United News of Bangladesh

Three associate bodies of the BNP -- Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal -- will hold a ‘massive’ youth rally at Nayapaltan in the capital on Wednesday, with the participation of at least ‘15 lakh young people’. Youths from Dhaka, Sylhet, Faridpur and Mymensingh will attend the rally to ensure its success, said Swechchhasebak Dal President SM Jilani. BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman will virtually join the rally as the chief guest and present the party’s political outline and future strategy to the country’s young generation, he said. Senior BNP leaders, including Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Salahuddin Ahmed, are also scheduled to address the rally. “We witnessed a huge gathering of youths at our Chattogram rally. Our targets in Khulna and Bogura have been fully achieved, drawing the attention of youths from all walks of life. We expect that at least 15 lakh young people will join our Dhaka rally, breaking all previous records,” he said at a press briefing on Monday. BNP disappointed over absence of clear election roadmap “Youths are eagerly waiting to join the rally... by making the rally successful with their spontaneous support, the youth, who have been deprived of their voting rights for 17 years, will highlight their prime demand for the restoration of democracy,” Jilani said. With this rally, he said, they will take a step forward in the ongoing movement for restoring the youths’ voting rights under the leadership of Tarique Rahman. Earlier, on April 28, the three BNP associate bodies announced their plans to hold four seminars and four rallies involving youths from 10 divisions, with the aim of empowering them to help build a just state structure. Three BNP bodies set to hold ‘massive’ youth rally in Dhaka Wednesday Their programme, which began on May 9 in Chattogram, will conclude in Dhaka today (Wednesday). They also held seminars and rallies in Khulna and Bogura.

Police have arrested four people, including the main suspect of crude bomb and arson attacks at 21 places in Dhaka, including the office of the Dhaka Divisional Commissioner in Segunbagicha in the capital. Ramna Model Police Station arrested them from Paltan and Mugda areas of the capital and Gazaria area of Munshiganj on Tuesday night, said Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Khandaker Muhid Uddin at a press briefing at DMP Media Centre on Minto Road in the capital on Wednesday. Raise voice against miscreants, arsonists: Information Minister The suspects are identified as Ashikur Rahman Panna, Shafiqul, former joint convener of Paltan Thana Swechchhasebak Dal, Sumon Hossain Rony, and Billal Hossain. “On November 30, on the last day of submission of nomination papers for the 12th parliamentary election, miscreants hurled crude bombs targeting the office of the Dhaka Divisional Commissioner and Returning Officer to foil the election process and create panic,” said Muhid. 3 buses set on fire in Dhaka’s Maniknagar “Immediately after the incident, police officials of Ramna Police Station collected and analysed CCTV footage of the scene,” said the DMP official. While analysing CCTV footage, the police found that miscreant Ashikur Rahman Panna threw the crude bombs from the roof of the National Revenue Building located on the east side of the Divisional Commissioner's office. “Panna, who threw the crude bombs, went to the rooftop of the NBR building with a red-and-white shopping bag in his hand and left the building empty-handed after the explosion. Panna's identity was confirmed by analysing CCTV footage collected from various roads near the NBR building,” said Additional Commissioner Muhid. 3 vehicles burnt in 24 hrs till this morning During primary interrogation, Panna and Shafiqul confessed to their involvement in the crude bomb blasts at the Dhaka Divisional Commissioner's office and four other places in the capital's Ramna and Motijheel areas.

Two BNP activists were arrested on Thursday along with bottles of petrol, gas lighters and pieces of clothes while preparing to set vehicles on fire in Gabtola area of  Moghbazar. The arrestees were identified as Ebadul Bepari, 37, joint convener of Hatirjheel unit of Swechchhasebak Dal, and Sabuj Mia, 27, a member of Hatirjheel unit of Swechchhasebak Dal. BNP, like-minded parties to enforce 48-hour countrywide blockade again from Sunday Hatirjheel Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Sharif Miaji said leaders and activists of BNP took out a procession in support of the 48-hour nationwide blockade at Gabtola near Moghbazar intersection around 2 pm. From the procession, they were preparing to set fire to vehicles, he said. Play responsible role with courage following constitutional rules, President tells EC “The police chased and arrested the two men along with the bottles of petrol and other stuff,” he said. BNP and other like-minded opposition parties are enforcing a 48-hour blockade road-rail-waterways blockade across the country which will end at 6am on Friday. EC ready to hold general election on time: CEC tells President Shahabuddin