BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday remembered the contributions of Sabihuddin Ahmed, a member of the BNP Chairperson's advisory council and former secretary, on the occasion of his second death anniversary. Speaking at the memorial programme, Fakhrul stated, "Sabih dedicated himself to the country and the people in every role he held." "What stands out most to me is his unwavering commitment while working alongside our Madam Begum Khaleda Zia; he approached his duties with the highest sense of responsibility," Fakhrul added. Fakhrul remarked, "Together with Sabih, who began his journey in student politics, we shared a common goal: to transform society, and we will achieve that." He noted that while it wasn’t possible at the time due to Sabih’s commitment to his government job, Sabih, however, never deviated from that objective. The BNP Secretary General stated that under Sheikh Hasina's government, Sabihuddin faced severe persecution. "He was subjected to brutal attacks at that time... Riaz Rahman was shot, Sabihuddin's car was set on fire, and another individual was also assaulted." Fakhrul added, "His loss is a heavy blow for us. It’s deeply painful for those of us who stood by him." "We were like brothers. He possessed boundless energy and faced every challenge with unwavering determination," Fakhrul stated. The memorial meeting was hosted by the family of the late Sabihuddin at the BRAC Center conference hall in Mohakhali, Dhaka. Among those in attendance were Senior Editor Shafik Rehman, BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Vice Chairman Abdul Awal Mintu, Chairperson’s Advisory Council Member Zahir Uddin Swapan, and Jatiya Party Senior Co-Chairman Anisul Islam Mahmud, along with dignitaries from various fields, including retired diplomats, bankers, and economists. Sabihuddin's wife Rownak Ahmed, son Sayab Ahmed, and other close relatives were also present at the memorial.  Sabihuddin Ahmed died at the age of 76 while undergoing treatment at the United Hospital in Gulshan in 2022. Sabihuddin served as the private secretary to then prime minister Khaleda Zia in 1991. He later returned to the information cadre. In 2001, Sabihuddin Ahmed joined the environment ministry as secretary. Later, he was appointed as Bangladesh's high commissioner to the UK. After retiring as a secretary, Sabihuddin actively joined BNP politics and was a member of BNP Chairperson's Advisory Council till his death.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir left the country for Canberra, Australia, on Wednesday night for a weeklong personal visit to see his elder daughter. He departed from Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on a Singapore Airlines flight at approximately 11:55 pm, his personal assistant M Yunus Ali told UNB. “Sir (Fakhrul) is going to meet his daughter and her family members, as his wife, Rahat Ara Begum, is currently staying there,” he said.  He noted that Rahat Ara Begum has been staying with her elder daughter for the past one and a half months.  Yunus also said the BNP Secretary General is expected to return home with his wife after a weeklong stay in Australia. Fakhrul's eldest daughter, Dr. Shamaruh Mirza, is a medical scientist who has been living in Canberra, Australia, since 2006.  While she is a doctor, Shamaruh is primarily recognized as a women's organizer. In 2017, she co-founded SiTara’s Story to provide women from diverse backgrounds a safe space to discuss their challenges and gain confidence. The organization allows women to talk about stigmatized topics without fear, form support networks, and empower themselves. In 2021, SiTara’s Story received the ACT Mental Health Month award, and Shamaruh was a finalist for the Canberra Community Spirits Award.  In 2022, she was honored with Australia’s prestigious award ‘Australian of the Year.’

The latest 24-hour road-rail-waterway blockade, called by BNP, is underway across Bangladesh with reports of arson attacks. Dhaka is witnessing usual traffic this morning despite the blockade. Commuters were seen going to their respective destinations in a rush while activities at government and private offices were going on as usual. 24-hour blockade: 428 RAB patrol teams deployed Many students with guardians are going to their respective schools for their final exams. A bus of Turag Paribahan was set on fire by miscreants at Dholaipar in Shyampur area of Dhaka at 5:30 am. A total of 428 patrol teams of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have been deployed across the country to maintain law and order during the ongoing 24-hour rail, road and waterways blockade called by BNP. BNP to enforce blockade Wednesday, hartal Thursday BNP called for a daylong blockade today and a daylong hartal on Thursday to protest the schedule for the next national election announced by the Election Commission (EC). Party's Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi came up with the announcement at a virtual press briefing on Monday. Rizvi said the programmes are also meant to mount pressure on the government to quit, hold the next election under a non-party neutral government, and release BNP leaders and activists, including its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. 230 BGB platoons deployed on day 2 of blockade

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday (September 09, 2023) urged everyone to remain alert as the government is plotting to carry out violence and communal attacks to shift the blame onto opposition parties. "They (govt) are conspiring. It won’t work, no matter how much plot they hatch,” he told a rally at Nayapaltan after the party’s two mass processions. As part of that plot, the BNP leader said his ruling party counterpart Obaidul Quader talked about violence and communal attacks two days ago. “By making such attacks by Awami League, they (government) will try to put the blame on the opposition parties. That's why everyone should stay alert,” he warned. Read more: BNP, like-minded parties set to hold mass processions in Dhaka Saturday Fakhrul said the government has no strength to resist the people who took to the streets to ensure its fall. “We must take to the streets with more courage to defeat this demonic government,” he told the opposition leaders and workers. The BNP leader said people from all walks of life, including farmers, labourers and hardworking people, regardless of their party affiliation, have got united to unseat the Awami League government through a united movement. “You’re going through suffering in the rain. You have to endure more pains and suffering in the days to come to establish a people's government through a credible election under a truly neutral non-partisan government by defeating the current regime,” he said pointing at the opposition followers. Read more: Polls experts, politicians say political parties should resolve differences over next elections

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has gone to Singapore on Thursday (August 24, 2023) morning for medical treatment. Fakhrul, along with his wife Rahat Ara Begum and daughter Mirza Safaruh, left Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport via a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight around 8:30 am, his personal secretary M Yunus Ali told UNB. He said Fakhrul will receive treatment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore for various health issues, including a blockage in the nerve in his neck. Besides, Yunus said the BNP leader’s wife has an appointment with a doctor at the National University Hospital. Read more: BNP is instigating militant groups ahead of national election: Quader He, however, could not say when the BNP secretary general would return to Dhaka. After being released from jail in 2015, Fakhrul went to Singapore for treatment, where the issue in his internal carotid artery was detected. Since then, he has gone to Singapore every year for follow-up treatment. Earlier this year, in February, the 76-year-old BNP secretary general went to Singapore for a medical checkup. Read more: BNP is main sponsor of militants in Bangladesh: Information Minister

BNP and its associate bodies will stage demonstrations at all thanas under the party’s Dhaka south city unit on Tuesday to protest the arrest of its leaders and activists. Also read : BNP's Dhaka south unit leader Robin arrested Dhaka South City unit BNP Convenor Abdu Salam announced the programme at a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan central office on Sunday. “The leaders and activists of BNP and other associate bodies will hold a protest rally on Tuesday at every thana under the South city unit of BNP to protest the arrest of our leaders and activists and demand their release,” he said. Also read : BNP-police clash leaves over 150 injured in Habiganj The BNP leader said their Acting Member Secretary Tanveer Ahmed Robin was arrested from Nayapaltan in the early hours of Sunday without any warrant.  He alleged that Tanveer was arrested by the police to frighten the opposition leaders and activists and spread panic among them. Also read : Democracy not safe in BNP's hands: Quader Salam said police earlier arrested their member secretary Rafiqul Alam Majnu with the same intention. Stating that there is no democracy, rule of law, and judiciary in the country, Salam said, BNP leaders and workers are being arrested and harassed by the law enforcers. “In the dark of the night, the members of the law enforcement agencies are going to the houses of the leaders and workers. I would like to ask (the govt), is BNP a banned party? BNP leaders and activists are being rearrested in old cases at jail gates when they are freed on bail," he said.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday (August 12, 2023) expressed concern over the worsening physical condition of their party chairperson Khaleda Zia as doctors again advised her to be sent abroad immediately for treatment at an advanced centre. “I was there in the hospital (Evercare) yesterday (Friday). The doctors of the medical board are very worried. They’re not sure whether her treatment will eventually be possible if she’s not immediately sent abroad for advanced treatment,” he said. Talking to reporters after offering fateha at the grave of the BNP chief’s late son Arafat Rahman Koko, Fakhrul said the doctors told him that it is urgent to send Khaleda abroad for her proper treatment. “I would like to clearly tell the authorities concerned to immediately release our leader Begum Khaleda Zia and take steps for her proper treatment overseas," he said. Read: Khaleda Zia returns home from hospital after 5 days Otherwise, the BNP leader warned that people will create a mass upsurge intensifying the ongoing one-point movement for ensuring the unconditional release of Khaleda. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital on Wednesday night on the advice of a medical board formed for her treatment as she fell sick again. She has now been receiving treatment at the hospital under a medical board headed by cardiologist Prof Shahabuddin Talukder. Her personal doctor A ZM Zahid Hossain said Khaleda’s liver problems worsened and she was suffering from fever. Fakhrul visited the BNP chief on Friday evening and talked to the doctors about her physical condition. Earlier on June 13, the BNP chairperson was admitted to the same hospital and received treatment for a few days after she suddenly fell sick with a fever and stomachache. Khaleda, a 78-year-old former prime minister, has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung, heart, and eye problems. Read: Khaleda Zia under close observation at Evercare, says her physician Zahid Fakhrul along with BNP leaders and activists went to Koko’s grave at Banani in the morning and offered fateha there, marking the 54th birthday of the late younger son of Khaleda and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman. On January 24, 2015, Koko died of cardiac arrest at the age of 45 at a rented house in Malaysia. After visiting the grave premises, Fakhrul alleged that Koko lost his life prematurely due to direct and indirect torture and torture by the interim regime of Fakhruddin-Moyeenuddin after the 1/11 political changeover in 2007. “It’s very unfortunate that the Moyeenuddin-Fakhruddin regime shamelessly and brutally tortured our extraordinary sports organiser. He fell ill due to physical torture and died while undergoing treatment in Malaysia,” he said. Read more: Khaleda Zia taken to Evercare Hospital for health check-ups On Koko’s birthday, Fakhrul said they offered his grave and prayed for the salvation of his departed soul.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the 10-point demand has now become a one-point demand—Sheikh Hasina's resignation. She must resign immediately, he said. Also read: No compromise with govt over next election: Fakhrul “Through elections under a non-partisan neutral government a new parliament and a new government of the people should be formed, " he said at the BNP march at the institute premises in Dinajpur on Wednesday (July 19, 2023) afternoon. “This movement is not just a movement of BNP or Khaleda Zia or Tarique Rahman, this fight is a movement for the liberation of 18 crore people across the country,” he said. Also read: Govt to blame for US’s disrespectful visa policy: Fakhrul Krishak Dal Central President Hasan Jafir Tuhin presided over the programme. District Committee President Mofazzal Hossain Dulal, Divisional Organizing Secretary Asadul Habib Dulu, Senior Vice Chairman Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain and others spoke on the occasion. Earlier, leaders and activists of eight districts of the division gathered at the meeting hall with various banner, placards. After the rally, the march was taken out. Also read: Assassination threat made against PM at BNP rally: Fakhrul slammed for ‘sharing stage’ with threat issuer Meanwhile, Fakhrul alleged that 50 leaders and activists of the party were injured in an attack by Chhatra League.

Voicing deep concerns over the crude bomb explosions in the capital ahead of the party’s public rally on Wednesday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday alleged that the government is trying to unleash violence in the country to blame the opposition party. "They (govt) are trying again to push the entire country and the nation towards violence deliberately through provocations, he said. Speaking at a training programme for the female leaders and workers of BNP, Fakhrul said some media outlets reported about the crude bomb explosions in the city's Moghbazar area on Monday night. “It is a very deliberate and conspiratorial move by those who want to destroy the democracy in Bangladesh and to malign and blame the opposition parties.” Also read: One-point Movement: BNP sits with four allies He alleged that the government carried out the incident through its various agencies to give the impression that BNP was behind it. The BNP leader said their party has announced to hold a peaceful public rally in the capital on Wednesday as they did in the past. “But they (AL) have announced a so-called counter programme, 'peace rally' and 'peace march', pushing the country towards conflict." He warned that the government will have to shoulder all the responsibilities for taking the country towards violence with its provocative acts and programmes. Fakhrul called upon the government to back off from these terrible efforts to destabilise the country and work for creating a truly democratic state system in the country by accepting the opposition’s demand for holding an acceptable national election under a neutral administration. Also read: BNP seeks cops' cooperation in holding Dhaka rally Wednesday The BNP's 'Training Cell' arranged the day-long training workshop for women representatives of the party in collaboration with United States-based 'Democracy International (DI)' at party the chairperson's office in Gulshan. Fakhrul said the government has recently been saying that they do not obstruct the political parties from doing their political activities. “It’s a complete lie and fraudulence." “Awami League has a characteristic problem that they do not believe in democracy. They choose dictatorship and feudalism. They have a mindset that there‘s no one else in the country except them and they’re the only owners of the country,” he said. Also read: Govt has taken elections as weapon to establish fascism: Fakhrul The BNP leader said it is unfortunate for the nation that there is no democracy in the country while the democratic space for the political parties has been destroyed. He questioned whether there is any democratic party in the world except BNP, whose four million leaders and workers are facing false political cases and the chief of the party has been convicted on false charges and all the senior leaders of the party are facing false cases on fake charges. Citing a newspaper report, Fakhrul alleged that the government is trying to speed up the trial in the cases filed against him and their party chief Khaleda Zia. “They’ve instructed the police authorities and even the Law Ministry issued a letter to the judges to speed up the trial and dispose of the cases (against opposition leaders and activists)…the rulers are doing this as they don’t believe in democracy. They want to hang onto power and they don’t respect and count the other political parties.” Also read: Fakhrul sets up big expectations from next Wednesday's BNP rally Fakhrul said they have been carrying out a movement for the restoration of democracy in a democratic manner as the usurper government held two elections completely deceiving people by force. “Competitive elections are the key elements to uphold the democratic practice…but the rulers in this country talk about democracy, but they never practice it,” he said. The BNP leader said there are now many discussions about the frequent trips of delegations from different countries to Bangladesh. Also read: Govt hacking opposition leaders’ smartphones by using ‘Pegasus’ spyware, alleges Fakhrul “An American delegation is coming today (Tuesday) while a team of EU has already arrived here to know about human rights democracy and elections here. Why do they come to Bangladesh? Because there’s no democracy here and there’re no (credible) elections and elections are not held (fairly) here,” Fakhrul observed. He said a level-playing field having equal opportunity for all political parties is necessary for a good election, but it is not possible to ensure when the government tries to suppress opposition leaders and activists by arresting, jailing, killing, and implicating them in false cases and when it tries to prevent the opposition from function and holding their programmes by using the state machinery. Also read: Fakhrul hopeful about success of one-point movement  

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.