BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday (July 01, 2023) said the current regime will be forced to concede to their demand for holding the next election under a non-party government as their party is going to launch a different type of movement involving the masses. Talking to reporters at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, he, however, assured that they will not announce any harsher programmes like hartal and blockade to avoid street violence. “It’ll undoubtedly be a little different from the previous movements and the involvement of the people will also increase,” the BNP leader said. Also read: BNP's movement to boil down to single point 'soon': Fakhrul He also said they are confident that there will be huge involvement of mass people, especially the young ones, in their one-point anti-government movement. “We believe that the government will finally be forced to concede and resign to hold the next election under a neutral government,” Fakhrul said. He claimed that their party’s recent youth rallies in different cities and districts evoked overwhelming response. Also read: It’s govt’s far-reaching political conspiracy, says Fakhrul about fresh case against Zia “We’ll now begin (road) march programmes. We hope that we’ll kick off the one-point movement in the future,” the BNP leader said. He said the one-point demand will be the combination of the BNP’s 10-point and the other opposition parties’ different demands with the objective to force the Awami League regime to quit, dissolve parliament, and arrange the national polls under a caretaker government by reconstituting the Election Commission. “The one-point demand is basically the resignation of this government.” Asked about the nature of the new-type of movement, the BNP leader said they are consciously avoiding any harsher programmes like hartal and blockade. Also read: Govt to blame for US’s disrespectful visa policy: Fakhrul “There is no reason for us to resort to violence. If the government somehow pushes the movement in that direction, then they’ll be held responsible for it. We’re carrying out the movement peacefully and we want to go to the final stage of it peacefully." Fakhrul, who returned to Dhaka in the afternoon from his home district Thakurgaon after celebrating the Eid-up-Azha, talked about different political issues while exchanging Eid greetings with journalists.

Chiefs of the three services called on President Abdul Hamid separately at Bangabhaban on Sunday evening and exchanged Eid greetings with him. Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, Acting Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral M Abu Ashraf and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sheikh Abdul Hannan also briefed the President about the steps the forces have taken to tackle coronavirus pandemic.

High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India Muhammad Imran has said Bangladesh is their "soul" no matter where they are in the world and emphasised working together. "We have to work from our respective places to implement the vision of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," he said while exchanging Eid greetings with the officials and staff of the high commission and their families. Addressing the officials and staff of the mission, Muhammad Imran said: "Your children should be present at all the national functions of the mission. In this way, they will be able to know about the history and tradition of Bangabandhu, the great hero of Bangladesh's independence." Also read: Muslims in Bangladesh celebrating another Eid-ul-Azha amid pandemic

On the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, border guards of Bangladesh and India exchanged sweets and greetings on Wednesday morning. Hili CP Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) camp commander Subedar Showkat Ali Molla said that sweets were gifted to the commander of Border Security Force (BSF) on the Indian side fro Joypurhat-10 BGB battalion. Also read: BSF won't let BGB build mosque at 200-year-old site Commander Ramakant Singh of BSF Hili camp reciprocated by sending sweets as gifts. During religious and national celebrations, BGB and BSF exchange gifts, greetings and sweets as a tradition with an aim to bolster  friendly ties between the two countries, the BGB camp commander said. Also read: Bangladeshi youth killed in BSF firing along Lalmonirhat border Meanwhile, the BSF camp commander said that "this kind of exchange of sweets and greetings motivates the border guards of both the countries".

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that Bangladesh is firm in its resolve to fight and win the war against Covid-19. "We have been fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic for more than one year now. We have lost many close ones in this fight. But we have to attain victory in this fight and we will win, Inshallah,” she said on Tuesday. Read:Working to build a service-oriented administration: PM Hasina Hasina again urged all the countrymen to strictly follow all the Covid-safety protocols like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing in the fight against coronavirus. The Prime Minister said these while extending her greetings to the people of the country on the occasion of the holy Eid-ul-Azha, the biggest festival of the Muslims, to be celebrated on Wednesday. Read:Help achieve green recovery of CVF-V20 countries: Hasina to developed nations In a video message broadcast on Bangladesh TV and other media outlets this morning, Hasina also urged all to work for the welfare of the country and its people imbued with the spirit of sacrifice taught through Qurbani. The Prime Minister extended Eid greetings to all the citizens of Bangladesh at home and abroad, and prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed souls who lost their lives to Covid.

Cricket stars of the country shared Eid greetings with their fans. Since this Eid came during the coronavirus pandemic and monsoon flood, most of the cricketers are stuck at home.

Eid is an occasion of boundless joy and happiness. It is also one of saddest moments for those loving mothers and fathers who are being forced to celebrate Eid without their sons and daughters around them amid the coronavirus outbreak. This Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival for Muslims in Bangladesh and beyond, has turned out to be a different Eid amid the pandemic.