United News of Bangladesh

Eight political parties, including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islam on Thursday submitted separate memorandums to Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, placing a number of similar demands like arrangements for a referendum on the July National Charter 2025 in November before the 13th parliamentary election announced to be held in early February. Other common demands include ensuring the level-playing field during the next general election and keeping a provision proposed in the Representation of the People Order (RPO) that will not allow alliance candidates to run the election without a symbol of their respective party. The seven other parties are Islami Andolon Bangladesh (IAB), Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Nezami Islami Party, Khelafat Andolon, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (Jagpa) and Bangladesh Development Party. After the meeting with the CEC at the latter’s office in Nirbachan Bhaban, Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Abdul Halim told reporters that they discussed the current issues, the July National Charter which was signed by 25 political parties. Some Advisers backing one party in secret, alleges Jamaat leader “We’ve urged the EC to complete the referendum by November. Some parties have suggested changes to the amended RPO, but we have insisted that the RPO should remain unchanged,” he said. When asked whether they had issued an ultimatum to the CEC, the Jamaat Assistant Secretary-General said, “We did not issue an ultimatum today. However, our eight parties in a meeting decided that after a few days of this memorandum, their national leaders will sit on November 3 to review the situation and announce further actions, InshaAllah.” Abdul Halim said the CEC listened to them and discussed their role in considering the demands. “Those who go against the July Charter will surely face the wrath of the people,” he added. He emphasised that holding the referendum before the national election is crucial to avoid questioning the legitimacy of the polls. About the RPO amendment, he said the council of advisers approved it (RPO amendment ordinance 2025) and it must remain unchanged. There should be no change. The government must implement it as approved by the interim government, he said.   The Jamaat leader said they also urged for ensuring a level playing field for the election. Islami Andolon Bangladesh Secretary-General Maulana Yunus Ahmed, its presidium member Ashraf Ali Akand, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Secretary-General Maulana Jalaluddin, Khelafat Majlis Secretary-General Dr Ahmad Abdul Kader, Bangladesh Nezami Islami Party Musa Bin Nezar, Khelafat Andolon Nayeb Amir Maulana Mujibur Rahman Hamidi, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (Jagpa) Vice-President Rashed Pradhan, Bangladesh Development Party General Secretary Nijamul Haq Naim, Jamaat Central Executive Member Mobarak Hossain, among others, were present at the meeting with the CEC. Earlier in the morning, the eight parties held two short rallies in front of the Nirbachan Bhaban in Agargaon and near the Metro Rail station. During the rallies, the parties presented five demands: The demands are Issuance of orders to implement the July National Charter and hold a referendum by November; introduction of proportional representation (PR) in both parliamentary chambers in the next general election; ensuring a level playing field for free, fair, and acceptable elections; visible prosecution of all atrocities, genocide, and corruption committed by the ‘fascist’ government; and banning the activities of the National Party, accused of supporting autocracy and the 14-party alliance. Jamaat demands referendum over July Charter before national election

Nahid Islam, Convener of National Citizens Party (NCP) has said the so-called ‘PR Movement’ launched by Jamaat-e-Islami was nothing but a ‘calculated political deception’. “Now, the people of Bangladesh clearly understand this deception. They have awakened to the truth and will no longer be deceived by false reformists or manipulative actors. Neither the Almighty nor the sovereign people of this land will ever again permit dishonest, opportunistic, and morally bankrupt forces to rule over them,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday.

Bangladesh now stands at a threshold where the familiar theatre of politics is being rewritten before our very eyes. Once, the story was told through posters plastered on cracked walls, festoons strung across narrow lanes, and the blare of megaphones cutting through the night. Now, the script has changed. The new battlefield is the screen; the new weapons are memes. Laughter slices deeper than slogans. Irony pierces harder than pamphlets. Once, citizens gathered in town squares, markets, or outside city halls to speak up, protest, and debate. They held signs, chanted slogans, and faced one another. Today, that stage has mostly shifted - into our phones. Social media is now the battlefield, the meeting place, the soapbox all in one. In this new “public square,” comment threads, TikTok videos, meme pages, and viral posts have replaced physical rallies. Political stories, grievances, and loyalties are born, spread, and challenged in real time - often by ordinary people, not just by the powerful. This change brings both hope and danger. On the bright side, a single meme or clever post can circle the country overnight. Voices once ignored - students, artists, the quiet observers - can now speak and be heard. It is now obvious that the great battle for power is no longer fought only in the streets — it is being waged in the feeds of the masses. The ‘Youthquake’ that lit the fire: July 2024 The turning point came with the student uprisings of July 2024. Streets thundered with chants, but the internet raged with a parallel storm. Memes seared authority with biting wit, hashtags outpaced the speed of slogans, and protest art became the new graffiti—spray-painted not only on the walls, but also across screens. What once was dismissed as jest turned into a clarion call, it was not just mere annotation anymore. It was mobilization. And in that moment, the internet was not just a witness to history, it became history’s weapon. Our soil is especially ripe for this transformation because Bangladesh is a young country. Youth make up about one-third of our population.  Among registered voters, more than 30 percent are under 35. But until recently, many of those young people stayed away from elections. A survey found that 54 percent of youths had never voted in a general election. Another study reported 75 percent of youth said they had never participated in a national election. Then came July 2024. The student uprisings shook things, and young people poured into streets and into screens. Hashtags, meme pages, comment threads - politics became a conversation again, not just a grand show by old parties. Some who had never voted before began reading debates in comments, watching candidate profiles, sharing sarcastic memes about corruption, inequality, demand for change. The mix of memes and youth has created new fault lines. The young are less patient with old speeches, more drawn to sharp humor, more likely to share than just listen. In a filtered feed, one clever meme can travel faster and wider than a campaign leaflet ever could. Satire sharpens its edge: DUCSU 2025 The tide swelled in 2025 through the Dhaka University Central Students Union (DUCSU) and hall union elections. Campaigns abandoned hollow chants and embraced parody. Posters mocked currency. Slogans dripped with sarcasm, and memes that were once laughed off as simple jokes began to carry real weight, almost like political manifestos. But every sword casts a dreadful shadow as well. With satire came smear. Falsehoods spread like wildfire, targeting candidates, especially women, with venomous precision. The Election Commission intervened with warnings. It felt as if online missteps could carry the same weight as tampering with ballots. A sobering truth emerged - satire was no longer just harmless fun. It had become a fatal double-edged weapon, capable of ending someone’s career as easily as saving it. Faceless army: The bot Invasion Yet hidden behind the scene, a silent power directs the show. Bot armies, silent and relentless, amplify narratives, drown dissent and create illusions of consensus. A candidate’s popularity, or its perception at least, can be inflated in minutes. Critics can be buried beneath waves of coordinated noise. For the common voter scrolling through their feed, the line between genuine support and engineered approval has all but disappeared. Humor may lighten the meme wars, but distortion fuels them. And in this strange new arena, the opponent may not be another citizen; but an ‘Army of Shadows’. Election 2026: Rules of war rewritten As the nation steels itself for the 13th general election in 2026, the Election Commission has laid down a new code of combat. The old order is gone. Posters, festoons, and PVC banners - all summarily banished. Billboard ads, once towering symbols of influence, cut down to just twenty per constituency. Every social media handle must now be declared, every message subject to scrutiny. A single misleading post could summon not applause but imprisonment and a fine sharp enough to cripple a campaign. Clearly, the age of poster wars has ended. The age of meme wars has begun. No longer will victory belong to those who command the walls of a city. It will belong to those who command its feeds. Candidates who wield satire with skill and algorithms with precision will surge forward. Those clinging to the relics of the old world will fade into irrelevance. But the danger is stark as one careless meme can undo a career. One viral punchline can crown a leader. The margin between triumph and ruin has never been so thin. Warnings from Abroad Look abroad for signs of what may come. In Germany’s 2021 federal election, researchers documented how campaigns and disinformation used social media to sway voters. Platforms struggled to stem the tide of fake news flooding timelines. One study found that extra ad impressions on social media could shift vote shares by a few percentage points. (OUP Academic) Meanwhile, in Tanzania, ahead of its 2025 election, the government blocked access to X (formerly Twitter) after alleged “cyberattacks” — raising questions about whether this new “public square” can be shut down at will. These examples reveal both the promise and peril of digital politics: memes and algorithms can spark change, but they can also be captured, censored, or twisted by those in control. Perils of the ‘new age’ Yet the odyssey ahead is artful. The imposed regulations on ‘harmful content’ may become a stern shackle for dissent. Legions of bots could shake the very foundations of democracy, turning honest debate into a battlefield of deception. It is certain that the eco-friendly reforms will save the environment, but there lies risks of sidelining candidates who lack digital muscle to compete. Thus, the stage of Bangladeshi politics has been transformed. The festoon and the poster, once the lifeblood of campaigns, now surrender to social media, memes and hashtags. What once simply entertained has become a calculated strategy. What once adorned walls now shapes destinies. As the countdown to the 2026 election continues, one thing is clear - the real fight won’t be in crowded squares or noisy rallies, but in the digital feeds where stories are crafted, sharpened, and spread. And make no mistake, that battle is already underway. The streets may still reverberate with echoes, but the screens will be the dominant medium, for sure. And, in this kingdom of pixels and punchlines, the victor will not be the one who shouts the loudest, but the one who makes the world laugh, click and believe.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday accused Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami of trying to create a ‘state within the state’ through its activities in the political landscape and universities. Speaking at a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club, he warned that the country’s independence and sovereignty could face a major conspiracy due to rising threats from across the border and the emergence of new forces. “Has the DUCSU VP been given magistracy power to decide which shop on the campus is legal or illegal? He fined a shop Tk 3,000 and then deposited the money into Baitul Mal (the party’s fund). What is the legal basis for this?” the BNP leader asked. ‘7th November Projonma’ organised the programme on journalist Dr Maruf Mallick’s book ‘Theoretical Analysis of Bangladeshi Nationalism: Crisis of Civic and Ethnic Nationalism’. In any university, Rizvi said, it is the administration that should monitor who runs shops or markets on campus. Student leaders can raise concerns if the peaceful and orderly environment of the campus is being disturbed, he said. Read: Awami League could return if PR system is used in polls: Manna “Instead, you are imposing fines, and that money is going into Jamaat’s party fund. This is a very serious matter. We have always seen that their activities are creating a ‘state within the state,’ and we are now observing such an environment,” the BNP leader said. He also criticised the supply of iron beds to university halls by Jamaat’s student wing, questioning whether it is the responsibility of any political party or the student union to do so. “If students have demands, they should bargain or negotiate with the vice-chancellor. If there is a shortage of accommodation, beds or other facilities, it is the administration’s duty to address it,” Rizvi said. But, he said, the student organisation or party is providing iron beds to the administration. “This is very strange. It undermines the legal foundation of the state and goes against the proper functioning of the university. Are you running an orphanage that you provide iron beds? Will you also provide dining tables for food? These kinds of actions are a very bad sign, in our view.” Rizvi said in the current reality, especially after 5 August, when the nation is facing constant threats, many divisive voices are being heard, saying that one side is bad and the other is good. “In this changed situation, with continuous threats coming from neighbouring countries, the way the political situation is moving and the rise of certain forces, I believe this is creating an opportunity for a major conspiracy that could endanger our sovereignty and independence,” the BNP leader said. He also said a planned campaign is underway to blame BNP for crimes such as extortion, sand lifting and stone theft, while similar allegations against Jamaat leaders are being downplayed. When Jamaat attempts to show itself as good, it often appears that if BNP men are involved in sand lifting, Jamaat men are also connected, Rizvi said. He, however, lamented that media outlets do not highlight the misdeeds of Jamaat leaders and activists, while allegations against BNP receive wide coverage. Read more:  ‘If confident of victory, why want to delay election,’ Salahuddin asks Jamaat “If BNP members are involved in irregularities, we expel or suspend them and take disciplinary action. But this is not highlighted. Instead, a narrative is carefully created to use against BNP and malign the party,” Rizvi said. He also said the media and social media often blame BNP for extortion, sand lifting or stone theft, but do not report that Jamaat leaders’ names also appear in such incidents, including cases of sexual harassment or abuse of women. “Every family may have a black sheep. But if the parents punish the black sheep, that is a responsible family. The same goes for political parties,” the BNP leader said. BNP Standing Committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Organising Secretary Principal Selim Bhuiyan and senior journalist Amirul Islam Kagoji, among others, also spoke at the event.

The upcoming national election will be free, fair and acceptable only when it is held based on the framework of the July Charter, Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad said on Sunday. Speaking at a meeting of the National Consensus Commission at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital, the Jamaat leader outlined two possible ways to implement the charter: either through a Provisional Constitutional Order or by holding a referendum. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus attended the meeting and focused on the charter’s implementation process. "If political parties fail to reach an agreement, people should decide through a referendum," Azad said. The Jamaat leader said the government had made reform its top priority and had promised to correct past errors and deviations that had damaged the state system. He added that the government's first commitment was to lead the country towards a new path, free from past failures. The second promise was national reform, and the third was to hold the best election in Bangladesh’s history in a festive and inclusive atmosphere. Azad said Jamaat-e-Islami wants to believe that a level playing field will be created, as promised by the Chief Adviser, ensuring a neutral and acceptable election. He, however, expressed concern over the recent DUCSU and JUCSU elections, suggesting they sent a negative signal regarding the electoral environment and result announcements. "We are worried that such influence in student elections might reflect on the national election as well," he mentioned. Azad reiterated that the people’s expectations can only be fulfilled if the upcoming general election is conducted under a fair, impartial and credible administration. Wishing for a smooth and successful conclusion to the national charter process, the Jamaat leader called for an extension of the Consensus Commission’s term and proposed that it be finalised under the leadership of Vice President Ali Riaz.

In a political earthquake that has been rumbling underneath the surface of post-Uprising Bangladesh, the Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed panel’s candidates look set to sweep all the top posts in this year’s DUCSU election, with its Vice President (VP) candidate Shadik Kayem in particular opening up a commanding lead in the overnight vote count.  Voting was held Tuesday in a festive atmosphere across campus for the Dhaka University Central Students Union. Turnout clocked a dizzying 78.3% in the end, of the 39,000-strong electorate. The entire campaign period too was notably free of any violence or untoward incidents, except some instances of mostly online harassment.  With 5 of the 8 centres covering 18 halls reporting their results till 5am Wednesday, Shadik had racked up an impressive 7,516 votes.  His nearest rival, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal-backed panel’s Abidul Islam Khan, popularly known as Abid, trailed far behind on just 3,653 votes. With three centres left to report their results, it leaves Abid with a statistical mountain to climb, if he is to overhaul Shadik, that hardly looks likely. Shadik has so far handily beaten Aid in every single hall that has announced its results, except Jagannath Hall, DU’s only dedicated hall for students from minority backgrounds. That includes two women’s halls - Begum Rokeya Hall and Poet Sufia Kamal Hall - where Shadik scored big, unexpected wins.   Among others in the VP race, Umama Fatema, arguably the most well-known face from last year’s Uprising among all the candidates, garnered 2,355 standing from an independent panel, while independent candidate Shamim Hossain, who tended to attract the more liberal voters, tallied 2,409. The five polling centres included in the count so far were Curzon Hall, Physical Education Center, TSC, Geology Department Center, and University Laboratory School and College. The remaining three centres from which results were still pending are the Senate Building, Udayan School and College, and Dhaka University Club. The Shibir-backed panel's candidates for General Secretary and Assistant General Secretary, S.M. Farhad and Mohiuddin Khan respectively, also worked up handy leads that are unlikely to be eclipsed in the results from the remaining three centres.  JCD's Abid secures big win in Jagannath Hall It remains to be seen whether JCD will concede the election. Abid, and his senior leaders in JCD started complaining about irregularities in the counting process last evening, and in a Facebook post around 2:30am (Wednesday morning), he wrote, “I guessed this result right after noon. Just put numbers as you like. I reject this staged drama.” In contrast, his panel's GS candidate, Sheikh Tanvir Bari Hamim, seemed to gracefully accept the result, even as he referred to some irregularities.  In a status on his verified Facebook page around the same time, Hamim said: "If the students of Dhaka University think that this is their verdict, then I respect this verdict. I am waiting for the students' reaction." Earlier, Chief Returning Officer Professor Dr Md Jasim Uddin told reporters that voting in the DUCSU and hall union elections concluded with no major incidents reported throughout the day. Students cast their vote spontaneously and the overall atmosphere at polling centres was peaceful, he said. A total of 471 candidates contested for 28 positions in this year’s Ducsu election. Among the candidates, 48 vied for the post of Vice President (VP), 19 for General Secretary (GS), and 25 for Assistant General Secretary (AGS).  

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Tuesday termed the draft of the July Charter ‘incomplete’ and described its some parts  as ‘dangerous’, particularly the proposal to implement reforms within two years by the next elected government. “It’s incomplete and some parts of it are dangerous,” said Jamaat’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher during a break in the 21st session of the second-round reform dialogues between the National Consensus Commission (NCC) and political parties at the city’s Foreign Service Academy. Demanding a legal framework for the charter to ensure the implementation of the reform proposals agreed in the dialogue, the Jamaat leader proposed two options: either enact a legal framework through an ordinance and have it later ratified by an elected parliament, or obtain public mandate through a referendum. He said Jamaat is preparing its own draft of the charter and will soon submit it to the Commission. “Whatever consensus is reached in the dialogue, there must be a legal framework for their implementation.” Taher reiterated the issues on which political consensus achieved must be effective and backed by a legal structure. Otherwise, he warned, the political future of the country could descend into uncertainty. “We are ready to proceed with either path to give legitimacy to this framework,” he said. On the structure of the caretaker government, Taher said, there had been extensive discussions in the dialogue.  “We all agreed that the national election must be held under a caretaker government. Almost everyone agrees, except BNP, which has placed some observations,” he said. Jamaat seeks neutral, merit-based PSC to curb bureaucratic authoritarianism According to the proposed framework, a five-member search committee would be formed, comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker (from the opposition), and a representative from the second-largest opposition party. This body would select the head of the caretaker government from a list of 12 prospective candidates. If a unanimous choice cannot be made, the process would proceed in phases—from consensus to single-choice voting, and if necessary, ranked choice voting. In that case, the total number of voters would be seven, including the five search committee members, one judge each from the Appellate Division and one from the High Court division. “The two justices have been included to ensure that no third party or person becomes the sole deciding factor,” Taher said, adding, “We hope the judges will remain neutral and that this will reduce the risk of horse-trading in this selection process.” Taher said BNP's main objection was that, in the absence of consensus, the matter should be referred to parliament. But most parties, including Jamaat, believe that once the issue goes to parliament, no decision will ever be finalised, he said.

Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher on Tuesday alleged that elements within the Awami League are exploiting Monday’s fighter jet crash to destabilise the country, warning that any such efforts will be countered with the spirit of the July-August Mass Uprising. “Not mentioning the misdeeds what Awami League did in 15 years, we would like to say clearly that there is no scope for the evil force who was defeated and ousted to re-enter Bangladesh’s politics,” he told reporters after reform talks between the National Consensus Commission (NCC) and political parties at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital. He said the nation has been in a state of mourning since Monday due to the tragic crash of a fighter jet, but some evil quarters are trying to take advantage of the grief. Dr Taher said unrest was seen on Milestone School compound on Tuesday morning and again at the Secretariat. “The entire nation stands with them (bereaved families). But it is being heard, though we are not yet fully sure, that some vested quarters within Awami League are trying to worsen the situation,” he added. Jamaat leader Taher senses 'hidden force' behind govt's weakness “If they (AL) start continuing to create anarchy, we, together with all others, will take necessary steps to resist them as we did in the past by upholding the spirit of July-August (mass uprising),” he warned. The Jamaat leader said they prayed for salvation of the departed souls of those killed in the jet crash and expressed deep sympathy for their families. They also conveyed solidarity with the injured and urged the government to ensure their proper medical treatment. Dr Taher said top Jamaat leaders, including its Ameer, have already visited the injured and assured them of necessary assistance.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Wednesday urged the Election Commission to hold local government elections under the interim government before the 13th parliamentary polls. “The national election is approaching. Our demand is to hold the local government election before that — not only for now, but also for the future — under the non-partisan government, no matter what form of interim government would be,” said Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad. He said this while talking to reporters after a meeting between a three-member Jamaat delegation and Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at Nirbachon Bhaban in the city. The meeting came a day after the party regained its registration and traditional party symbol –Scales -following a court directive. The Jamaat leader said if the local government elections are held under an interim government, the polls will be much more neutral and credible. Replying to a question whether Jamaat has confidence in the current Election Commission, he said they are still observing everything of the government and the election body. “We’re observing. And where work is done properly, we will acknowledge it. We must describe black as black and white as white. If deviations occur, we will have to raise our voice…. We are hopeful that they (EC) will act responsibly keeping the public interest in mind,” he said. In the meeting, Jamaat delegation also raised the issue of introduction of proportional representation (PR) system in the election. Jamaat regains registration with ‘Scales’ symbol  “The PR system for (the sake of) fair elections is a good method. We have also raised this demand before the EC through the formal meeting," Azad said. About the voting rights of expatriates, Jamaat expressed its support for postal and online voting system. “We’ve suggested that the Commission consider postal and online systems as viable options for expatriate voting,” he said. Regarding the reinstatement of Jamaat registration, Azad said they regained their right that was unjustly taken away. "The restoration of registration with the symbol has set a new precedent,” he said. No one should serve as PM for over 10 years in lifetime: Jamaat “During the previous government's tenure, Jamaat's registration was unjustly cancelled and the party symbol was taken away for political reasons," said the Jamaat assistant secretary general. Two other Jamaat delegation members were its assistant secretary general Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair and Advocate Jashim Uddin Sarker.

  BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday criticised Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami for skipping the National Consensus Commission meeting on Tuesday due to fears of losing relevance after the national election. “Many were not happy with the meeting outcome because the election will bring danger for them. As long as there is no election, they hold considerable importance,” he said at a programme of the Dhaka North City Unit BNP. Once the election concludes, the BNP leader said, the party supported by people will come to power. In an oblique reference to Jamaat, he said the party is concerned about how much influence it will retain after the election. “That is why they were disappointed and did not attend the meeting with (Consensus Commission) yesterday (Tuesday),” Fakhrul said.  The programme was held on the premises of Sunbeams School to launch the Turag unit of Dhaka North BNP’s new membership form distribution and membership renewal campaign. According to media reports, Jamaat-e-Islami skipped the National Consensus Commission’s discussion with political parties on Tuesday as a form of protest against the outcome of the London meeting between the Chief Adviser and the BNP Acting Chairman. The party reportedly informed the commission that it felt ignored after Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman met in London on June 13 and issued a joint statement agreeing to hold the election in February next year. Rizvi hopes interim govt will quickly fulfill election promises Fakhrul said when a debate was going on and a rift was developing between the interim government and political parties over an unfavourable election timeline in April next year, Tarique Rahman met Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus in London on 13 June at the latter’s invitation. He described the meeting as a rare and historic event, as it paved the way for a peaceful democratic transition. At the meeting, Fakhrul said both Prof Yunus and Tarique moved away from their earlier stances on the election schedule and agreed to hold the polls in February, a week before Ramadan.  “This is what we call statesmanship. Without fuelling division or conflict, these two leaders have created an opportunity for a peaceful election,” he said. “Do we like this? If you do, give a round of applause for Tarique Rahman and Prof Yunus,” he said, prompting claps from party leaders and workers. The BNP Secretary General said their party will not engage in vote rigging or break the law like the Awami League. He said BNP will seek votes with humbleness to come to power, rather than by depriving people of their rights. “In the last 15 years, whatever the Awami League has done, we will not follow that path. We must learn from the consequences they have faced. Our aim is to protect everyone’s rights.” Reached a national consensus to hold general election in Feb: Khosru Speaking about the membership collection programme, Fakhrul warned that no Awami League members should be allowed to enter BNP.  “It is proven that no one from the Awami League is good. They only work for their own interests, not for others. So, no one of them should be included in our party.” He urged party leaders to include people with a clean image and good reputation in BNP. Highlighting BNP’s commitment to the people and the country, Fakhrul said solving the unemployment crisis would be their top priority if the party comes to power. “We will create jobs for one crore unemployed people. The government will be run by giving priority to the youth.” He also criticised those involved in extortion, calling them professional extortionists. “Such people always try to join the ruling party by any means. BNP will not give place to any extortionist.” Referring to the 1991 election, Fakhrul said, “Back then, there was no guarantee of how many seats BNP would win. But the party had a good image, and that’s why it won the majority and formed the government.” He urged party leaders and workers to gain public trust through good work in order to achieve success in the upcoming election.