United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair on Wednesday claimed the arrest of Thakurgaon district Jamaat Ameer Belal Uddin with a large amount of cash as a `stage-managed drama by law enforcers’. Speaking at an emergency press conference at the party’s central office in Moghbazar, he claimed that the recovered money was not related to the election but was linked to Belal Uddin’s personal business transactions. He alleged that law enforcement agencies had fabricated the incident. “It is a stage-managed drama by some law enforcement members. He (Belal) has already clarified that he travels for business purposes. As banks were closed, he had to carry out transactions in cash. That is why he had some money with him. This is very normal,” Zubair said. A businessman may carry cash for family or other legitimate needs, he said, adding, “Even in a restricted area like an airport, where movement is limited, a drama has been staged claiming he was carrying money for a specific purpose, and various news reports are being circulated to give it a different meaning.” Jamaat leader arrested at Saidpur Airport with Tk 50 lakh in cash Zubair said Belal Uddin, a senior and responsible leader, fell ill due to ‘mental torture’ following the incident and is now undergoing treatment at a hospital. “We firmly state that Jamaat-e-Islami conducts its policymaking activities with utmost transparency,” he added. He alleged that the incident was being deliberately used to divert attention and mislead the public, reiterating that the money was not election-related but belonged to Belal Uddin’s business. The Jamaat leader also claimed that candidates, polling agents and party leaders are facing attacks in different parts of the country. “Various conspiracies are being carried out to create panic among voters,” he said, alleging that some members of the administration were favoring a particular party. “If the administration deviates from neutrality, people will not spare anyone,” he warned. Earlier in the day, police detained Belal Uddin at Saidpur Airport in Nilphamari with a large sum of cash. During preliminary interrogation, police said the total amount seized was estimated at around Tk 50 lakh.

Thakurgaon district unit Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Belal Uddin Pradhan, who was detained at Saidpur Airport ‘with around Tk 50 lakh’, fell ill and was admitted to a hospital on Tuesday afternoon. After he complained of illness, he was taken to Saidpur 100-bed Hospital in Nilphamari district by an ambulance at 1:47pm. Nazmul Huda, Resident Medical Officer of the hospital, said, “No sign of a heart attack was found in the Jamaat leader after conducting medical tests. An ECG was performed, but no indication of a heart attack was detected. He has been referred to Rangpur Medical College Hospital for further evaluation.” Additional law enforcers were deployed in and around the hospital to avoid any untoward incident. Earlier in the day, police arrested Belal Uddin at Saidpur Airport in Nilphamari and recovered ‘Tk 50 lakh’ from his possession. Officer-in-Charge of Saidpur Police Station Abdus Sattar said a case is being processed in connection with the cash recovery. Jamaat leader’s arrest with cash ‘stage-managed drama’, party claims   Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair on Wednesday claimed the arrest of Thakurgaon district Jamaat Ameer Belal Uddin with a large amount of cash was a ‘stage-managed drama by law enforcers’. Speaking at an emergency press conference at the party’s central office in Moghbazar, the Jamaat leader claimed that the recovered money was not related to the election but was linked to Belal Uddin’s personal business transactions.

The Ministry of Public Administration has opened a control room to address complaints and information received from field administrations regarding the national election and referendum. The decision was announced in a notice signed by Deputy Secretary Shariful Islam on Tuesday night. According to the notice, the control room has been set up at Room 1802 of Building No. 1 of the ministry. The designated contact number is +8802226641118. The control room will operate from February 10 to February 14 in two shifts daily, from 9:00am to 2:00pm and from 2:00pm to 8:00pm.  Concerned officials and staff members of the ministry will perform duties in the control room during the period. A joint secretary will remain in charge of coordination each day, while two to three officials and staff members will be assigned per shift. The notice further said that officials on duty will communicate with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Election Commission or the relevant returning officers as necessary to take appropriate action based on complaints or information received from the field administration. The move comes as part of efforts to ensure proper coordination and timely response during the election period.

Two CCTV cameras were stolen from a polling center in Kushtia-2 constituency, authorities said Tuesday. The center is located at Naupura Government Primary School in Ward No. 8 of Mirpur Municipality. The school authorities noticed the theft Tuesday morning and informed the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and Assistant Returning Officer. A General Diary (GD) has been filed at Mirpur Police Station regarding the incident. Sources said the cameras were stolen sometime during the night between Monday and Tuesday. The school authorities realized the cameras were missing the next morning. Mirpur UNO and Assistant Returning Officer Nazmul Islam confirmed the incident to Nagorik TV around 8:00 am, saying the school authorities informed him after discovering the theft. New cameras are scheduled to be installed at the same location on Wednesday morning. Mirpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Shahidul Islam said the school headmaster, Mozammel Haque, lodged the GD. The stolen cameras have not yet been recovered, and no arrests have been made. Kushtia-2 constituency covers two upazilas, Veramara and Mirpur. Mirpur upazila has 114 polling centers. In the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad election, five candidates are contesting from this constituency, which has a total of 478,001 registered voters.

The Burimari Land Port in Patgram, Lalmonirhat, will remain closed for three consecutive days starting Wednesday (Feb 11) ahead of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election and referendum, officials said Tuesday. The port’s import-export activities will be suspended on Wednesday and Thursday as part of special election arrangements, and Friday is already a weekly holiday, resulting in a three-day closure. Faruk Hossain, president, and ASM Niyaz Nahid, general secretary of the Burimari C&F Agents Association, confirmed the closure in the evening. The C&F Agents Association issued a letter on February 9, citing instructions from the Ministry of Public Administration. The letter informed stakeholders, including customs authorities in Burimari, India’s Changrabandha, Bhutan, port authorities, BGB-BSF commanders, importers-exporters associations, drivers, workers, bank branches, police, immigration offices, and intelligence agencies, about the special holiday on February 11 and 12. Normal operations will resume on February 14. Meanwhile, Burimari Land Port Immigration sources said the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a letter directing the suspension of inbound and outbound movements through the immigration checkpoints from 6:00 am on February 12 to 6:00 am on February 13 to ensure smooth election activities. Faruk Hossain said, “Following government instructions for the 13th parliamentary election, import-export activities will remain closed for two days, plus the weekly holiday on Friday, making it a total of three days. Business operations will resume on February 14.” SI Saifur Rahman of the Burimari Immigration Police confirmed receiving the ministry’s letter regarding the election. Assistant Commissioner of Burimari Customs Delwar Hossain said traders had requested closure for two days, and along with the weekly holiday, the port will remain inactive for three days.

BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan on Tuesday alleged that vote-buying and the production of special clothing for women are taking place ahead of the election, but the Election Commission has failed to act despite being informed. “We see in the media that special clothing is being produced for lakhs of women. Ballot papers are being printed and seized along with equipment. Even after seeing all this, the Election Commission is not taking visible action,” he said. A BNP delegation, led by Nazrul Islam Khan, met Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin at the Election Commission Secretariat in Agargaon on Tuesday, a day ahead of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election and referendum. Senior EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed was also present at the meeting. Other members of the BNP delegation included Chairperson’s Advisory Council member and Election Steering Committee member Ismail Jabiullah and former EC Secretary Dr Mohammad Zakaria, among others. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Nazrul Islam Khan said BNP wants a free, fair and neutral election. “We have instructed our candidates and polling agents through WhatsApp messages so that the election is not obstructed in any way. We have urged the Election Commission to play its lawful role to ensure a peaceful and credible election,” he said. He also said that individuals who often speak on talk shows in a way that inspires confidence among people are allegedly distributing money to voters. We asked the commission how it views this. The commission said it would take legal action. We have clearly said that whoever is involved in unethical, immoral and illegal activities must be brought under the law, he added. Election atmosphere festive, no reason to worry: EC Nazrul Islam Khan questioned why such incidents are not coming to the EC’s notice beforehand, even though intelligence agencies and law enforcement forces are now under the commission during the election period. “These are not issues to be dealt with only on election day. Why are they not detected earlier?” he asked. He further said some individuals consider themselves powerful, which is not being received positively by the public. “Even after informing the Election Commission, action is not being taken. Everyone must strictly perform their duties as per the law,” he said. Referring to media reports claiming that certain deputy commissioners (DCs) are aligned with specific political parties, Nazrul Islam Khan said such reports could be rumours intended to mislead party activists. “We want to see these as rumours. But the Election Commission must ensure that no official acts in a partisan manner. If anything like this is noticed, immediate action must be taken,” he said. Responding to a question, he said no situation has yet emerged that could disrupt the election. “One day is still left. We hope there will be no problems. The party that does not want elections is not participating. All parties contesting the polls want a free and fair election,” he said, expressing optimism that BNP would win with a large margin through a credible vote. On the issue of ballot box deployment, he said he would have preferred ballot boxes to be sent to polling centres on election morning. “However, many areas in the country are remote and far from police station headquarters. Sending ballot boxes at night to those areas is safer. The ballot boxes will be transparent and have four locks, with an additional lock added once voting is completed. They will be opened in the presence of polling agents,” he said. Asked about the possibility of militant attacks, Nazrul Islam Khan said such threats are often exaggerated politically. “This cannot be solved by law alone. Social awareness must be increased and social resistance must be built,” he added.

The EU Election Observer Mission (EU-EOM) paid a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna on Tuesday. The Japanese Election Observation Mission also paid a courtesy call on the Chief Adviser separately, said the Chief Adviser’s press wing. The EU-EOM delegation was led by Tomas Zdechovsky, Member of the European Parliament and Head of Delegation. Other members included Ivars Ijabs, Chief Observer, Lukas Mandl, Loránt Vincze, Leire Pajín, Şerban Dimitrie Sturdza, Michael McNamara, Catarina Vieira, Martin Bille Hermann, Inta Lase, Reginald Soenen, Nikos Salliarelis, Filipe Alcobia de Moraes, Benjamin Oppermann, Liviu-Adrian Natea, Tessel Giele, Riccardo Chelleri, Frederik Schumann, Marina Graser Lasic, and Michael Miller, Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to Bangladesh. The Japanese delegation was led by Masato Watanabe, Ambassador and Leader of the Japanese Election Observation Mission.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday urged political parties to refrain from any form of chaos, violence, intimidation, occupation of polling centres, vote manipulation, or provocative activities, warning that a ‘flawed, questionable, or violent election’ ultimately benefits no one. “History teaches us that a flawed, questionable, or violent election does not bring good to anyone. Instead, it brings destruction to the country,” he said in a televised address to the nation ahead of the twin polls - the national election and referendum, scheduled for February 12. Prof Yunus said those who have ignored public opinion and attempted to remain in power through force or irregular means have invariably faced strict accountability in the court of the people. “I want to clearly tell all political parties that they must unequivocally instruct their leaders and activists at every level - from the party headquarters to the grassroots, not to engage in chaos, violence, intimidation, occupation of polling centres, vote influence, or any provocative actions,” he said. Prof Yunus also cautioned against the spread of rumours on social media or through any other means. The Chief Adviser warned that the state will not tolerate such activities under any circumstances. Key in your hands, use it wisely: Prof Yunus tells voters “Since the election process began, we have observed that a certain group has been systematically attempting to create doubt, fear, and confusion among citizens by spreading rumours and misinformation,” Prof Yunus said, adding that their sole objective is to disrupt the peaceful election environment and undermine public trust. He called on all citizens to remain vigilant and act responsibly. “Do not share any information without verification. Awareness and truth are the strongest weapons against rumors. Those who deliberately sought to create doubts about the elections over the past months have been proven completely wrong and have failed to mislead the people. “Stay clear of all forms of propaganda. Remain in contact with the government to verify information. Call the Election Friend Hotline - 333 - to obtain accurate updates,” Prof Yunus said. He said a new narrative is now being circulated claiming that the interim government will not hand over power to the elected representatives. He described this claim as “completely baseless and a planned propaganda effort aimed solely at creating obstacles in the country’s democratic transition. Rest assured, the interim government will fulfill its responsibilities and hand over power to the elected representatives as soon as possible.”

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah on Tuesday said there is no reason for concern over the election, as a festive atmosphere prevails nationwide with enthusiastic voter participation and unprecedented security measures in place. “Voters’ preparations and enthusiasm are clearly visible. Just look at the trains in Dhaka today – a huge number of people are returning home only to cast their votes. The presence and excitement of voters, the engagement of political parties and their awareness... The polls have already turned into a festivity,” told a press briefing in the city’s Nirbachan Bhaban. Sanaullah said the level of force and capacity deployed this time has never been seen before in Bangladesh. “Considering all these, I do not think there is any reason to be anxious.” He, however, feared that isolated incidents could occur but the Commission is fully prepared to deal with any situation. Arms Recovery Sharing a statistics, the Election Commissioner said from December 13 to date, law enforcement agencies have recovered around 850 weapons across the country. “The prima facie of bringing these arms, we believe, to be misused during the elections, he said, even weapons were recovered from a place in Cumilla on Tuesday. Citing that the arms were recovered from Dhaka, Jashore and Faridpur earlier, he said, vested quarters want to carry out violence and they have not stopped their activities. But we’re aware of it.... here we can appreciate our law enforcement agencies for what they have done till now.” He hoped that the law enforcers will make their best efforts to maintain law and order during and after the elections. Law and Order Satisfactory Sanaullah said the Election Commission remains satisfied with the overall law and order situation so far, describing it as better than at any previous time, despite a few isolated incidents. “The Election Commission is satisfied with the law and order situation we have so far. It would have been better if the isolated incidents that have occurred had not happened. We are in a better situation than at any time in the past,” he said. Key in your hands, use it wisely: Prof Yunus tells voters The Commissioner urged political parties, candidates, voters and supporters to maintain the prevailing festive and cordial atmosphere and ensure that the election is held peacefully removing existing tensions in some areas. Election at a Glance Sanaullah said a total of 2,028 candidates, including nominees of 50 political parties and independent contenders, are contesting in 299 parliamentary constituencies. Among them are 81 women candidates. The in-person voting will be conducted in 42,659 polling stations, while counting of postal ballots will take place at 299 other stations. Altogether, there are a total of 42,958 polling stations in 299 constituencies. Of the in-person polling stations, around 50 percent have been marked as general centres, while the remaining 50 percent have been categorised as important or vulnerable centres. Tarique keeps up momentum, spends busy day with party work The country’s total number of voters stands at more than 127.7 million, with male voters numbering around 64.8 million and female voters about 62.8 million. A total of 127,298,522 voters (in 299 constituencies) are eligible to cast their ballots in this election. Of them, 64,620,077 are male voters, 62,677,232 are female voters and 1,213 are third-gender voters. The country has a total of 127,711,899 voters (in 300 constituencies) –64,825,154 males, 62,885,525 females and 1,220 third-gender. Postal Voting, Observers, Journalists More than one million people have already cast their votes through postal ballots. Regarding postal voting, the Election Commissioner said that as of Tuesday morning, around 703,000 postal ballots have already reached the returning officers. The remaining ballots, currently in transit, are expected to arrive within the next couple of days. So far, 45,330 domestic observers have been registered, while around 350 foreign observers have also been accredited, a number that may increase slightly by Wednesday. About 9,700 journalists have registered to cover the election, including 156 foreign journalists. Massive Security Deployment Sanaullah said nearly 958,000 members of law enforcement agencies have been deployed across all 299 constituencies and beyond. In addition, around 2,100 executive magistrates and 657 judicial magistrates are engaged on election duties to ensure the electoral code is maintained. “For the first time, we are using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones and body-worn cameras. These will be deployed across the country, with some overlap in certain areas,” he said, adding that more than 90 percent of polling stations have been equipped with CCTV cameras. Law-and-order situation satisfactory ahead of Feb-12 polls: EC A total of 69 returning officers, 958 assistant returning officers, 43,078 presiding officers, 247,862 assistant presiding officers and more than half a million polling officers will be engaged in election duties. Logistics, Briefing, Result reporting Distribution of ballot papers and election materials from assistant returning officers’ offices will begin on Wednesday morning and is expected to reach the polling stations by evening. The Election Commission will hold a briefing for international observers and journalists on Wednesday at 11:00am at Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka. Sanaullah also said the rule regarding voter slips has been amended, allowing candidate names or symbols to be printed on the slips while maintaining the prescribed size. Progress reports on polling will be shared at regular intervals, with results expected to be announced in phases. Counting of votes for both the parliamentary election and the referendum will begin simultaneously at the polling stations to avoid confusion or unrest. Result Announcement “Based on our experience, most results are likely to be available by midnight, except for a few distant polling stations,” he said. EC Action, Voter Turnout The Election Commissioner said around 300 cases were so far filed over the violation of electoral code of conduct, and more than 500 investigations have been conducted. In many cases, candidates or agents corrected their actions after seeking apologies, and no further action was taken. No scope for ‘election engineering’ this time, warns Fakhrul Sanaullah said feedback from the field suggests there would be a strong voter turnout in the referendum and 13th parliamentary election to be held on Thursday next. “Given the enthusiasm we are seeing among voters, we hope and expect a good turnout, Insha’Allah,” he added.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman spent a busy Tuesday after wrapping up his election campaigning by remaining engaged in organisational and coordination activities. Throughout the day, Tarique spoke over the phone with party leaders, activists and candidates across the country to take updates on the overall situation in different constituencies, said BNP Media Cell member Atikur Rahman Rumon. Rumon said the BNP chief arrived at his office around noon, where he also spoke with several foreign journalists and carried out organisational work. “The BNP chairman is currently working from his Gulshan office. Since morning, he has been receiving updates from candidates across the country and speaking directly with party leaders and activists. He wanted to know about the overall situation nationwide,” Rumon said in the afternoon. He said Tarique remained busy throughout the day, while the party’s election messages were also sent across the country through SMS and voice calls. In the evening, Rumon said, the BNP chief is scheduled to attend an exchange-of-views meeting with foreign journalists at a hotel in Banani. Tarique Rahman is leading BNP in the 13th parliamentary election. In this election, BNP’s electoral symbol, the ‘Sheaf of Paddy’, is contesting 291 seats, while the party has reached seat-sharing arrangements with like-minded parties in nine constituencies. Key in your hands, use it wisely: Prof Yunus tells voters Tarique conducted continuous electioneering that began on January 22 from Alia Madrasah in Sylhet. He later addressed election rallies in Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Kishoreganj, Narsingdi, Narayanganj’s Mouchak, Chattogram, Feni, Cumilla’s Chauddagram, Sonagazi, Daudkandi, Narayanganj’s Sonargaon, Mymensingh, Gazipur, Uttara in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Naogaon, Bogura, Rangpur, Sirajganj, Tangail, Barishal, Faridpur, Thakurgaon, Nilphamari and Dinajpur, as well as 14 constituencies in Dhaka. Overall, Tarique Rahman addressed 41 public rallies across Dhaka and other parts of the country over nine days. He formally wrapped up his election campaign by visiting the graves of his parents at around 11:00 pm on Monday.