BNP has announced a dawn-to-dusk hartal across the country to protest “police attacks” on their leaders and activists and their grand rally at Nayapaltan today (October 28, 2023). BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the hartal before leaving the rally stage amid clashes between law enforcers and BNP leaders, activists. BNP grand rally suspended after police action He said hartal will be observed from 6 am to 6 pm on Sunday (October 29, 2023).   BNP men attacked police, vandalised cars in Dhaka’s Kakrail: DB says BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said they announced the hartal to protest the police and ruling party attacks on their peaceful rally. Earlier, BNP’s grand rally was suspended halfway through the program following the clashes.  The rally began around 12:40 pm, and was stopped around 2:15 pm. BNP rally: Tense situation in Dhaka’s Nayapaltan area

Law Minister Anisul Huq on Wednesday (October 04, 2023) said there was no politics in not letting BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia go abroad for treatment. "It's a legal matter, there's no question of politics here. Her (Khaleda Zia's) family had filed an application, which has been disposed of. It was not in the law that she will be allowed to go abroad through this application. There was already a condition that she cannot go abroad, now there is no chance of changing it,” he said. Read: BNP-leaning United Lawyers’ Forum to boycott Chief Justice's reception The law minister said these at a press conference at the Secretariat. “BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir presented false, baseless and misleading information over the matter at a press conference,” he alleged. Asked whether there is any scope to change Khaleda Zia's conditional release, the law minister said if the condition is given, it should be obeyed. “I think the prime minister has done whatever is possible through exercising her power, there is no scope to use the power again.” Replying to another question the law minister said if anyone seeks prudential clemency, he/she has to confess the guilt. “. It is a constitutional right that anyone can appeal to the president.” Read: BNP plotting to form 1/11-like government: Quader On October 1, the Law Ministry rejected an application of Khaleda Zia’s family seeking permission for sending her abroad for treatment. On September 18, the government once again extended the suspension of Khaleda Zia’s jail term by another six months. Read: BNP will miss election bus if they stick to one-point demand: Salman F Rahman The 78-year-old former prime minister has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung, heart, and eye problems.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday (June 7, 2023) said they are not giving importance to Awami League advisory council member Amir Hossain Amu’s remark on dialogue to resolve political deadlock over the next general election, Speaking at a press conference, he also said ruling party leaders’ contradictory comments on the talks with BNP have also manifested how the government has now become unnerved. "I don't want to give importance to this issue. I don't even want to talk about it," the BNP secretary general said as journalists sought his comment on Amu’s comment on the dialogue. Also read: Amu opens door for govt to hold talks with BNP on election issues As some journalists approached Fakhrul for his comment on the issue later in the afternoon, he said he did not know whether Amu has been made the official spokesperson of Awami League. “Why should we give importance to his statement? I don't want to make any comment on it.” Earlier on Tuesday, Amu said at a programme organised by the AL-led 14-party alliance at the AL headquarters on Bangabandhu Avenue that the door for dialogue with BNP is open. “Let a representative of the UN come. We want to sit with the BNP face-to-face and see where the differences are,” he added. Also read: US visa policy for Bangladesh an outcome of AL’s misrule: Fakhrul Meanwhile, BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the ruling party leaders’ comments on talks are reckless. Speaking at a programme at the Jatiya Press Club on Wednesday, he recalled that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a few days back said there is no question of holding talks with BNP on election as it is a terrorist party. “Amir Hossain Amu yesterday (Tuesday) said they’re ready to hold talks with BNP with the mediation of the UN. But Obaidul Quader (AL general secretary) today (Wednesday) trashed it. So, who is correct? In fact, they (AL leaders) have become unnerved and making reckless remarks,” the BNP leader said. Also read: AL is yet to decide to hold dialogue with opposition on upcoming election: Quader Mosharraf said Awami League will continue to be unorganised in the days to come as the party’s time is over. “People used to make unguarded comments when time is up.” He also said the ruling party must quit power by handing over power to a non-party caretaker government, paving the way for holding a fair and credible election.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday (June 5, 2023) alleged that the US visa policy for Bangladesh is the outcome of Awami League’s misrule and mischievous activities. Speaking at a seminar, he also said that democratic countries are creating various pressures on the current regime to restore democracy as it has destroyed all democratic institutions. “The USA has imposed sanctions and announced visa policy. It’s a matter of shame for us, not a matter of joy. A country has imposed (visa) restriction on an independent and sovereign country, because of this Awami League government’s misrule, mischievous activities and plundering,” the BNP leader said. Read: People, not PM, to decide whether they go to USA or not: BNP Fakhrul said the Awami League regime has destroyed all the democratic systems, and institutions, including the judiciary, to cling to power by any means.  “They've (govt) politicised the parliament and the administration, dashing the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh for a democratic state and a democratic society. So, the democratic world is not seeing any other measures rather than imposing restrictions on Bangladesh for the restoration of democracy as the current regime has taken the country to such a bad situation,” he observed. Fakhrul said they together with people and all democratic forces and parties must carry out the movement to restore democracy, give it an institutional shape and build a democratic free society. Red more: US visa policy will apply to BNP leaders who are making open declaration to obstruct upcoming polls “We have to build a democratic country in a true sense through a united movement. We want to take this vow on the occasion of the death anniversary of Ziaur Rahman," he added. BNP arranged the seminar titled 'Martyr President Ziaur Rahman, the promoter of multi-party system in Bangladesh' at a city hotel, marking the 42nd death anniversary of its founder and former President Ziaur Rahman. Professor Kamrul Ahsan of Jahangirnagar University's Philosophy Department read out the keynote paper at the programme, depicting the different good initiatives taken by late President Zia for the development of Bangladesh and the welfare of its people. Read more: BNP’s plot to boycott election failed for US new visa policy: Obaidul Quader Fakhrul said the Awami League government has now become completely isolated from the country's people and it has no relation with democracy.  He said the ruling party tries to brand Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who established one-party Baksal rule destroying democracy against the will of the people as the greatest democratic leader in the world. The BNP leader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who is called by her party followers a daughter of democracy has annulled the caretaker government system unilaterally by force also against the will of people and the all political parties. Read more: Govt to blame for US’s disrespectful visa policy: Fakhrul He said the country’s people had accepted the caretaker government as a good system for ensuring free, fair and credible national elections in the country, but the Awami League government revoked it to cling to power by force.    “So, we’ve now only one way which is to wake up people as Ziaur Rahman did to liberate the country through the war,” Fakhrul said. He said their party’s many leaders and activists were killed, repressed, made disappear, arrested and jailed in the ongoing movement for the restoration of democracy. ‘We have to make more sacrifices for the sake of the country and win the struggle to bring back democracy.” Read more: Kader Siddique calls US visa policy a disgrace for Bangladesh

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been suffering from recurrent fever due to her heart and kidney complications, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Monday. "As far as I’ve come to know from doctors, she (Khaleda) has a heart problem. The fluid accumulating in her lungs will not be stopped unless this complication is resolved.  What they (doctors) think is her kidneys and liver are not functioning properly,” he said. Read: Khaleda Zia suffering from fever Speaking at a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, Fakhrul said, “That's why she has been suffering from recurrent fever. She had fever yesterday (Sunday), too.” Expressing gratitude to the doctors at Evercare Hospital, he said they are trying their best to ensure proper treatment to the BNP chief.  “What they (doctors) are repeatedly saying is that she (Khaleda) should be taken to an advance centre for treatment as our hospitals are not well equipped.” The 76-year-old BNP chief, who tested positive for Covid-19 on April 11, was admitted to Evercare Hospital on April 27. Read: Khaleda Zia infected with Covid-19 On April 28, a 10-member medical board, headed by Prof Shahabuddin Talukder, was formed for the treatment of Khaleda at the Evercare Hospital a day after her admission there. She tested negative for Covid-19 on May 8, 27 days after she had been infected with the deadly virus, but the BNP chief has still been suffering from various comorbidities. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government freed Khaleda Zia from jail for six months through an executive order suspending her sentences on March 25 last year.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday alleged that the government is trying curb the people’s freedom of expression through the Digital Security Act.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said the government is pushing the country towards a “grave danger” by reopening everything amid a huge risk of the spread of coronavirus.