politics
Ekramul Haque Titu becomes Mymensingh mayor for second time
Ekramul Haque Titu was unofficially declared the winner in the Mymensingh City Corporation election held on Saturday.
With this, Titu has once again become the mayor of the Mymensingh city corporation.
Belayet Hossain Choudhury, returning officer, announced the unofficial results of the election around 10:30 pm at Advocate Tarek Smriti Auditorium in the city.
Tahseen Bahar bags Cumilla City mayoral post
Titu, former mayor of the city corporation, bagged 1,39,604 votes while his nearest rival Advocate Sadequl Haque Khan Milky got 35,763 votes.
Three other candidates -- Ehtesamul Alam bagged 10,733 votes, Rezaul got 1,487 votes and Jatiyo Party candidate Shahidul Islam got 1,321 votes.
Balloting began at 8:00 am using Electronic voting Machines and continued till 4:00pm without any break.
MP Henry's husband wins Sirajganj Zila Parishad by-polls race
Besides, 149 councillors and 69 women councilors contested the polls for 33 ward councillors and 11 women reserved seats.
A total of 1,88,948 voters exercised their voting rights in this by-poll.
Tahseen Bahar bags Cumilla City mayoral post
Tahseen Bahar Shuchona was unofficially declared winner in the Cumilla City Corporation election held on Saturday.
Farhad Hossain, returning officer, announced the unofficial results of the election this evening at the Zilla School auditorium in the city.
Shuchona, daughter of Cumilla-6 (Sadar) lawmaker and president of Cumilla city unit Awami League AKM Bahauddin Bahar, secured 48,890 votes while her nearest rival Monirul Hoque Sakku got 26,897 votes.
Another contestant Nizam Uddin Kaiser, known as a former BNP leader, got 13,155 votes while another candidate Noor-ur Rahman Mahmud Tanim bagged 5,173 votes.
Voting began in the polls at 8:00am and closed around 4:00pm. Electronic voting machines (EVMs) were used for voting in the polls.
Tahseen Bahar said this victory was the victory of Cumilla metropolis Awami League and the people of Comilla city.
At that time, she also sought cooperation from all walks of life to renovate Cumilla City.
The mayoral post of Cumilla City Corporation was left vacant following the death of its 2nd mayor Arfanul Haque Rifat.
MP Henry's husband wins Sirajganj Zila Parishad by-polls race
Shamim Talukder Labu, husband of Sirajganj-2 lawmaker Jannat Ara Talukder Henry, was unofficially declared winner in the by-election to Sirajganj Zila Parishad held on Saturday.
Shamim bagged 634 votes while his nearest rival Maqbul Hossain Mukul, president of Malaysia unit Awami League got 506 votes, District Returning Officer Shahidul Islam confirmed.
AL candidate wins Naogaon-2 election
He said that six candidates contested this by-election.
The voting was held peacefully in the polling stations of 9 upazilas of the district on Saturday from 8 am to 2 pm.
The post of chairman was left vacant following the resignation of Abdul Latif Biswas.
No political prisoners in jail, only BNP activists: Home Minister
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that there are no political prisoners in country’s jail and those who are imprisoned are BNP activists.
“BNP claims that thousands of political prisoners (rajbondi) are in jail, I would say that there is no political prisoner here in the country. Those who are jailed are BNP activists,” he said.
He said this while replying to a question from reporters after a programme organised on the occasion of Police Memorial Day-2024 at the Convention Hall of Police Staff College on Saturday.
PM Hasina chairs Bangabandhu Memorial Trust meeting
“We don't have any political prisoners here. Those who vandalised the Chief Justice's residence, those who beat the police, Ansar to death, those who beat the girls, we have identified them after checking footage and took action according to the law. That's what the police did,” said the minister.
He said BNP also tried to foil the election in 2014 by creating anarchic situation and arson terrorism. But gradually they have become isolated from people.
Pointing at Tarique Rahman, the home minister said he is trying to control his party's politics in the country staying in England. He neither cares about the people of this country nor his party activists, he added.
UAE FM stresses signing of CEPA, activating JBC for economic partnership with Bangladesh
The people of this country believe that Bangladesh will not lose its way as long as the Prime Minister is alive, Azaduzzaman said.
People not speaking up against violence against women: Amir Khasru
BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said people do not speak up about violence against women as an atmosphere of fear prevails across the country.
He said this while addressing a short rally as the chief guest before a procession of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal marking the International Women's Day.
"There is not a day, not a month, not a week when women are not being tortured and raped. What's worse is that we can't see any justice served for such crimes," he said.
"Because many of the leaders in power are involved in this rape, and harassment incidents, people live in an atmosphere of fear," he added.
Int'l Women's Day Rally: Police foil Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal’s rally
Police foiled BNP women's wing Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal's rally in the city marking International Women's Day on Friday morning.
Around 10 am, the leaders and activists of the party gathered in front of the party's central office in Naya Paltan and brought out a rally after a short discussion, but police stopped it.
Later, they condemned the police obstruction by chanting slogans and left the place.
Afroza Abbas, president of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal, said "It is so unfortunate that the police did not allow women to hold a peaceful rally on International Women's Day."
"This is proof of how the country's women's society is. We strongly condemn and protest today's cancellation of our peaceful rally," she added.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of DMP Farzana Yasmin told reporters, " We stopped them because they did not have permission to hold a rally. They were permitted to hold discussions and they did it."
Quader returns home tomorrow after regular health checkup
Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader will leave Singapore for Dhaka after a routine health check-up at Mount Elizabeth Hospital on Saturday.
A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying the minister will land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 6pm, said a media release signed by Sheikh Wahlid Fayez, information officer of the ministry.
Quader, also general secretary of Awami League, left Dhaka for Singapore on Sunday (March 3) for going through his health check-up, reads the release.
Khaleda Zia a pioneer of women empowerment in Bangladesh: Khosru
Khaleda Zia is a pioneer of women empowerment in Bangladesh, said BNP leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Friday.
“Begum Zia had proved that a woman can become the prime minister and lead a movement against an autocrat regime as she had elected first PM of Bangladesh after a successful movement against autocrat HM Earshad in 1991,”Khosru said.
He said this while addressing a rally organised by Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal in front of BNP’s central office at Nayapalton on Friday, marking the international women’s day.
AL govt not pro-people, rather business community-friendly, says Farroque
By prioritising women's affairs ministry during her first tenure, Khaleda Zia had confirmed recruitment of women in every sector of government, Khosru added.
He said Khaleda Zia had taken initiatives to financially empower women by creating employment opportunities through farming duck, hen, goat etc. and encouraging the financial institutions such as banks to give them loan.
“If we want actual empowerment of women we should give them freedom to choose their way by themselves,” he said.
Nowadays it is seen that that women are being harassed in everywhere and everyday and in most cases by ruling party cadres, BNP leader alleged.
Work equally with men to build Bangladesh: PM Hasina tells women
Those who are working for women’s right are not raising voice against the harassment as they gear the autocratic regime, he said.
Amir Khosru said no one is getting justice as almost all sectors are occupied by Awami League (AL) men who have established the culture of fear.
There are no rights of people including those of women in the country, said the BNp leader.
Women’s rights will be established when people’s basic rights like right to vote would be secured, Khosru said.
“Now it’s time to fight unitedly to restore the rights of people including those of women,” he added.
Sirajganj Zilla Parishad by-polls: Candidature will be revoked if found any evidence of using black money
Election Commissioner Rashida Sultana has said that if there is evidence of using black money in the by-election in Sirajganj Zilla Parishad, the candidature will be revoked.
The election commissioner came up with these remarks in a views exchange meeting with the candidates of the by-election, law enforcement forces and presiding officers in the Sirajganj district commissioner's conference room on Thursday.
She gave this warning based on allegations of buying votes with money against two influential candidates.
She also said that the election will be stopped at any moment if there is any breach of the electoral code of conduct.
Chaired by Deputy Commissioner Mir Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, the programme was attended by Superintendent of Police Arifur Rahman Mondal, Regional Election Officer Delwar Hossain, District Election Officer Shahidul Islam and six chairman candidates, chairman and members of various Union Parishads.
Sirajganj Zilla Parishad by-election will be held on March 9, 2024.
A total of 1196 mayors, chairman and members of seven municipalities, 9 upazilas, 83 unions of the district will vote through EVM from 8am to 2pm.
The post of chairman was left vacant following the resignation of Abdul Latif Biswas.
AL govt not pro-people, rather business community-friendly, says Farroque
BNP leader Zainul Abedin Farroque on Thursday said ruling Awami
League (AL) government is not a pro-people one, rather it is friendly to business community.
BNP has become isolated: Home Minister
“They don’t bother about the people’s right to food as the prices of daily essentials reached all-time high in the country,” he said.
The BNP leader came up with the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a rally organised by JatiyaGonotantrik Party (Jagpa) protesting soaring of prices of commodities, increased power tariffs and demanding immediate release of Khaleda Zia and other political prisoners.
BNP is Azrael for Bangladesh: PM Hasina tells parliament
Farroque, BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council Member, said Awami Leaguedoesn’t want the country’s people to have a full meal. “People are struggling to buy an egg, one kg rice and one litre of oil spending lion share of their earned money as there are no products in market within their purchasing capacity.”
As holy Ramadan is going to begin from March 12 AL-backed syndicates have increased prices of almost all commodities, putting the poor people in hardship, he said.
AL retains power by killing people, says Mirza Abbas, at event giving financial aid to families of slain BNP activists
He said an AL minister is making joke with people advising them to break their fast with plum instead of date
“We are talking about people’s rights because we (BNP) are pro-people political party. BNP believes in people’s power and never wants to grab power by any means,” he said.
AL did nothing for people’s welfare, rather did everything for cementing their power. “They don’t want that the people of the country live with honour and dignity,” he added.
He alleged that Awami League arranged a dummy election on January 7 and most of the members of the parliaments (MP) are from business community who made AL satisfied spending huge cash.