United News of Bangladesh

Ahead of the election in Sherpur-3 (Sreebardi-Jhenaigati) constituency scheduled for April 9, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has deployed its 16 platoons to ensure a free, fair, and peaceful voting process. Following directives from the Election Commission, BGB personnel will serve as mobile and static forces from five days before the election to two days after the polls to maintain law and order. According to a press release issued by the BGB Mymensingh Battalion (39 BGB), under the supervision of the Mymensingh sector, the deployed platoons have established four base camps across Sreebardi and Jhenaigati upazilas to carry out their duties. Given that Sherpur-3 is a bordering constituency, the BGB presence has been strengthened, with personnel on the frontier also providing support to election areas as needed. The Sherpur-3 election, originally scheduled for February 12, was postponed following the death of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Nuruzzaman Badal. As per the revised schedule, voting will be held on April 9.

The BNP Standing Committee on Saturday night discussed holding the party’s next national council and expanding its political and organisational activities. “We discussed how we can quickly move the party towards a council in the near future in order to further expand our political and organisational activities,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. He made the remarks while talking to reporters after over a two-hour meeting of the party’s Standing Committee at the party chairman’s Gulshan office. Fakhrul said the meeting also reviewed the 47-day programme taken by Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, and Standing Committee members shared their opinions and suggestions on various aspects of the initiatives. He said their discussions mainly focused on strengthening and expanding the party’s organisational and political activities. “We will try to move towards the council as quickly as possible, and we discussed this in detail,” he added. Asked whether the party council will be held before Eid-ul-Azha, he replied in the negative, saying it would take at least a few months to prepare before fixing a date. The party last held its sixth national council on March 19, 2016. Replying to another question, he said the issue of nomination of party candidates for the parliament’s reserved seats for women did not come up for discussion at their meeting. He said their chairman convened the meeting of the Standing Committee, the party’s highest policymaking body, to discuss how to keep the party active and continue its regular activities. The meeting began at around 8:40pm with BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in the chair and ended around 11:50pm. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku and Prof AZM Zahid Hossain attended the meeting in person. Nazrul Islam Khan and Selima Rahman joined the meeting virtually. Another Standing Committee member, Mirza Abbas, is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Singapore. This was the first meeting of the BNP’s highest policymaking body since the party returned to power through the February 12 national election. The last meeting of the Standing Committee was held on January 9 at the same venue.  

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has expressed deep shock over the deaths in a fire at an unauthorised gas lighter factory in South Keraniganj. In a statement on Saturday night, he said the fire broke out at the Kadamtali factory around 1pm and five people, including three women, had died as of the time of the statement. Two others are seriously injured and undergoing treatment in hospital. He said the grief of the families of those killed in this tragic accident will never be filled. Dr Shafiqur Rahman prayed for the forgiveness of the souls of the deceased and expressed his deepest condolences to the bereaved families and the injured. He said such accidents continue to occur due to the operation of illegal and unsafe factories, which is very worrying. He added that these losses are the result of irresponsibility and lack of proper supervision by the authorities concerned. He urged the government to conduct a thorough investigation, identify those responsible, and take strict legal action. He also called for the injured to receive the best possible treatment and for appropriate financial compensation to be provided to the families of both the deceased and the injured. The Jamaat Ameer stressed that effective measures must be taken against illegal factories and safety standards in industrial plants must be strengthened to prevent such accidents in the future.  

The BNP Standing Committee, the party’s highest policymaking body, sat in a meeting on Saturday night at the party chairman’s Gulshan office. The meeting began around 8:40pm with BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in the chair. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku and Prof AZM Zahid Hossain joined the meeting in person. Two other members Nazrul Islam Khan and Selima Rahman joined the meeting virtually. Another Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Singapore. This is the first meeting of the BNP’s highest policymaking body since the party returned to power through the February 12 national election. A Standing Committee member, requesting anonymity, said the meeting is expected to discuss the country’s latest political situation, the energy crisis and several organisational matters. Its last meeting was held on January 9 at the same venue.

State Minister for Planning Zonayed Saki has stepped down as chief coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolon, the party announced on Saturday. Dewan Abdur Rashid Nilu has been made acting chief coordinator of the party, said Executive Coordinator Abul Hasan Rubel at a press conference held at the party’s Hatirpool central office. Nilu will serve in the role until a special council is convened to choose new leadership, he said.

The BNP Standing Committee will hold a meeting on Saturday night to discuss the country’s current political situation and the party’s organisational matters. “BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has convened a meeting of the party’s Standing Committee on Saturday,” BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan told UNB on Friday. He said the meeting will be held at 8:30pm at the BNP chairman’s political office in the capital’s Gulshan area with Tarique Rahman in the chair. It will be the first meeting of the BNP Standing Committee, the party’s highest policymaking body, since it returned to power through the February 12 national election. The last meeting of the BNP Standing Committee was held on January 9. A BNP Standing Committee member, requesting anonymity, said the meeting will discuss the latest political situation in the country, the energy crisis and several organisational issues.

BNP Standing Committee member and political adviser to the Prime Minister Mirza Abbas has been shifted to a cabin from the Neuro Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Singapore General Hospital after 19 days under close medical observation. BNP Health Affairs Secretary Dr Rafiqul Islam said his condition has shown some improvement. “I spoke to his wife Afroza Abbas this morning. His condition is gradually improving. He has been moved from the ICU to a cabin today,” he said. Rafiqul also said doctors will continue advanced physiotherapy at the cabin, as Mirza Abbas underwent a complex brain surgery. “His treatment is still going on under close medical supervision and will need to continue,” Dr Rafiqul said. Mirza Abbas was flown to Singapore General Hospital by air ambulance on March 15 from a hospital in Dhaka while undergoing treatment. Earlier, on March 11, he fell unconscious during iftar and was admitted to Evercare Hospital. A medical board comprising leading neurologists of the country was formed, and based on its decision, he underwent emergency brain surgery. He was later taken to Singapore within 72 hours for further treatment.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Thursday strongly condemned the government’s decision to increase the prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and autogas in the private sector, expressing concern over its impact on public life and industrial production. In a statement, the party’s Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar said LPG is an essential daily commodity and any price hike would significantly impact people’s lives. “It is very difficult for lower- and middle-income groups to bear the additional cost. The government has increased gas prices without considering the purchasing power of the people, which goes against public interest,” he said. He warned that the decision would raise production costs in both small and large industries, which could lead to higher prices of essential commodities, directly affecting consumers. Golam Parwar urged the government to reverse the decision and take effective steps to increase imports or production to stabilise prices. He said the increase in private sector LPG prices by Tk 32.30 per kg at the consumer level is unprecedented. As a result, the price of a 12kg cylinder — the most widely used in the market — has risen to Tk 1,728, up from Tk 1,341 last month, marking an increase of Tk 387. He also said the price of autogas has increased significantly at the consumer level. For April, the price of autogas, including VAT, has been raised by Tk 17.94 per litre, up from Tk 61.83 in March. The Jamaat leader said the increase in autogas prices would have a major impact on the transport sector, putting additional financial pressure on people. He called on the government to consider the overall situation and take immediate steps to ease the burden on the public.

The 11-party alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has announced a rally and protest march in Dhaka this coming Saturday (April 4), demanding implementation of the referendum verdict through constitutional reform. The rally is scheduled to be held at 5:00pm at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad announced after a meeting of the alliance on Thursday. He said the opposition alliance would also seek to build public opinion through outreach and leaflet distribution to press home its demands. The outline of the movement and the next programme will be announced at a meeting of the alliance’s top leaders on April 7, he added. Dr. Azad alleged that the government is taking initiatives to amend the constitution while ignoring the popular mandate expressed in the referendum, which he said insults the people and contradicts the spirit of the July uprising. He said amending the constitution to meet the country's needs falls within parliament's jurisdiction and is a routine process. However, no part of the basic structure of the constitution can be changed through an amendment bill, he added. In special cases, he said, the legal way to change the basic structure is to hold a referendum and form a Constitutional Reform Council to secure direct public consent. He also alleged that constitutional amendments paved the way for authoritarian rule in the past, and claimed the current government is moving in the same direction. He said reforms based on the referendum verdict are needed, rather than amendments. Criticising the energy crisis, the deterioration in law and order, and the government’s decision to introduce online classes in educational institutions, he said the authorities deny the energy crisis despite its existence. He also described the decision to introduce partial online classes in schools as harmful to students’ intellectual development. The 11-party alliance strongly demanded implementation of the referendum results and the immediate formation of a Constitutional Reform Council. It warned that if the demands are not met, a movement will be launched on the streets.

NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan on Thursday said the role of Islami Andolan Bangladesh during the July uprising will be remembered forever. “Islami Andolan Bangladesh stood by us as the first political party to take to the streets with its banner during the July uprising. We will remember your contribution to the country and the nation forever,” he said while addressing a gathering at the Charmonai Mahfil in Barishal Sadar upazila. “I am able to stand before you today because of Islami Andolan Bangladesh and those who supported us at that time,” he said. He added that the relationship built with Islami Andolan Bangladesh during the movement for the people’s liberation would continue in the future. Earlier in the day, on the second day of the Charmonai Mahfil, an NCP delegation led by former adviser to the interim government and NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan visited the darbar of the Charmonai Pir in Barishal Sadar upazila.