United News of Bangladesh

Vice-Chairman of the National Consensus Commission Prof Ali Riaz said on Monday that the commission aims to build national consensus on reform initiatives by mid-July. “The Commission’s target is to complete our responsibility within the stipulated timeframe of mid-July next,” he said. Prof Riaz made the comments during his introductory speech at a meeting between the Commission and the AB Party, held at the Jatiya Sangsad Complex. The AB Party delegation, led by its Chairman Mujibur Rahman Manju, participated in the dialogue. Prof Riaz highlighted the National Consensus Commission has already received feedback from 29 political parties regarding reform recommendations. The Commission began dialogues with political parties before Independence Day and held talks with four parties prior to Eid-ul-Fitr. “We expect that we will be able to complete the first round talks with political parties and political alliances by first week of May,” Prof Riaz said. 21 political parties submit reform opinions to Consensus Commission He said the Commission plans to enter the second round of discussions in the second week of May, though there might be varying views and clarifications regarding the reform recommendations. Prof Riaz mentioned that the Commission will also seek input from the general public in addition to political parties. AB Party Chairman Mujibur Rahman Manju stated that his party agrees with 108 out of 166 recommendations put forward by the National Consensus Commission. Additionally, the party partially agrees with 26 recommendations and disagrees with 32. The commission has focused on key recommendations from the reports of five reform commissions – the Constitution Reform Commission, the Public Administration Reform Commission, the Electoral System Reform Commission, the Judiciary Reform Commission, and the ACC Reform Commission – to gather opinions from political parties. BNP submits proposals on reforms to Consensus Commission The commission had earlier sent a set of reform recommendations in a spreadsheet format to 38 political parties, requesting their specific opinions by March 13.

AB Party Chairman Mojibur Rahman Manju on Tuesday urged the interim government, political parties and revolutionary students to reach a consensus to expedite reform initiatives and rebuild the country by holding a free and fair election. "It would be very sad if fascism reemerges due to divisions and conflicts among us, as we have long endured oppression under fascism," he said while addressing an iftar gathering. The AB Party hosted the iftar in honour of top political leaders, foreign diplomats based in Dhaka, senior journalists, intellectuals and civil society members at a city hotel. Manju warned that the resurgence of fascism, resulting from divisions within democratic forces, would also represent a clear betrayal of the sacrifices made by thousands of people. AB party responds to constitutional, electoral reform commission reports "So, I urge the interim government, all political parties, conscientious citizens and the revolutionary student community to play their responsible roles in accelerating the great initiative of reform and reaching a consensus to rebuild the country through a fair election," he said. BNP Standing Committee members Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna, 12-party alliance chief and Jatiya Party Chairman Mustafa Jamal Haider, Revolutionary Workers Party General Secretary Saiful Huq, Jatiya Nagorik Party convener and former adviser Nahid Islam, member secretary Akhter Hossain, joint convener Dr Tasneem Zara, Khelafat Majlis secretary general Dr Ahmed Abdul Quader, NDM Chairman Bobby Hajjaj, Gono Forum Executive President Advocate Subrata Chowdhury, BNP Vice Chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo, eminent political scientist Dr Dilara Chowdhury, Gono Odhikar Parishad General Secretary Rashed Khan, LDP Secretary General Shahadat Hossain Selim and eminent public health expert Professor Dr Mozaherul Haque, among others, were present. Diplomats from different embassies and high commissions in Bangladesh, including the US, UK, Australia, Germany, Sweden, South Korea, Pakistan, Canada, the Netherlands, the EU, and Malaysia, also attended the iftar party.

French Ambassador to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy has emphasised France's strong commitment to supporting democratic values, human rights, necessary reforms ahead of the upcoming elections and political dialogue in Bangladesh. Global focus on Rohingya crisis to return through UN chief’s visit: Govt She recently met leaders from various political parties in Bangladesh, such as leaders from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) and Ganosamhati Andolon, and discussed the issues.

The Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) commended the government and reform commissions for presenting the first-ever public reports on constitutional and electoral reform, fulfilling a demand arising from the July-August 2024 monsoon uprising for state reconstruction. AB Party calls for VAT to be phased out and impose singular direct tax At a press briefing held at the AB Party’s central office in Dhaka on Tuesday, Sunny Abdul Haque, joint general secretary and barrister-at-law, provided the party’s evaluation of the reports. Asaduzzaman Fuaad, General Secretary of the AB Party and a Barrister-at-law, and Mujibur Rahman Manju, Chairman of the party, also commented on different aspects of the reports. Key points from the party’s evaluation: 1. Acknowledging Historic Values The AB Party praised the inclusion of the principles from Bangladesh’s proclamation of independence, emphasizing equality, human dignity, and social justice. This aligns with the party’s recommendations for a constitutional reform centered on the nation’s founding ethos; 2. Concerns on a bicameral legislature Barrister Fuaad questioned whether Bangladesh is prepared for a bicameral legislature, noting that even developed nations face legislative deadlocks in such systems. Instead, the AB Party proposed: (i) Expanding the current unicameral parliament, (ii) Reserving an additional 50 seats for underprivileged groups and professionals alongside the existing 50 reserved for women; 3. Focus on candidate attributes The Party prefers attributes of the candidates to age limits in electoral reforms. 4. Qualitative over cosmetic reforms Addressing law enforcement, Barrister Fuaad emphasized changing behaviour and service ethics over superficial changes, such as uniform design; Monju elected chairman, Fuad general secretary of AB Party 5. Electoral Duration and Government Mandate, Monju reiterated the AB Party’s earlier suggestion for a two-year election timeline, which has gained broader discussion. He clarified the legitimacy of the current government as a product of a democratic uprising, affirming its mandate comes directly from the people. Praise for Public Reporting The Party acknowledged the government’s transparency in sharing the commission’s report and stressed the importance of respecting contributions from all sectors, including students, political parties, and expatriates, who were instrumental during the July-August 2024 movement.

Mojibur Rahman Monju has been elected Chairman of the Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party, while Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad elected its General Secretary. They were elected in the party's first National Council held at the capital's Suhrawardy Udyan on Saturday. Monju, who was previously the Secretary General of the party, won with a significant margin, securing 1,400 votes in the election. His closest competitor, AFM Solaiman Chowdhury, bagged only 211 votes, while Didarul Alam received 33 votes. Stop hindering renewable energy growth in aftermath of monsoon uprising: AB Party The election was held on Friday from 9am to 9pm with votes cast by the party's councillors from across the country. The councillors who were abroad or unable to attend due to illness cast their votes online. The election results were announced by the party’s Internal Election Commissioner Akhtarul Alam during the National Council session on Saturday afternoon. Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad, a former Joint Secretary General of the party, was elected unopposed as the new General Secretary of the AB Party. President carrying on in office 'untenable': AB Party In addition to the leadership elections, the names of a 21-member new Executive Committee of the AB Party were also announced for a three-year term. Speaking at the council session, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir greeted the new leadership of the party. The National Council was inaugurated by the family members and injured veterans of the 1971 Liberation War and the July Mass Uprising.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday lamented that some individuals within the country are trying to create a rift in the national unity forged during the anti-fascist mass uprising. “There is no division among us. Unfortunately, however, some people in our country are now trying to sow discord in this unity. I know that attempt won’t succeed,” he said. Fakhrul made the remarks while addressing the first national council of the Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) at Suhrawardy Udyan. The BNP leader expressed confidence that the nation will certainly achieve its desired goal through united efforts. Khasru trashes minus-two formula, calls for restoration of democracy He, however, said all need to be patient to materialise the dream of rebuilding a new Bangladesh.  “We all must be cautious so that we do not destroy that potential through rashness, wrong decisions and wrong steps,” Fakhrul said. He said it is a fact that the country’s economic situation is not very good amid a fragile political situation. “We want to tackle this together, and we want to overcome all problems together. If we have been able to remove that monster and the fascists by working together, then why can’t we rebuild the state with new possibilities?” the BNP leader said. Reiterating that the BNP has always advocated for state reforms, he said some people wrongly claim that the party demands the election before reforms or that it is restless for the election. “That is not the case. Why do we want the election to be held promptly? We want it soon because it will strengthen us further, once an elected government and parliament are in place. The crises that have arisen will also be resolved then,” he observed. Mirza Fakhrul calls for non-political unity in sports He said many are asking what the nation achieved after the five months of mass uprising. "The achievement is that today we can stand here and speak without hesitation and fear. I consider this a big victory for us." The BNP leader acknowledged that the AB Party has played a big role in making the mass movement a success. "Democratic movements against fascists are rarely successful, but our students have made it a success through their vehement movement, freeing us from the hands of a terrible monster," he said. Fakhrul said the nation is now dreaming of building a new Bangladesh again and talking about it as a favourable situation has been created. 'Jamaat chief’s remarks hurt, still hope for united movement': BNP leader "We shouldn’t destroy this environment and the dream. What is needed now is that, despite all the provocations, we should remain steadfast in our decision to return to a democratic system," he said. The BNP leader said they want to eliminate discrimination as they want to join hands with the youth of Bangladesh, standing shoulder to shoulder with them to build a new Bangladesh.

AB Party (Amar Bangladesh Party) in a post-election press conference, said that the people of the country have rejected the election strongly. The party's member secretary Mojibur Rahman Manju said this at a press conference organized by Amar Bangladesh Party at the party's central office in Bijaynagar on Sunday. BNP salutes voters for making its boycott call a success Manju said in a post-election press conference, “We saw in international media that Awami League cadres are standing in line outside the polling stations. But none of them are entering the polling centre to vote.” “The people of the whole country have rejected this farce election in such an extreme manner, which was beyond our imagination or expectation,” he said. 12th national election: Awami League bags all four seats in Bhola He blamed that in this way the fascist government killed the democracy of Bangladesh with the cooperation of the unilateral foreign policy. AB Party's joint convener Professor Dr Major (Retd.) Abdul Wahab Minar, Senior Supreme Court Advocate Tajul Islam, and Joint Member Secretary Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad, among others present at the press conference. Hasina wins Gopalganj-3