Bangladesh has briefed heads of missions (around 90) based in New Delhi on the recent political scenario and preparations for the next general election in Bangladesh. Mentioning that election is a “festive occasion in Bangladesh as we see it in many democratic countries,” Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen told ambassadors that people of Bangladesh have been eagerly waiting to take part in the democratic process to vote and elect the representatives of their choice. The Election Commission is committed to holding a free and fair election with participation of voters in a festive atmosphere, Masud told the diplomats in Delhi. Bangladesh-India FS-level talks held in New Delhi The foreign secretary briefed the diplomats concurrently accredited to Bangladesh on Friday evening. He was visiting New Delhi in connection with the Foreign Office Consultations between Bangladesh and India, which was held in the Hyderabad House in the afternoon of November 24. In the evening, he briefed the concurrently accredited ambassadors to Bangladesh in a program organized by the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi at the Bangabandhu Hall. Foreign Secretary Masud highlighted the foreign policy priorities and dynamics of Bangladesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh-India FS-level talks in New Delhi on Friday He also briefed the ambassadors about Bangladesh’s position on various geopolitical contemporary issues. During the briefing, he highlighted the socio-economic development of Bangladesh over the last 15 years under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Masud solicited their support to resolve the Rohingya crisis through ensuring the refugees’ safe and sustainable repatriation to their place of origin in Myanmar for peace and stability of the region and beyond. During the briefing session, the ambassadors were requested for support of their respective governments for Bangladesh’s candidature for the membership of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council under category ‘C’ for the term 2024-2025, elections to which be held in London on December 1 this year. Given Bangladesh’s recent socio-economic development, continued stability and growing importance in the regional and global platforms and engagement with the issues of global concern, Foreign Secretary Masud urged the ambassadors to request their respective governments to consider opening diplomatic missions in Dhaka. He assured them of the Bangladesh government’s cooperation and assistance in facilitating the process. The foreign secretary responded to questions raised by the concurrently accredited ambassadors. The foreign secretary is scheduled to return to Dhaka this afternoon. FOC: Bangladesh, India hold comprehensive discussions on trade, security, border issues

BNP and like-minded parties will hold rallies in all metropolitan cities on March 18 to press home their 10-point demand, including holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government. The fresh programme of the simultaneous movement came from the opposition’s human chain programme observed in all district towns and 13 organisational divisional cities, including Dhaka on Saturday. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Alamgir announced the programme while addressing a human chain in front of the party’s Nayaplatan central office. The senior leaders of BNP and its alliance partners also led the human chains in different areas of the capital, others cities and districts downs and announced a similar programme for March 18.  The programme is also meant for registering the opposition parties’ protest against the rise in the prices of power, gas and essential items, and mounting pressure on the government to quit power and to release BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia without any condition, drop the 'false' cases against her and other party leaders and activist and accept the party’s 10-point demand. Apart from BNP, Ganotantra Mancha, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote, Gonoforum and People's Party, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote Peshajibi Ganatantrik Jote formed human chains separately and announced a similar programme for March 18. The Dhaka south and north city units of BNP formed human chains separately in the city’s Nayaplatan and Badda areas respectively. Read more: BNP now announces human chain on March 11

PM-Chollet, LdNext national polls will be free and fair: PM Hasina tells US official Eds: Updates with details Dhaka, Feb 15 (UNB) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the next parliamentary election will be fair and free as she is committed to democracy and the Election Commission is completely independent. “The next election will be fair and free. I fought for democracy throughout my life,” she said. Read More: Clashes, obstruction by ruling party mark BNP’s nationwide march programme The premier said this when a US delegation, led by Counselor of the US Department of State Derek Chollet, paid a courtesy call on her at the latter’s official residence Ganabhaban. PM’s Speechwriter Md Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the meeting. Hasina said if the people vote for Awami League in the next general election, her party will take the charge of governing the country. “I never want to come to power through vote-rigging,” she was quoted as saying. Read More: Govt is preparing to hold a free, fair election: PM The PM said she always struggled for the people’s rights to food and vote. She said the first-ever EC’s reconstitution law was passed in parliament and then a neutral Election Commission was constituted on the basis of the law. She said the EC is completely independent. It has administrative and financial independence, she added. Bangladesh is due to elect its next parliament by end of this year or first week of January next year. Read More: Next general election to be held first week of 2024: PM Hasina announces at Cox’s Bazar rally The last parliamentary election was held on December 30, 2018. The prime minister said no political parties in the country other than Awami League have bases at the grassroots level. Opposition BNP and Jatiya Party were born in the cantonments, she noted. She said AL has been in power only for 19 years in the 51-year history of the country’s independence. The anti-Awami League forces were in power for 29 years and there was no democratic polity during their regimes. Focusing on the development of Bangladesh in different socio-economic indexes, she said the transformation of the country has become visible in the last 14 years during her government. It has been possible due to the continued democratic practice and stability in the country, she added. Read More: EC to purchase 700mt paper from Karnaphuli Mills ahead of national election Nazrul said the Russia-Ukraine war and Rohingya issues also came up for the discussion in the meeting. PM Hasina tells the US delegation that the world should stop this war right now as it has caused high inflation and commodity prices throughout the globe. “A war never can bring any benefit for the human kind,” she said. Noting that the USA is the most powerful country, she said it can stop the war anytime. The disputes can be settled through negotiation, she said. Read more: ‘Bir Nibash’: PM gives away keys to 5000 houses for disadvantaged freedom fighters About Rohingyas, the PM said the displaced Myanmar nationals have become a big burden for Bangladesh. The local communities in Cox’s Bazar are suffering and they have become minority due to the influx of such a huge number of Myanmar nationals there. She said the Rohingya peoples are being involved in different criminal activities like drug trafficking, human trafficking, militancy and infightings. The premier said the displaced Myanmar nationals have been staying in Cox’s Bazar for five years and now it is difficult to keep them there as its natural environment and the livelihood of locals are at stake. She said her government arranged different facilities, including income generating programmes, to ensure better life of the Rohingya people on Bhashanchar island. Read More: EVMs to be used partially again in next JS election: EC She asked the world community to provide their assistance to Rohingya people on Bhashanchar. Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar and Bhasanchar, she said PM Hasina also asked the international community to try their best for speedy and amicable repatriation of the Rohingya refugees. to Myanmar, their homeland. Derek Chollet thanked the prime minister for giving shelter to the Rohingya people on humanitarian ground. Read More: CEC estimates 15 to 20 percent by-poll voter turnout in 6 JS seats left vacant by BNP He said they would try their best for the repatriation of the displaced people. However, the Counselor to the Secretary of State of the United States said the repatriation will be possible when a democratic government returns to power in Myanmar. He said some recent high-level visits of US officials are reflection of the importance of the bilateral relations between the two countries. This relation will grow further, Chollet added. He said there are potentials to deepen the bilateral relations, but there are some challenges here. Read More: EVM purchasing suspended, not cancelled: EC secretary Chollet arrived here on Tuesday for a 24-hour stay in Bangladesh. PM’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, PM’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas were present.

The nationwide march programme at union-level by the BNP to press home their 10-point demand, including holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government, was observed in all the unions on Saturday amid clashes with police and obstruction by ruling party activists. However, Ganatantra Mancha, Ganatantrik Bam Oikya, the 12-Party Alliance, Samamona Jote, LDP, Gonoforum, and People’s Party, observed a similar programme in different areas of the capital peacefully as part of their simultaneous movement. The leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies alleged that the police and the Awami League activists obstructed them while holding the programme in different areas. Contacted, BNP assistant office secretary Taiful Islam Tipu told UNB that their party leaders and activists were attacked and obstructed by police and ruling party activists in almost every district of the country. “We’re collecting information of the attacks and our party senior leaders will come up with detailed information on it at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office at 12pm on Sunday,” he said. Tipu said their party leaders and activists came under attacks at least in 50 places across the country while observing the march programme, leaving more than 300 people injured. Besides, he said over 200 BNP leaders were arrested in different areas while offices of the BNP and the houses of the party leaders were also attacked in some areas.  UNB correspondents in Narayanganj, Sirajganj, Natore, Kurigran, Bhola, Noakhali, Jashore, Lalmonirhat, Bogura, Jamalpur, Gazipur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Jhalokati, Tangail, Munshiganj, Narsingdi Mymensingh, Cumilla, Rajshahi and Nilphamari reported the incidents of clashes and obstructions over the BNP’s march programmes. Around 300 opposition activists were injured in clashes with police and the ruling party AL men and police in different places. In Narayanganj, at least BNP activists were injured in a clash between police and BNP during their march at Panchrukhi in Araihazar upazila. Lutfur Rahman, former joint secretary of the district unit BNP, said police attacked their procession Panchrukhi, leading to a chase and counter-chase.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the government is taking all preparations to hold the next general election of the country in a free and fair manner. “The next election will be free and fair, we are taking all kinds of preparations,” she said. The Prime Minister said this while outgoing Switzerland ambassador Nathalie Chuard called on her at her Sangsad Bhaban office. PM’s speech writer M Nazrul Islam briefed the reporters after the call on. He said that the Prime Minister said that the government has formed a neutral Election Commission after enacting Election Commission Law and through a search committee. “The foreign observers will come to oversee the election of the country and they will do their job freely,” she said. Hasina said that the Election Commission is totally independent and the government has no control over it and its budget. Hasina, also the president of the ruling Awami League, said that Awami League is the major political party of Bangladesh, which has its base upto the grassroots level. “This political party took birth from the mass people,” she said. The Prime Minister said that BNP and Jatiya Party were born in cantonment. Chiefs of these two parties first became president by illegally grabbing the state power, later they formed their political parties. “They do not have any base among the mass people,” she said. Regarding Jamaat-e-Islami, she said that they were involved in crimes against humanity during the Liberation War of the country in 1971. “They also do not have any base among the mass people,” she said. She said that if the people vote the AL in the next election, it will form the government. She said that over the last 14 years the government has transformed the country massively. “It was possible as the people cast their votes in 2008 election for AL and its alliance giving two-third majority,” she said. Read more: Stay ready to offer a fair, acceptable election, Home Minister tells DCs Hasina said that AL always believes in the power of people and works for flourishing the democracy. Regarding the Rohingya issue, she said that over one million Myanmar nationals living here are a burden for Bangladesh. She urged all western countries to extend their support to their return in their homeland. She also said that due to the COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine War negative impact occurred on the economy of the whole world. She said that these two elements forced the developing countries including Bangladesh into hardship. “We are trying to offset this impact,” she added. She questioned who are gaining from this war, only the arms sellers are making profit. “The world should stop this war at once,” she said. The Prime Minister also briefly described women empowerment in the country. Switzerland ambassador Nathalie Chuard said that Bangladesh is graduating to a developing country from the least developed one and her country will continue to support Bangladesh for its smooth transition. “I will always remain as a well-wisher of Bangladesh,” she said. She said that she visited every corner of the country and she was impressed to witness the remarkable and impressive development of the country. Nathalie Chuard said that Bangladesh has to face some challenges including COVID-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine War and climate change. “I am hoping that Bangladesh will be able to advance further facing all these challenges,” she said. She appreciated the quality of democracy, its stability and good relations with neighbouring countries. She also highly appreciated the progress in women empowerment in the country. Regarding Rohingya issue, she thinks that they should go back to their homeland quickly. Ambassador-at-large Mohammad Ziauddin and Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah were present.

The next general election of the country will be held in the first week of January in 2024, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared it at a public rally here on Wednesday. Addressing the huge rally at Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium here the prime minister reiterated her call to the people to vote for her Awami League party to sustain the country’s development momentum. “I am urging all of you to cast your vote for the symbol of Boat,” she said. The jubilant people raised their hands when Hasina, who is also the president of Awami League, asked them if they will vote for her party. She expressed gratitude to the crowd. The rally, organized by Cox’s Bazar Awami League, was presided over by its acting president Advocate Faridul Islam Chowdhury. Read more: Next national election by Jan 29, 2024; EVMs to be used in 150 constituencies Hasina said that the ruling AL was able to come to the power for three consecutive terms as the people gave their verdict in favour of Boat, the party’s election symbol. “From 2009 to 2022 there is a democratic process in the country leading to unprecedented development in the country. Bangladesh has got recognition as a developing country,” she said. At the outset of the rally, the PM inaugurated 29 development projects, and laid foundation stones of four schemes involving Taka 1963.86 crore. PM Hasina highlighted a number of her government has launched to mitigate the woes of the lower middle class and low-income people declaring that as long as she is in power it is her responsibility to look after the welfare of the people of this country. “As the daughter of the Father of the Nation, it is my duty to look after your welfare as long as I am in  power,” she said. Read more: Next general election to be held first week of 2024: PM Hasina announces at Cox’s Bazar rally She once again slammed BNP and its ally Jamaat for causing miseries to the people. “Arson terrorism, killing, murder, looting, money laundering, smuggling country’s money to abroad, smuggling these all they can do,” she said. She also mentioned that Khaleda Zia embezzled the money of an orphanage and for that reason she had been convicted of corruption for ten years. “And her son Tarique Rahman, known for siphoning off country’s money, had been convicted for seven years and a fine of Tk 20 crore as fine,” she said about trial by court. Sheikh Hasina also mentioned that Tarique Zia was involved in arms smuggling on board 10 trucks. “I do not know for what purpose he brought those arms,” she asked. The AL chief said that in August 21, 2004 Khaleda Zia and Tarique Zia and their companions had hurled grenades, which are used in wars, on AL rally leaving 22 AL members dead. “But I narrowly escaped with the grace of Almighty Allah,” she said. She said that BNP always pampers looters, militants, siphons off country’s money and killl people through arson attacks. “Can a human being kill another human with fire?, she asked. This movement of BNP, Tarique Zia and Khaleda Zia is aimed at killing people through arson attacks. They do not know anything without destruction,” she said.

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Monday said their party has started taking necessary preparations to participate in the 12th parliamentary election by strengthening its organisational strength.