United News of Bangladesh

The nomination of Yusuf Hakim Sohel, the Jamaat-e-Islami candidate for Cumilla-3 (Muradnagar) constituency in the 13th parliamentary elections, has been cancelled. On Friday, the district returning officer, Reza Hasan, conducted the scrutiny of nominations at the Cumilla Deputy Commissioner’s conference room. Sohel’s nomination was cancelled due to an incomplete affidavit and failure to provide all required details, including the section on citizenship and whether the candidate holds dual nationality. Reza Hasan said the affidavit is a crucial part of the election process, and all information must be accurate and complete. He added that the candidate can appeal to the Election Commission to restore his nomination. In this constituency, the BNP candidate is party vice-chairman Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaykobad.

Following the validation of his nomination, Amin Ur Rashid Yasin, an independent candidate and adviser to BNP Chairperson, has affirmed that he has always been with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and will remain so. Speaking on Friday afternoon outside the Cumilla Deputy Commissioner’s office, Yasin said he has been actively involved in politics and social work in Cumilla-6 for the past 20 years. He added that he has stood by local people and party workers during hardships, attacks, and crises. He explained that due to internal conspiracies, he did not receive the party nomination, leaving local workers disappointed. “Party workers requested me to contest, as they cannot accept that the person who has been with them on the political front for 20 years would step back. Their encouragement led me to run as an independent,” he said. Regarding his political vision, Yasin said his goal is to build a Cumilla free from extortion, terrorism, tender corruption, and juvenile gangs.

The Returning Officer has scrapped the nomination papers of Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna, who was contesting with BNP’s support, along with six other candidates in Bogura district. The decision was taken on Friday after scrutiny of nomination papers for three constituencies of Bogura on the first day of verification. District Administrator and District Returning Officer Md Toufiqul Rahman announced the decisions after completing the scrutiny. Manna’s nomination for the Bogura-2 (Shibganj) constituency was cancelled due to discrepancies in the information provided in his affidavit, the Returning Officer said. In the same constituency, nomination papers of Jatiya Party former MP Shariful Islam Jinnah were also rejected as he failed to submit the asset declaration form with his affidavit. Besides, nomination papers of independent candidate Rezaul Karim Talu and Gano Odhikar Forum candidate Selim Sarkar were also cancelled. In Bogura-1 (Sariakandi–Sonatala) constituency, the nominations of former Awami League leader and independent candidate Shahjadi Alam Lipi, described as a Hasina loyalist, and Islami Andolon candidate Mostafa Kamal Pasha were scrapped. Meanwhile, in Bogura-3 constituency, Islami Andolon candidate Shahjahan Ali Talukder’s nomination was cancelled for not mentioning pending cases in his affidavit. The Returning Officer confirmed that nomination papers of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami-nominated candidates in the scrutinised constituencies were declared valid. Earlier in the morning, an agent of independent candidate Shahjadi Alam Lipi was reportedly assaulted by a group of youths under the banner of the July Fighters Organisation at the Bogura DC office premises and later handed over to police. According to the Returning Officer’s office, scrutiny of nomination papers for Bogura-4, 5, 6 and 7 constituencies will be held today (Saturday).

  BNP leaders and activists, many of them with tears in their eyes, offered prayers at the grave of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia at Zia Udyan in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Friday after Jum'a prayers. More than a thousand BNP leaders and activists from different parts of the capital gathered at the grave under the leadership of BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas to offer fateha. They also offered munajat, praying for the salvation of the departed soul of their beloved leader and seeking that Allah grant her the highest place in Jannah. Many were seen weeping during the prayers. Later, speaking to reporters, Mirza Abbas said they came to pray for their leader. “We have come to pray for Madam. May Allah grant her a place in Jannah,” he said. He said it was difficult to accept her death, adding that while people usually accept natural deaths, this loss was particularly painful because of the suffering she endured. “It is painful to accept this death because she was subjected to oppression and injustice and was denied proper medical treatment. I may not say everything here, but she was treated in such a way in prison that it became difficult for her to survive,” Abbas alleged. He said Khaleda Zia bore all the suffering while thinking of the people of the country and the nation. “The pain she went through was unbearable, yet she endured everything for the people of this country,” the BNP leader said. He also said that through her struggle and sacrifices, democracy has moved forward in Bangladesh. “Today, Bangladesh stands at the doorstep of democracy. The greatest sorrow is that she could not live to see that democracy herself,” Abbas said. Mentioning that Khaleda Zia established herself in politics through her own efforts, he said her passing in such a manner was deeply painful for him. Later, leaders and activists of the Muktijoddha Dal and Muktijoddha Projonmo Dal visited the grave. They offered fateha and prayed for the departed souls of Begum Khaleda Zia and BNP founder Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman. The leaders and activists stood beside the graves, recited verses from the Holy Quran and offered munajat, seeking Allah’s mercy and forgiveness for the departed leaders. Meanwhile, BNP leaders, activists and ordinary people visited the grave of Khaleda Zia throughout the day to pay their respects and offer prayers. From Friday morning, people gathered in groups, placing flowers, offering fateha and reciting prayers beside her grave. In the morning, family members, including her granddaughter Zaima Rahman, visited the grave to offer prayers. Due to their visit, entry for party leaders, activists and the general public was temporarily suspended from 10:00am to 10:50am. After the family members left, people again entered the area in groups to pay their respects. After 11:30am, BNP Advisory Council member Amanullah Aman visited the grave and offered prayers. Speaking to reporters, he described Khaleda Zia as an uncompromising leader and a symbol of democracy, expressing hope that her political ideals would be carried forward. Later, BNP-nominated candidate for the Dhaka-14 constituency, Sanjida Islam Tuli, also paid tribute by placing flowers and offering prayers. She said Khaleda Zia was not only a leader of BNP but a leader of the people of Bangladesh, recalling the huge public response at her funeral. Thousands of leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliated organisations visited the grave throughout the day to offer prayers.Khaleda Zia passed away at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka on December 30 while undergoing treatment. She was buried the following day beside her husband, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, at Zia Udyan with full state honours. Following her death, BNP has been observing a seven-day mourning programme. As part of the programme, party offices across the country are keeping party flags at half-mast and hoisting black flags. On Friday, milad and doa mahfils were held after Juma prayers at mosques across the country, including the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka, seeking forgiveness for the departed leader. Later in the afternoon, BNP also arranged a milad and doa mahfil after Asr prayers at Gulshan Central Mosque (Azad Mosque) in the capital.  

Leaders of the All-Party Students’ Unity of the 1990s, led by its then convener and former DUCSU Vice President Amanullah Aman, on Friday paid tribute to BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. They visited her grave around 11:40am at Zia Udyan in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar where they offered fateha and placed a wreath. Those present included leaders of the All-Party Students’ Unity of the 1990s, such as Habibur Rahman Habib, Zahir Uddin Swapan, Khairul Kabir Khokon, Nazim Uddin Alam, Khandaker Lutfur Rahman, Nazmul Haque Pradhan and Mir Sarafat Ali Sapu, among others. After offering prayers, Amanullah Aman told reporters that the leaders of the 1990 All-Party Students’ Unity came to honour “the uncompromising leader and leader of the nation” Begum Khaleda Zia. “We have placed a wreath at her grave and offered fateha, praying to Allah for the salvation of her soul,” he said. Aman said Khaleda Zia’s role and sincerity in the anti-autocracy movement of the 1990s could not be expressed in words. “For the last 16 years, Sheikh Hasina’s fascist government filed false cases against her, sent her to jail through mock trials, subjected her to torture in prison and denied her minimum medical treatment,” he alleged. The BNP leader also claimed that attempts were made to kill Khaleda Zia through slow poisoning, saying the Awami League and Sheikh Hasina will never be able to evade responsibility for her suffering and would have to answer for it. Aman said the massive turnout at Khaleda Zia’s namaz-e-janaza proved her place in the nation’s history. “The presence of a crore of people at her janaza proved that Begum Khaleda Zia was a symbol of unity, a symbol of democracy, and a vigilant guardian of the country’s independence and sovereignty. She was truly the ‘Mother of Democracy’,” he said. The BNP recalled Khaleda Zia’s words that her only address was Bangladesh and that she would never leave the country, saying her love for the nation was unmatched. Referring to BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, Aman said he faced severe repression and was forced into exile, but his recent return to the country created an unprecedented public response. “The spontaneous way people welcomed him shows the deep bond between the people and the leadership of Ziaur Rahman and Begum Khaleda Zia,” he said. Meanwhile, BNP leaders and activists continued to visit Khaleda Zia’s grave in groups throughout the day, offering prayers, placing wreaths and reciting verses from the Holy Quran. Following Khaleda Zia’s death, BNP began observing a seven-day mourning programme. As part of it, party offices across the country kept party flags at half-mast and hoisted black flags. Begum Khaleda Zia passed away at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka around 6:00am on December 30 while receiving treatment in the ICU. Her condition remained critical for several weeks. Her namaz-e-janaza took place at Manik Mia Avenue on December 31, led by Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Khatib Mufti Abdul Malek, with people from all walks of life joining the prayers. She was later buried beside her husband, Shaheed President and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, at Zia Udyan in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar with full state honours.  

Special prayers were offered at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka and at mosques across the country on Friday after Jum'a prayers, seeking Allah’s mercy and eternal peace for the departed soul of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. Muslim worshippers and people from different walks of life joined the prayers at the national mosque, praying that she be granted a place in Jannah. Similar special prayers were held after Jum'a prayers at mosques throughout the country. Prayer programmes were also arranged at other religious institutions, seeking peace for the departed leader. BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman offered Juma prayers at the Bangladesh Navy Headquarters Mosque on Friday. After the prayers, he took part in a special munajat, praying for peace, prosperity and welfare of the country, the nation and the Muslim Ummah. Prayers were also offered there seeking forgiveness for Khaleda Zia. As Friday marked the final day of the three-day state mourning declared by the government, the national flag was kept at half-mast at government, semi-government and autonomous institutions, educational establishments, private buildings, and Bangladesh missions abroad. Meanwhile, BNP leaders, activists and ordinary people continued to visit the grave of Khaleda Zia at Zia Udyan in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar to pay their respects and offer prayers. From Friday morning, people gathered in groups, placing wreaths, offering fateha and reciting verses from the Holy Quran beside her grave. Earlier in the morning, family members, including her granddaughter Zaima Rahman, visited the grave to offer prayers. Due to their visit, entry for party leaders, activists and the general public was temporarily suspended from 10:00am to 10:50am. After the family members left, people again entered the area in groups to pay their respects. BNP Advisory Council member Amanullah Aman, along with some former student leaders of the 1990s, visited the grave around 11:40am and offered prayers. Speaking to reporters, he described Khaleda Zia as an uncompromising leader and a symbol of democracy, expressing hope that her political ideals would be carried forward. Later, BNP-nominated candidate for the Dhaka-14 constituency, Sanjida Islam Tuli, also paid tribute by placing flowers and offering prayers. She said Khaleda Zia was not only a leader of BNP but a leader of the people of Bangladesh, recalling the huge public turnout at her funeral. Many other leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliated organisations also visited the grave throughout the day to offer prayers. Following Khaleda Zia’s death, BNP has been observing a seven-day mourning programme. As part of the programme, party offices across the country are keeping party flags at half-mast and hoisting black flags. Begum Khaleda Zia had been undergoing treatment in the ICU of Evercare Hospital in Dhaka since November 23. Her condition was critical, and despite all efforts by doctors, she passed away around 6:00am on Tuesday, December 30. Her namaz-e-janaza was held at Manik Mia Avenue on December 31, led by Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Khatib Mufti Abdul Malek. Lakhs of people from all political backgrounds joined the funeral prayers. She was later buried beside her husband, Shaheed President and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, at Zia Udyan in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar with full state honours.  

Family members of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, including Zaima Rahman, visited her grave at Zia Udyan in the capital on Friday morning to offer prayers. The family arrived at the mausoleum in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar around 10:30am. Among them were her granddaughter Zaima Rahman, her sister Selina Islam, her younger daughter-in-law Shameela Rahman and other close relatives. They placed wreaths at the graves of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and Begum Khaleda Zia and then stood beside the grave to recite verses from the Holy Quran. They later offered fateha and a munajat, seeking eternal peace for her soul. The family members stayed at the mausoleum for around 20 minutes before leaving. Due to the visit by family members, entry for the general public was suspended for about an hour. From early morning after Fajr prayers, however, people were allowed to visit the grave and offer prayers. Despite the cold weather and dense fog, BNP leaders, activists and common people continued to arrive at the mausoleum from early morning, placing wreaths and offering prayers for the late Prime Minister, popularly known as the “uncompromising leader”. Special prayers are also scheduled to be held at mosques across the country after Jumna prayers, seeking forgiveness for Khaleda Zia. Similar prayer programmes will be arranged at other religious institutions. Zaima remembers grandmother Khaleda Zia with Nazrul poem

The BNP on Thursday formed a 41-member election steering committee to run its campaign for the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad election. According to a press release issued on Thursday night, BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan has been made the chairman of the committee, while Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has been appointed as its member secretary. Begum Selima Rahman and Shamsuzzaman Dudu have been named as vice-chairmen of the committee. The party also appointed Md Ismail Jabiullah as the chief coordinator. Other members of the election committee include Advocate Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Bijon Kanti Sarkar, Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, Dr Ziauddin Haider, Dr Moudud Hossain Alamgir Pavel, Dr Mahdi Amin, Saleh Shibli, AKM Wahiduzzaman, Dr Saimum Parvez, Rehan Asad, Jubayer Babu, Major (retd) Fazle Elahi Akbar, Abdul Qaiyum, Barrister Giasuddin Rimon, Humayun Kabir, ABM Abdus Sattar, Dr Mohammad Zakaria, Mostakur Rahman, Advocate Belayet Hossain Mridha, Mehedul Islam, Dr Farhad Halim Donar, Professor Dr Morshed Hasan Khan, Advocate Kamrul Islam Sajal, Professor Dr Harun Or Rashid, Engineer Shoaib Bashari Hablu, Dr Kamruzzaman Kaiser, Ishtiaq Aziz Ulfat, Abdul Monayem Munna, Mrs Afroza Abbas, Monir Khan, Anam Khalilur Rahman Ibrahim, Yasin Ali, Abul Kalam Azad, Maulana Kazi Md Selim Reza, Rakibul Islam Rakib and Anwar Hossain.

The nomination scrutiny for the Shariatpur-1 (Palong–Jajira) parliamentary seat has concluded. Out of nine submitted nominations, six were declared valid, while three were disqualified, confirmed District Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner Tahsina Begum on Thursday morning. The disqualified candidates include Nur Mohammad Mia of Bangladesh Supreme Party and two independents, Mohammad Golam Mostofa and Syed Nazrul Islam. They have the option to appeal the decision by January 9. Nur Mohammad Mia said his nomination was invalidated due to an old but active bank account listed in the papers, adding he will file an appeal. Independent candidate Syed Nazrul Islam noted a missing signature among the required 1% of voter endorsements caused his disqualification, though he had submitted more than necessary, and he plans to appeal as well. Tahsina Begum emphasized that six nominations were validated after following proper procedures, and the disqualified candidates can appeal within the stipulated timeframe.

Barrister Rumin Farhana, a BNP leader recently expelled from the party, has said she has not left the party or her constituents, and pledged to carry out the struggle entrusted to her by party chairperson and late former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia until her last breath. Rumin offered prayers for Khaleda Zia during a discussion meeting with local residents on Thursday afternoon at Ward No. 1 of Shahbazpur in Sarail upazila of Brahmanbaria. Addressing the gathering, she said, “The dismissal order came against me before the leader’s burial. If any injustice has been done to me, I leave the matter to Allah for judgment.” She added, “In 1973, my father was defeated. I will ensure that history does not repeat itself. I have no party now, but you are here. Once the votes are counted, we will return home with the results.” Rumin Farhana will contest the 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections from Brahmanbaria-2, covering Sarail, Ashuganj, and two unions of Bijoynagar. She is seeking the election symbol of a duck, which she said she has liked since childhood and is also favored by her supporters. BNP expelled Rumin Farhana and three others for filing nominations in defiance of party directives. A press release signed by senior joint secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi stated that the action was taken for violating party decisions and conducting organizational activities independently. The BNP nomination for Brahmanbaria-2 went to Maulana Junaid Al Habib, central co-vice president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, under the alliance. Rumin’s submission of her nomination prompted the party’s disciplinary action.