The ruling Awami League announced the names of the nominated candidates for the reserved women's seats in the 12th Parliament. AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader announced the names of 48 candidates after the Parliamentary Nomination Board meeting held in Ganabhaban on Wednesday afternoon. BNP to remain dysfunctional without change in leadership: Hasan Mahmud The nominees are Rezia Islam-Panchgarh, Droupadi Devi Agarwar-Thakurgaon, Ashika Sultana-Nilphamari, Rokeya Sultana-Joypurhat, Kohli Quddus-Natore, Zebin Mahbub-Chapainawabganj, Runu Reza-Khulna, Farida Akhtar-Bagerhat, Farzana Sumi-Barguna, Khaleda Bahan-Bhola , Nazneen Nahar-Patuakhali, Farida Yasmin-Narsingdi, Umme Farzana-Mymensingh, Nadia Binte Amin-Netrokona, Mahfuza Sultana Molly-Joypurhat, Parveen Zaman Kalpana-Jhenaidah, Aroma Dutta- Cumilla, Laila Parveen-Satkhira,  Begum Mannizaman Sufian-Khulna, Badhura Ahmed Salam-Gopalganj, Shabnam Jahan-Dhaka, Parul Akhtar-Dhaka, Sabera Begum-Dhaka, Shammi Ahmed-Barishal, Nahid Izhar-Dhaka, Jharna Hassan-Faridpur, Fazilatunnessa-Munshiganj, Sahida Tarikh Dipti-Dhaka, Anima Mukti Gomez -Dhaka, Sheikh Anarkali-Dhaka, Masuda Siddique Rozi-Narsingdi, Tarana Halim-Tangail, Begum Shamsunnahar-Tangail, Meher Afroz Chumki-Gazipur, Aparajita-Tangail, Hasina Bari Chowdhury-Dhaka, Najma Akhtar-Gopalganj, Aruna Chakraborty-Sylhet, Faridur Nahar Laili-Laxmipur, Ashrafun Nessa-Laxmipur, Kanan Ara Begum-Noakhali, Shamima Haroon Lubna-Chattogram, Farida Khanam-Noakhali, Delara Yusuf-Chattogram, Wasika Ayesha-Chattogram, Darthi-Rangamati, Sanjida Khanam-Dhaka, Nasima Zaman- Rangpur. BNP's program is nothing but restarting an old car: Foreign Minister There are 50 reserved seats for women in Parliament, allocated in a manner where each political party receives one reserved seat for every six general seats won. According to the provision, the AL secured 48 seats based on its own and its independents' support. The sale of application forms for the reserved seats began on 6 February at the party's Bangabandhu Avenue central office. Quader anxious to restore party unity ahead of important AL meeting The AL sold 1,553 nomination forms for its 48 reserved women's seats. Obaidul Quader said that they will submit the nomination to the Returning Commissioner of the Election Commission on February 18.

Barrister Syed Sayedul Haque Sumon, who has been elected as an independent candidate from Habiganj-4 constituency, said that he will protest corruption and speak up for the oppressed in the Parliament, the same way he has been doing so far. He said this after taking oath as an MP at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban at 11:30 am today (January 10, 2024). Also read: Barrister Sumon crushes incumbent state minister for civil aviation and tourism “My role will remain the same as before. Protesting against corruption, speaking up for oppressed people and realising Bangabandhu’s Sonar Bangla,” Barrister Sumon said. When asked what challenges he might face, he said, “Not one or two. No one wants to work in Bangladesh. Still, if Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina considers me, I will be able to do a lot of work,” he said. Also read: Newly elected MPs are sworn in by Speaker “You’re only an MP for five years. If I perform poorly, people will throw me out,” he said. Barrister Sumon thinks that he has been given a responsibility by the people for five years.

Distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Professor Dr. Mustafizur Rahman has said that the government and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) should investigate how the assets of MPs have increased manifold. He said this at a view exchange meeting on the contemporary economic situation of Bangladesh organized by the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) at Paltan in the capital today (Tuesday). The CPD fellow said, “I was surprised to see the rate of increase in wealth in the affidavits of the candidates in the 12th parliament elections. Where a plot of land costs Tk 1.0 crore; shown taka one lakh.” Even then, wealth increases hundreds of times, then what is the real picture? “Seeing this, it is not clear how much wealth has actually increased,” Prof Mustafiz raised question. Hasan Mahmud tears into CPD: 'Not genuine research' He said that in the affidavit of the candidates, the properties of many have increased hundreds of times. It is interesting to see how such a huge amount of wealth has grown in such a short time. “Those properties have increased so much, the government and their party should ask to know the source of these properties. At the same time, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) should find the source of their assets,” said Prof Mustfiz. He said that mismanagement of the banking sector, corruption, money laundering, everything is created by a 'dishonest cycle’. He said that defaulted loans are increasing, and some banks have also fallen into disaster due to providing aggressive loans. “It is Bangladesh Bank’s main responsibility to control this. They should be allowed to work independently either state or anyone can't interfere here, this must be ensured by the state,” he said. Over Tk 92,000 crore siphoned from banking sector via scams since 2008: CPD “Now the issue of merger of financially weak banks has been mentioned many times before. For this, legal weaknesses and regulations need to be fixed. Because the banking sector is the blood of the economy. The problem of this sector falls on the whole economy,” he pointed out. He said that a large amount of money has to be provisioned by the bank against default. This means that the money is not able to participate in the economy, it is lying in the bank. “By this, the bank's ability to give loans is decreasing and the income is decreasing,” he added. Dr. Mustafiz said that suppose banks are paying interest against a deposit of Tk100, but the bank is able to give a loan of Tk80 out of Tk100. That means the loan interest rate has to increase, this again affects investment. Regarding US sanctions, he said, America imposes trade restrictions (sanctions) for their own benefit. “If necessary, contracts with countries like Venezuela. Therefore, it should be emphasized that they do not get the opportunity to sanction without paying attention to whether they will sanction or not. We must ensure the wages and rights of our workers,” he suggested. Govt acting against clean energy transition, increasing dependency on coal and LNG: CPD “The government has brought the garment industry to this level by providing various facilities. The world market of clothing is $700 billion. We have export potential. There is no other sector as big as this. Exports need to be diversified, go to new markets.” There is still an opportunity to occupy a large part of this market, for that Bangladesh needs to modernize more. He suggested emphasizing the export of the leather sector and pharmaceuticals. The global markets have a potential future for those products. ERF’s general secretary Abul Kashem moderated the program while President Mohammad Refayet Ullah Mirdha presided over it.

The incumbent Members of Parliament who want to run as independent candidates do not need to resign from their positions, the Election Commission (EC) said on Wednesday. Nomination submission deadline looms at EC The EC clarified the issue in a press release on Wednesday after Election Commissioner Rashida Sultana said current MPs who want to run as independent candidates must step down from their current positions - a statement that created confusion in political arena. Now CEC says election can be rescheduled if BNP decides to join Independent candidates must submit their nomination papers along with a list of signatures from 1% of the total voters in their constituencies, said the release. However, if they have been a Member of Parliament before, they do not need to submit this list, said the release. 7 inc. Law Minister seek AL nomination from Brahmanbaria-4 constituency

Shahjahan Mia, MP of Patuakhali-1 constituency and also president of Patuakhali district unit Awami League, passed away at hospital in the capital on Saturday. He was 85. Brahmanbaria-2 MP Ukil Abdus Sattar dies at 84 Shahjahan Mia, Shahjahan Mia, former state minister for religious affairs, had been undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and breathed his last at 6 am, said his son Advocate Tariquzzaman Mony. He left behind his wife, three sons, one daughter and a host of relatives to mourn his death. DL general secretary Saifuddin Ahmed Moni dies The first namaz-e-janaza of  the three-time MP will be held at Sangshad Bhaban at 3 pm. He will be buried at Patuakhali municipality graveyard following second-namaz-e-janaza at Russel Square Balur Math in Patuakhali on Sunday. Poet Asad Chowdhury no more

Sangsad Bhaban, Apr 9 (UNB) - Jatiya Party MP Kazi Firoz Rashid today said politics has now become “a profession”, which used to be about passion. “Earlier, politics was about passion, and now it has become a profession,” he said while participating in the discussion on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's proposal raised under Rule 147 on the occasion of the golden jubilee of Jatiya Sangsad. He said that if anyone learns that a groom belongs to the ruling party, “they say Alhamdulillah.” Firoz Rashid said that politics is the only way to change the lives of the countrymen. “Now it has become a profession. Earlier, politics was about passion and people put their lives at risk,” he added. Read More: No one is starving in Bangladesh, people don’t want panta rice any more: AL MP Chumki During the Pakistan era, he recalled, if a man was involved in politics, he did not get married as he would not get any job. Firoz Rashid claimed that the parliament has many achievements along with weaknesses.  “Till date, it is not able to form a commission (on Bangabandhu's murder)… Because there was a major conspiracy behind the assassination of Bangabandhu. Dalim, Farooq, Rashid went and did it… it did not happen just like that. There was a conspiracy behind it, you didn't figure it out.” Pointing to Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon and Jasad President Hasanul Haque Inu, the Jatiya Party lawmaker said that the names of extreme left and extreme right politicians cannot be uttered.  Read More: Inu proposes formation of parliamentary body to review constitution “Because all have boarded the boat. You (Awami League) will ride the boat. You are the captain of the boat. They are on the boat and asking ‘how far?’,” he said. Firoz Rashid said that the nation is now divided into two parts.  “There is no neutral person. Teachers, doctors, intellectuals, journalists are all divided. The entire country is now divided into two parts,” he said. He also claimed that businessmen belonging to BNP got the most business during this period. Read More: Bringing any party to election is not govt’s responsibility: Info Minister

Ruling Awami League MP Meher Afroz Chumki today (April 09, 2023) said no one in Bangladesh is now starving. “People of the country do not want panta rice any more, they don’t go door to door and beg,” she said. The MP said this during a discussion on the 50th anniversary of the National Parliament. Chumki said that poverty has disappeared from Bangladesh.  Read More: Poverty forces Thakurgaon day-labourer to put 7-month-old baby girl up for sale  “We don't deny that prices have been going up. People are suffering all over the world. They are spending money after a lot of consideration. But is there any person in Bangladesh without food? We can proudly say that the people of Bangladesh are not going without food. People do not want panta rice any more, today they want good food and clothes.  The country is self-sufficient today,” she said. Saying that Sheikh Hasina is one of the top global leaders in women's empowerment, Chumki added that the prime minister has appeared for question and answer in parliament for bringing accountability. Expressing determination to move forward while facing conspiracy, Chumki said this is not 1975, this is 2023. “Country is on track to become Smart Bangladesh in 2041. No one can get away with conspiracy here. We will move forward.”  “Why do we need to seek votes? Because, after killing Bangabandhu, a generation grew up in Bangladesh with wrong and distorted history. They do not know the history of Bangabandhu, they do not know the history of this country,” she said. Read More: Bangladesh Poverty Watch Report 2022 launched; regular monitoring of progress emphasized She mentioned that some intellectuals have forgotten that on the eve of victory, intellectuals were killed by the Pakistani army and their collaborators so that this country fails to move forward.  The ruling party MP said that with “false information and exploiting a child by paying him just Tk 10, a section of people have mocked the independence of the country.”

Six newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) took oath at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Wednesday.  Hafiz Uddin Ahmed (Jatiya Party) from Thakurgaon-3, AKM Rezaul Karim Tansen (JSD) from Bogura-4, Ragebul Ahsan (Awami League) from Bogura-6, Md Ziaur Rahman (AL) from Chapainawabganj-2, Md Abdul Wadud (AL) from Chapainawabganj-3 and Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan (independent) from Brahmanbaria-2 were elected in by-polls held on February 1. Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury administered the oath-taking ceremony at the Jatiya Sangsad, according to a press release from the Parliament Secretariat.  KM Abdus Salam, secretary of the Parliament  Secretariat, conducted the oath-taking ceremony. Chief Whip of Parliament Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury and Whip Iqbalur Rahim were present om the occasion.  Finally, the MPs signed the oath book as per custom.    

Moslem Uddin Ahmed, a valiant freedom fighter and Awami League MP from Chittagong-8 constituency, died at a hospital in the capital early Monday. He was 75. Moslem Uddin , also president of Chittagong South Awami League, breathed his last at Evercare Hospital around 12:30 am. He left behind wife, four daughters and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of the ruling party lawmaker. In a condolence message, the prime minister said that "Bangladesh Awami League has lost a dedicated leader in the death of Moslem Uddin." The AL MP had been suffering from cancer for the past two years. After the death of former Chittagong-8 Constituency MP and Jasad leader Moinuddin Khan Badal, he was elected MP of Awami League on January 13, 2020 in the vacant seat. Read more: PM mourns death of AL lawmaker Moslem Uddin Ahmad Bangladesh Awami League relief and social welfare secretary Aminul Islam Amin, Chittagong Metropolitan Awami League acting president Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury and general secretary, also former mayor of Chittagong City Corporation AJM Nashir Uddin, Chittagong north Awami League president MA Salam and general secretary Ataur Rahman, Chittagong south district Awami League General Secretary Mofizur Rahman expressed deep shock at the death of the MP. He was elected Vice President of Government Commerce College in 1969 and participated in the Great Liberation War responding to the call of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. From 1970 to 1982, he performed various important duties in Chittagong city and district Chhatra League. He served as General Secretary of Chittagong South District Awami League from 2005 to 2013 and President of Chittagong South District Awami League from 2013 until his death.

Ruling Awami League MP elected from Thakurgaon-2 Constituency M Dabirul Islam on Thursday alleged that Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNOs) are running their areas where the MPs are remaining neglected. He made the complaint that the attitude of the government officials is that the country became independent by fighting on their words and the people's representatives are uninvited people. Dabirul Islam made these allegations while participating in the discussion on the thanksgiving motion on the President's speech. He said that currently the public representatives cannot even give a blanket from the relief fund which is a government relief. "We (MPs) are at the mercy of UNOs and government officials." Read more: Stay away from corruption, serve people, President asks DCs The AL MP said: “Currently the bureaucracy... I don't know how it is in other areas. In my district and in my area, I have seen UNO saheeb doing everything. The idea is that the country was liberated by fighting on their words. We are strangers to them.” He claimed that the situation is not very different in other areas. “There are many in this Parliament whose areas are ruled by government officials. We are just elected. They are the owners of the real power.”