President
President to hold dialogue with 2 more political parties Sunday
President Abdul Hamid will meet two more registered political parties on Sunday as he continues discussions with political parties on formation of the next Election Commission.
The tenure of the current EC is to expire on February 14 next year.
Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP) has been invited to join the dialogue at 4pm on December 26 while Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) will meet the President at 6 pm the same day, President’s Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told UNB.
Bangladesh Tarikat Federation and Khelafat Majlish will participate in the discussion at 4 pm and 6 pm on December 27 respectively while Bangladesh Workers' Party is scheduled to meet the President at 4pm on December 28.
Read: President’s dialogue with Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal in progress
On December 29, Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) was invited to hold the dialogue at 4pm and Islami Oikya Jote will exchange their views with the President at 6pm on the same day.
On January 2, Goro Forum was invited to join the dialogue at 6pm while Bikolpadhara Bangladesh at 7 pm on the same day. And Gonotantri Party and Bangladesh Communist Party will participate in the discussion at 6 pm and 7 pm on January 3 respectively.
Hamid also met the leaders of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu) at Bangabhaban on Wednesday.
President of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal Hasanul Haq Inu led his party’s six-member delegation in the dialogue.
Earlier, the President opened the dialogue on December 20 with Jatiya Party (JaPa), the main opposition party in Parliament.
Read: Presidential dialogue on EC: Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal to meet on Wednesday
An eight-member JaPa delegation, led by its chairman GM Quader, joined in the discussion.
Now there are 39 registered political parties in Bangladesh, according to the EC website and nine of those only have representation in Parliament.
The nine parties are Bangladesh Awami League, Jatiya Party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Workers Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasod, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Ganoforum, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation and Jatiya Party-JP.
Presidential dialogue on EC: Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal to meet on Wednesday
President Abdul Hamid will meet the leaders of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu) at Bangabhaban on Wednesday as he continues discussion with the political parties on the formation of the next Election Commission.
The current EC is scheduled to expire on February 14 next year.
The dialogue, second in the series, is scheduled to be held at 4 pm, President's Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told UNB.
The president opened the dialogue on Monday with Jatiya Party (JaPa), the main opposition party in Parliament.
The eight-member JaPa delegation was led by its chairman GM Quader.
Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP) has been invited to hold the dialogue at 4pm on December 26 while Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) will meet the president at 6pm the same day, Abedin said.
Read: President opens dialogue on new EC, meets JaPa delegation
Bangladesh Tarikat Federation and Khelafat Majlish will participate in the discussion at 4 pm and 6 pm on December 27 respectively while Bangladesh Workers' Party is scheduled to join on December 28 at 4pm.
On December 29, Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) was invited to hold the dialogue at 4pm while Islami Oikya Jote exchange will exchange their views with the President at 6pm on the same day.
Now there are 39 registered political parties, according to the EC website. But only nine parties have representation in Parliament.
The nine parties are Bangladesh Awami League, Jatiya Party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Workers Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasod, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Ganoforum, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation and Jatiya Party-JP.
EC formation: President’s dialogue with Jatiya Party begins
President Abdul Hamid on Monday started a dialogue with the main opposition Jatiya Party in Parliament to discuss issues relating to the reconstitution of the Election Commission.
An eight-member delegation of Jatiya Party joined the dialogue at 4:20 pm at Bangabhaban, President's Press Secretary Joynal Abedin said.
Jatiya Party (JaPa) Chairman GM Quader is leading his party’s delegation at the talks.
The other members of the delegation are Senior Co-Chairman Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, Secretary General Mujibul Haque, Co-Chairman ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlardar, Kazi Firoz Rashid, Syed Abul Hossain Babla, Salma Islam, Chief Whip of the main opposition party Mashiur Rahman Ranga.
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The five-year tenure of the incumbent Commission, led by Chief Election Commission KM Nurul Huda, will expire on February 14 next.
Now there are 39 registered political parties, according to the EC website. But only nine parties have representation in Parliament.
The nine parties are Bangladesh Awami League, Jatiya Party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Workers Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasod, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Ganoforum, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation and Jatiya Party-JP.
In December 2016, President Abdul Hamid had a series of talks with the registered political parties over the EC’s reconstitution that began with the first meeting with a delegation of BNP.
Read: Bangladesh wants friendly relations with all countries: PM
Later, a six-member search committee was formed to recommend names for the Chief Election Commissioner and election commissioners.
The search committee sought five names from every political party. The committee later submitted 10 names before President Md Abdul Hamid to appoint CEC and election commissioners among them.
The President finally formed the present commission-headed by KM Nurul Huda. Then the CEC and other commissioners took oath on February 15, 2017.
As per the constitution, the EC should be formed under a law, but this law has not been enacted yet in Bangladesh.
The new election commission will have to arrange the 12th national election within November 2023 to January 2024.
Indian President wraps up his 3-day Bangladesh visit
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind wrapped up his three-day state visit to Bangladesh on Friday that saw a slew of announcements.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen saw him off at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 12.40pm, an official said. At 1.06pm, the special Air India flight carrying the President and his entourage departed.
The visit was of "historical significance", given the 50th anniversary of the shared sacrifices of the people of the two countries during Bangladesh’s struggle for liberation in 1971.
READ: Indian President joins banquet hosted by his Bangladesh counterpart
This was the Indian President’s maiden visit to Bangladesh and also his first visit overseas since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr Subhas Sarkar, Minister of State for Education, and Rajdeep Roy, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) were part of the presidential delegation.
In March this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi too paid a landmark state visit to Bangladesh.
The key announcements made during the President's visit included gifting of the Bangabandhu-Bapu Digital Exhibition to the Liberation War Museum in Dhaka; announcement of the first occupant of the Bangabandhu Chair at Delhi University; and extension of the Nutan India-Bangladesh Maitree Muktijoddha Sontan Scholarship Scheme for five years.
Bullets couldn’t wipe out Bangabandhu’s ideals: Kovind
Visiting Indian President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday said the anti-liberation forces who brutally killed Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family did not realize that bullets and violence cannot extinguish an idea that has captured the imagination of the millions of people.
Above all, he said, the anti-liberation forces did not count on the determination and resilience of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who faced assassination attempts and dictatorships with remarkable courage.
The Indian President said Prime Minister Hasina has been driven by the strong conviction to realise the dream of Bangabandhu, and his spirit of the “rebel”, as set out in the famous poem by the great poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.
He made the remarks at the Victory Day and Mujib Borsho celebrations in the city. President Abdul Hamid spoke as the chief guest.
Also read: Bangladesh India’s development partner, Kovind tells Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Rehana, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque and Chief Coordinator, International Implementation Committee, Dr. Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury also spoke.
Hamid welcomes Indian President Kovind to Bangladesh
President Abdul Hamid welcomed his Indian counterpart Ram Nath Kovind to Bangladesh upon the the latter's arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Wednesday morning.
A special flight of national carrier Air India carrying the Indian President, the First Lady of India, their daughter, and his entourage landed at the Dhaka airport around 11.10 am.
President Hamid and his wife Rashida Khanom, the First Lady, welcomed the Indian President and his family with a flower bouquet at the VVIP lounge.
At the invitation of his Bangladesh counterpart Abdul Hamid, the Indian President has come here to attend the 50th Victory Day celebrations of Bangladesh, the closing ceremony of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of Bangladesh-India diplomatic relations.
READ: Indian President due Wednesday on 3-day state visit
President Kovind was also given a guard of honour at the airport upon his arrival from Delhi. He also paid homage to the martyrs of the great Liberation War at the National Mausoleum in Savar.
On the same day at noon, he visited Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 and paid homage to the Father of the Nation.
In the evening, the Indian President will hold a delegation-level meeting with President Hamid at Bangabhaban. After that, the Indian President will attend a banquet to be hosted by President Hamid.
A cultural programme conducted by artistes of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy will be presented before the official dinner in the honour of the Indian President.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will also have a meeting with the Indian President on the same day at Bangabhaban, while Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen will also call on him.
Before going for the meeting, President Kovind will present a replica of T-55 tank and a MiG-29 fighter jet which was used during the Great Liberation War of Bangladesh, to President Hamid for display at Bangladesh National Museum.
On Victory Day, President Kovind will attend the two-day colourful programme on the theme ‘The Greatest Hero of the Glorious Victory’ organised by the National Implementation Committee for the celebration of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
President Hamid will join the programme as the chief guest while the Indian President will be present as the Guest of Honour at the programme of Bangladesh National Parliament.
Prime Minister and daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Hasina will preside over the ceremony.
On the third day of his visit, on Friday, the Indian President will inaugurate and inspect the newly renovated section of the “Kali Mondir” at Ramna.
The Indian President will leave Dhaka for Delhi on Friday noon.
Earlier, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a state visit to Bangladesh from March 26 to 27 to join the celebrations of the golden jubilee of the independence of Bangladesh, the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh.
READ: India wants Bangladesh to be more vibrant: Kovind
Minister of State for Education, two Members of Parliament, the Indian Foreign Secretary and other high-ranking officials are accompanying the Indian President.
Bangladesh observing Martyred Intellectuals Day
Bangladesh is observing Martyred Intellectuals Day on Tuesday to commemorate the intellectuals killed by the Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators in 1971.
In the morning, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid rich tributes to the martyred intellectuals.
On behalf of the head of the state, his military secretary Major General S M Salah Uddin Islam placed a wreath at Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in Mirpur.
Also read: PM pays homage to martyred intellectuals
Bridge the skills gap to end joblessness, President tells academics
President Abdul Hamid on Friday stressed on the need for identifying and bridging the skills gap by revamping the education system to help end youth unemployment in Bangladesh.
"We need to identify the skills gap and redesign the higher education system rapidly to remain competitive, innovative and efficient at the global stage," he said.
He made the remarks while delivering his speech at the inaugural ceremony of the two-day long International Conference on 4th Industrial Revolution and Beyond (IC4RB).
Education Ministry and University Grants Commission (UGC) organised the conference marking the Golden Jubilee of Independence and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birth centenary.
Also read: Ensure equal opportunities for all ending discriminations: President Hamid to world leaders
"Unemployment rate among the graduates in Bangladesh is high that indicates skills mismatch. Foreigners are dominating our job market, especially in the technical and managerial levels, corporate firms, and multi-national companies.This trend leads to substantial remittance outflow from Bangladesh," the President said.
He hoped that necessary suggestions and recommendations would come out of the discussions of the experts at the conference "to help our universities take necessary steps for producing skilled manpower to meet the demands of the local and global job markets".
He also emphasised on the adaptation to the changes of 4th industrial revolution to make it happen.
"Although we are doing increasingly better in agriculture, automation, software development, freelancing and many other sectors, we have to put more emphasis on our university rankings in the international context," he said.
A large number of scholars, students and 4IR stakeholders from home and abroad are participating in the conference, where three Noble Laureates and many international experts are scheduled to deliver their keynote speeches as well.
Also read: Degrees not enough, achieve global standards, President tells DU students
Along with the conference, two other events are taking place -- ‘Mujib 100 Idea Contest’ and ‘Mujib 100 Industrial Exhibit’.
Education minister Dr Dipu Moni, Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury, and Chairman of the UGC also spoke in the programme.
President signs resignation letter of Murad Hasan
President Abdul Hamid has accepted the resignation letter of disgraced State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murad Hasan.
A gazette on Tuesday night said this.
READ: Now Murad loses Jamalpur district AL post
Earlier on Monday Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked Murad Hassan to resign from the cabinet by Tuesday for his recent derogatory remarks on social media.
READ: BNP plans to take legal action against Murad
Ensure equal opportunities for all ending discriminations: President Hamid to world leaders
President Abdul Hamid on Saturday urged the world leaders to work for ending discriminations based on race, faith, colour, religion and ethnicity and ensuring equal opportunities for all.
"We must end discriminations based on race, faith, colour, religion and ethnicity, and ensure equal opportunities for all," he said.
President Hamid made the call while inaugurating the “World Peace Conference-2021” that has brought together global thinkers, writers, poets, singers and political personalities, aiming to promote a culture of peace and tolerance.
“The maintenance of peace and harmony is an essential element of everybody’s life. We all know peace is a public concept of harmony, friendship and the absence of conflict. Peace guarantees freedom from violence or fear between individuals or groups,” said the President.
“A fair international system is also essential for all peoples of the world. We shouldn’t forget that we live in a shared planet and we’ve shared responsibilities, too,” he said.
Hamid said Bangladesh believes that peace around the world is the best guarantee for our national security following the constitutional obligations.
Also read: Let’s dream of a better world, FM Momen tells peace conference
"We’ll continue our efforts to resolve conflicts through peaceful means and promote peace across the globe,” he added.
He urged all to leave aside the path of divisions, join hands and walk together on the path of peace.
Immediately after Bangladesh’s independence, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was a fervent advocate of peace, introduced a constitution that guarantees the basic human rights of all its citizens, and ensures the promotion of international peace, security, and solidarity, said President Hamid.
Bangabandhu’s guiding principle of “friendship to all, malice towards none” defined and set the bedrock of Bangladesh’s foreign policy, he added.