Awami League president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the selling of party nomination forms for the 12th parliamentary elections of Bangladesh on Saturday (November 18, 2023) after collecting her nomination form. According to the party sources, the AL chief opened the nomination paper selling from party’s central office at 23, Bangabandhu Avenue at 10:30am. AL advisory council member Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed collected PM’s nomination form for Gopalganj-3 constituency. PM Hasina to inaugurate AL's selling of nomination forms Saturday Kazi Habibul Awal announced that the national election will be held on January 7. Those seeking party nominations will be able to collect and submit nomination papers from Saturday (November 18) to Tuesday (November 21) between 10am and 4pm daily. Candidates seeking nominations will have to collect and submit the application forms from the specific booth according to the administrative division from the central office of Bangladesh Awami League at 23 Bangabandhu Avenue. Nomination papers of Dhaka, Mymensingh, Sylhet and Chattogram divisions will be distributed on the second floor of the central office. Meanwhile, candidates from Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna and Barishal divisions will be able to collect nomination forms from the third floor of the central office . Nomination papers of all departments will be submitted on the ground floor of the central office, according to the press release. Nomination seekers will have to collect and submit the application forms by themselves or through qualified representatives of the candidates without any additional public gathering, read the press release. Seek public apology for killing people and arson violence: PM Hasina asks BNP, Jamaat The candidate will have to bring a photocopy of their national ID card with them to collect nomination papers. The deadline for submission of nomination papers is November 30, while December 1-4 was fixed for scrutinising nomination papers and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is December 17. The CEC announced the national election schedule of Bangladesh during a televised address to the nation.

The poll to elect the Board of Directors of the Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) will be held on July 31. On the polling day, the FBCCI members will cast votes in favor of their chosen candidate from 9 am to 4 pm. The names of elected directors will be announced on that day. The election to the posts of FBCCI president, senior vice-president, and six vice-presidents will be held on August 2 by the vote of elected directors for the period of 2023-2025. FBCCI-HSBC to work together to boost exports between Bangladesh-UK The FBCCI election schedule was announced on May 11, 2023. Mahbubur Alam has submitted his nomination papers as the panel leader for the 2023-25 term of the board of directors of the FBCCI. He is the President of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce & Industry and former Vice President of FBCCI. If Mahbubur Alam is elected as the panel leader, then he will be the next president of the FBCCI. He submitted nomination papers on Saturday (July 1) to the Chamber Bhaban in Motijheel on Saturday. FBCCI and Faction sign MoU to boost research, innovation The chairman of the Election Board A Matin Chowdhury accepted the nomination papers while election board members Shamsul Alam and KMN Manjurul Haque were present at that time. FBCCI president Jasim Uddin, Senior Vice President Mostafa Azad Chowdhury Babu, Vice President MA Momen, Amin Helali, Habib Ullah Don, MA Razzak Khan Raj, Former Senior Vice President Md. Ali, former vice president Helal Uddin, BGMEA president Faruk Hassan and other senior leaders of different associations were present. Policy support needed in budget for import-alternative industry in Bangladesh: FBCCI President tells ERF discussion

The High Court on Monday dismissed a writ petition challenging the legality of cancellation of Gazipur City Corporation’s (GCC) former mayor Jahangir Alam’s nomination paper for the mayoral post in the upcoming GCC election. The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Mohammad Mahbub-Ul-Alam rejected the petition saying that he was a loan defaulter till the submission day of the nomination paper which made him ineligible. Former Additional Attorney General MK Rahman appeared for the petitioner while Attorney General A M Amin Uddin for the state. Also Read: Cancellation of nomination: Ex Gazipur mayor Jahangir files petition at HC The writ petition was submitted to the HC bench concerned a week after Gazipur’s Returning Officer (RO) Faridul Islam cancelled his nomination paper in a primary scrutinization, as he is a “loan defaulter”. On May 4, Jahangir appealed to Dhaka divisional commissioner against the cancellation; the appeal was rejected on the same day. After being rejected, Jahangir moved the HC, challenging the cancellation. Also Read: Gazipur City polls: Ex-mayor Jahangir’s nomination cancelled; mother’s nomination valid On April 30, during primary scrutinization, Jahangir’s nomination was cancelled while his mother Zaida Khatun’s nomination was declared valid. Jahangir was the guarantor of an industrial organization. He was declared a loan defaulter along with the organization, the returning officer said. Though the former mayor and his counsel submitted documents demonstrating paying off the loan along with the nomination paper, the returning officer cancelled his nomination during the scrutinization.  

The nomination paper of Gazipur City Corporation’s (GCC) former mayor Jahangir Alam was cancelled today in primary scrutinization, as he is a “loan defaulter”.  However, the nomination of his mother Zaida Khatun was declared valid at the same time. Faridul Islam, returning officer of the GCC election, announced the cancellation of nomination papers of three candidates, including Jahangir Alam, during scrutinizing. On the other hand, nomination papers of nine out of the 12 mayoral candidates, including Awami League-backed Advocate Azmat Ullah Khan, were declared valid. The former Gazipur mayor was the guarantor of an industrial organization. Jahangir was declared a loan defaulter along with the organization, the returning officer said. Though the former mayor and his counsel submitted documents demonstrating paying off the loan along with the nomination paper, the returning officer cancelled his nomination during the scrutinization. Read more: Gazipur polls: 12 mayoral candidates submit nomination papers Terming the role of election officers “biased”, Jahangir said he will move the court to get justice in this regard. On the other hand, the candidates whose nominations were declared valid termed the process “just and fair”. Among the mayoral candidates whose nominations were declared valid are Jatiya Party's MM Niaz Uddin; independent candidates Abdullah Al Mamun Mandal, Sarkar Shahnur Islam and Md. Harun-or-Rashid. The deadline for the submission of nomination papers was April 27, while the date for the scrutinization of nomination papers was today, and the last date for withdrawal of candidature has been set on May 8.   Information from the Office of Returning Officer shows 13 candidates withdrew their nomination papers. Meanwhile, 290 submitted nominations for the post of general councillors and 82 for the post of reserved women councillors. According to the district election office, the total number of registered voters in the 57-ward Gazipur City Corporation is 11,843,363. The voters will choose their next mayor through electronic voting machines (EVMs) on May 25.

A year after a streaming service won Hollywood's top honor for the first time, big-screen spectacles are poised to dominate nominations to the 95th Academy Awards on Tuesday (January 24, 2023). Nominations will be announced at 8:30 am EST from the academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California. They will air live on ABC's “Good Morning America” and be live-streamed on Oscars.org, Oscars.com, and on several of the academy's social media platforms. Riz Ahmed ("Sound of Metal") and Allison Williams ("M3gan") will read the nominees. If things go as expected, “Top Gun: Maverick," “Avatar: The Way of Water," “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Elvis” could all rack up somewhere between six and nine nominations. If last year's Oscars were dominated by streaming — Apple TV+'s “CODA” won best picture and Netflix landed 27 nominations — movies that drew moviegoers to multiplexes make up many of this year's top contenders. Read more: 'Top Gun,' 'Black Panther' advance in Oscars shortlist That includes “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” the A24 sci-fi indie hit. Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan's multiverse-skipping tale could walk away with the most nominations Tuesday, including nods for Michelle Yeoh and comeback kid Ke Huy Quan. Also at the front of the pack is “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Martin McDonagh's Ireland-set dark comedy, which is set to score as many as four acting nods, including nominations for Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. Steven Spielberg's “The Fabelmans” struggled to catch on with audiences, but the director's autobiographical coming-of-age tale is set to land Spielberg his 20th Oscar nomination and eighth nod for best-director. John Williams, his longtime composer, should extend his record for the most Oscar nominations for a living person. Another nod for best score will give Williams his 53rd nomination, a number that trails only Walt Disney's 59. Read more: Oscar winners cut off their hair to support Iran protests Many questions remain, though, like whether the love for “Top Gun: Maverick” will go far enough to win Tom Cruise a best actor nomination. The year's other highest-grossing blockbuster, “Avatar: The Way of Water," should score well in the technical categories, though less certain is whether director James Cameron will make it into the best director field. After that category saw the first back-to-back wins for female filmmakers — Chloé Zhao ("Nomadland") in 2021, Jane Campion ("The Power of the Dog") last year — no women are expected to be nominated for best director. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences will surely celebrate a best picture field populated with blockbusters. Ratings for the telecast have typically been higher in years with much-watched films as favorites. Last year's awards had been looking like a comeback edition for the Oscars before “the slap” came to define the ceremony. In the aftermath, the academy banned Will Smith from attending for the next 10 years. Though he could have still been nominated, Smith's performance as a runaway slave in “Emancipation” didn't catch on. Last year's broadcast drew 15.4 million viewers, according to Nielsen, up 56% from the record-low audience of 10.5 million for the pandemic-marred 2021 telecast. This year, ABC is bringing back Jimmy Kimmel to host the March 12 ceremony, one that will surely be seen as a return to the site of the slap. Read More: Oscar Best Picture Winners: Looking Back at the Last 15 Years But larger concerns are swirling around the movie business. Last year saw flashes of triumphant resurrection for theaters, like the success of “Top Gun: Maverick,” after two years of pandemic. But partially due to a less steady stream of major releases, ticket sales for the year recovered only about 70% of pre-pandemic business. Regal Cinemas, the nation's second-largest chain, announced the closure of 39 cinemas this month. At the same time, storm clouds swept into the streaming world after years of once-seemingly boundless growth. Stocks plunged as Wall Street looked to streaming services to earn profits, not just add subscribers. A retrenchment has followed, as the industry again enters an uncertain chapter. In stark contrast to last year's Academy Awards, this year may see no streaming titles vying for the Oscars' most sought-after award — though the last spots in the 10-movie best-picture field remain up for grabs. Netflix's best shots instead are coming in other categories, notably with animated film favorite “Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio” and the German submission, “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Read More: Will Smith confronts Chris Rock, then wins best actor Oscar

The nomination papers of Ashraful Hossain Alam alias Hero Alam, who has collected papers for contesting the upcoming by-elections for Bogura-4 and Bogura-6 constituencies as independent candidate, were turned down by the Election Commission on Sunday. Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam said the nomination papers of eleven candidates including Hero Alam were cancelled as the Election Commission found mismatched documents against their affidavits. If there is any objection, he/she can file an appeal against it, he said. Also Read: Accept Hero Alam’s nomination, HC orders EC When talking, Hero Alam said “I will file an appeal and if my nomination papers prove valid, I will contest for the two constituencies.” Hero Alam has collected nomination papers for contesting the upcoming by-election for Bogura-4 and Bogura-6 constituencies as an independent candidate. The Election Commission has announced the date of the by-election in the vacant post for February 1.  Hero Alam contested for Bogura-4 (Kahalu-Nandigram) constituency as an independent candidate in the 11th national election. He got 638 votes. Also Read: Bogura by-election: Hero Alam collects nomination On December 2, 2018, the nomination paper of much-talked-about independent candidate for Bagura-4 seats Ashraful Alam alias Hero Alam was turned down by the Election Commission as he could not properly submit the signatures of one percent voters of his constituency. Later, he filed an appeal petition challenging the Election Commission’s decision which was rejected by the Appellate Division. The Supreme Court declared his nomination legal. Hero Alam also failed to collect nomination paper from Jatiya Party for the by-elections.  

Bangladeshi singer-songwriter Armeen Musa and her mother and eminent Nazrul exponent Dr Nashid Kamal have been nominated for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in the category of Best Global Music Album on Wednesday. The mother-daughter duo's song "Jaago Piya," which was featured on the Berklee Indian Ensemble's debut album "Shuruaat," enabled them as the first Bangladeshis to be nominated for the world's most famous musical awards. Read more: 15 receive Aga Khan Music Awards 2022 Confirming the news to UNB on Tuesday night, Armeen Musa said she is overwhelmed by this achievement. “Still in disbelief,” she said although the official website of Grammy also confirmed the nomination on Wednesday. The first in a series of original compositions from the Berklee Indian Ensemble, "Jaago Piya" was originally written and voiced by Armeen Musa, while Dr Nashid Kamal penned the Bengali version of the lyrics. Legendary Asian musicians including Ustaad Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan and Shreya Ghoshal, to name a few, are also featured on the Berklee Indian Ensemble's (BIE) debut album ‘Shuruaat’, alongside Armeen Musa. Read more: List of Grammy winners in top categories One of the most popular music artists in present Bangladesh and the first-ever the first Bangladeshi student in the Berklee Indian Ensemble and a Visva-Bharati trainee in Indian Classical music, Armeen Musa garnered critical acclaim for songs including “Bhromor Koiyo Giya,” “Lona Deyal” and more. She is the founder of the music troop ‘Ghaashphoring Choir’.  

A writ petition was filed with High Court on Sunday seeking cancellation of BNP's Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Tabith Awal’s nomination bringing allegation of concealing  wealth information in election affidavit.