced by BNP leaders for boycotting the January 7 polls. He highlighted that the decision has left the BNP leadership in a state of helplessness, prompting them to make unusual statements.
Mahmud's comments were in response to inquiries about BNP leader Dr. Moyeen Khan's recent remarks. He pointed out that the BNP is now grappling with the consequences of their election boycott, a strategic error that has led to their current predicament.
Don’t want BUET to become a breeding ground for negative political activities and militancy: Quader
Discussing the upcoming upazila election, the Foreign Minister clarified that these will be conducted without party symbols, maintaining an open candidacy approach. Mahmud emphasized that this method is not unprecedented in Bangladesh's electoral history, noting that upazila elections have previously been held without party symbols, except for the last instance when they were conducted with them.
He assured that the elections would be free from undue interference, underscoring the Awami League's commitment to fair electoral practices by not issuing party nominations to candidates.
BNP, Jamaat have become friends of Israel: Hasan Mahmud
Addressing the state of legal affairs in the country, Hasan Mahmud stated that the rule of law prevails in Bangladesh, referencing Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus's bail status despite his conviction.
BNP won’t join upazila polls under current govt: Moyeen Khan
BNP senior leader Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan on Wednesday said BNP never told that they won’t join election, rather they said they won’t participate in ‘staged, one-sided, farce and deceptive’ polls under the current regime.
“The forthcoming upazila polls will not be very different from the previous elections. So, there is no possibility of BNP to contest the upazila polls,” he said after visiting Jubo Dal central committee’s former vice-president SM Jahangir at his Uttara residence. SM Jahangir Uttara residence recently freed from jail.
‘Mega corruption in the name of mega development’: BNP leader Moyeen Khan
“Awami League’s decision not to allow party symbol in upazila polls has proved that AL itself acknowledges that the people of the country have rejected the ‘boat’ symbol. Because, AL drowned boat themselves fearing defeat in upazila polls”, he said.
Moyeen Khan, a BNP standing committee member, said,” We want a free, fair and participatory polls. BNP had formed government several times by winning polls with people mandate. We don’t believe in ruling people but doing politics to serve them.”
AL govt tramples opposition voice: Dr Moyeen
The government will decide whether they will give back people the right to vote or not, he said.
Replying to a question about the outcomes of BNP’s movement, Dr Moyeen said, “If there were no outcomes of BNP’s struggle, why 95 per cent people boycotted the January 7 dummy election?”
AL is doing politics to stay in ower while BNP to serve people. BNP never thinks of grabbing power following illegal way which AL did, he added.
BNP believes in peaceful and structural politics, said Dr Moyeen further adding that they requested people of the country not to cat vote on January 7 election and they did that by boycotting the farce, staged and one-sided dummy election.
AL establishes oligarchs denying mass people’s demand, alleges Moyeen
There is no second example across the world where one lakh cases were filed against 50 lakh accused for their political belief, he said. “We know few autocratic countries where the suppression of oppositions is not worse than Bangladesh,” he said.
Bangladesh is being pushed to subordination of another country: Rizvi
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government has pushed Bangladesh to cultural, political and economic subordination of a neighouring country.
He said this while distributing Eid clothes among the poor on behalf of BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman during an event organized by Zia Projanmo Dal (ZPD) at the party’s Nayapalton central office.
“They are trying to repress whatever is our own and derives from our soil,” the BNP leader said.
Rizvi said those who can afford usually host Iftar parties to feed close relatives, poor and the needy people. This has been long-established culture and religious practice in the country, he said.
He, however, alleged that this year some organisations are not being allowed to hold Iftar parties on the university campus or outside.
“They (govt) don’t like it. They are attacking the cultural values of the country’s majority people”, he said.
The BNP leader alleged that the prime minister is doing this to fulfill her masters will.
“We could not realise it primarily. But if we think deeply, we understand how they are intervening into the cultural and religious beliefs of the country’s majority people”.
In this regard Rizvi defended his call to boycott Indian goods.
“Why shall we buy their share or toothpaste as they are not respecting our people and our values,” he said adding, “They kill our people along the border on regular basis.”
“There are treaties and protocol on border killing, but BSF doesn’t bother it. They are frequently killing our people in the border,” he alleged.
Referring to India the BNP leader said “they claim they are a democratic country. But they don’t recognise Bangladesh’s sovereignty, independence and democratic process. Nor do they respect Bangladeshi people. They stand only beside one political party helping it retain power permanently. They certified them, and lobbied worldwide for them (AL), Rizvi said.
He questioned why would people use their products since they don’t respect their will and ignore the other political parties for the sake of one party.