Election
Mass people are our only masters, no one else: PM Hasina tells AL special meet
Bangladesh's Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Sunday (August 06, 2023) said that the ruling Awami League has no other masters other than the mass people of the country.
“The people are our masters and we are accountable to the people only,” she said in categorical terms while delivering her introductory speech at the special extended meeting of the Awami League at her official residence Ganabhaban.
She also said that her party Awami League works for the welfare of the people.
The president of the Awami League asked leaders and workers of her party to highlight the achievements in the last 14 and half years to the grassroots.
Read more: No CCTV cameras in 12th national election
At the same time, she also directed them to strengthen the organisation as the next general election is approaching, saying they will have to earn the trust and confidence of the common people.
Around 5,000 party leaders and elected public representatives from the AL took part in the meeting.
The prime minister said, the country is witnessing massive development and fate of the people is changing as the Awami League has been in the power since 2009 after receiving mandate of the people.
She said that Bangladesh has attained the status of a "developing nation" as a result of the Awami League being in power.
Read more: Shariatpur ASP's unconditional apology rejected
“Awami League has worked with a long-term plan for it,” she said.
She mentioned that Bangladesh’s journey as a developing nation will begin in 2026.
“I would like to tell the people of the country whether or not you want Bangladesh to move forward with the status of a developing country.”
She also directed the leaders and activities of Awami League to ask the people regarding the journey of the developing nation of Bangladesh, as they (the people) are the owners of their votes.
Read more: Five member AL delegation leaves for India at BJP's invitation
She said that If the people want Bangladesh to move forward with the status of a developing nation and to be established, then they should vote for Awami League’s electoral symbol, boat.
"And it (implementation of a developing nation) will be possible if AL gets votes, and no one else can do it," she asserted.
Hasina said Awami League is working to change the fate of people of all professions, including blacksmiths, potters, weavers, and fishers.
“We promise to work for everyone. Awami League has worked for every person; no one else has ever thought or acted for people before,” she said.
Read more: Go all out for the victory of AL-nominated candidates in upcoming national election: PM Hasina asks party members
PM Hasina asked her party leaders and activists to convey these messages to the people and strengthen the organisation at the same time.
“We will build the Golden Bangla as dreamt by Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” she declared.
She requested the party leaders and activists to go to the grassroot people including beneficiaries of Asrayan projects, and other allowances.
The Prime Minister said that opposition BNP leaders Khaleda Zia and Tareque Zia are all murderers and the country and its people are not safe in their hands. She also called BNP’s founding leader Ziaur Rahman a murderer.
Read more: ‘Your leader studied up to class 8, I completed class 7’: Hero Alom on BNP leader Rizvi calling him ‘uneducated’
“Those who are robbers, corrupts, and murderers; actually Khaleda Zia and Tareque Zia are all murderers. So was Ziaur Rahman,” she observed.
She requested the leaders and activists of Awami League and associate organisations to highlight to the people all the development works that have been made by her government after assuming power.
She said that people usually forget past pain and grief while they are in good condition.
“In Rangpur Monga ( a seasonal food shortage) was a common phenomenon in the past. It disappeared after the Awami League came to power. There is no famine. The reason is that AL is an organisation founded by the Father of the Nation.”
Read more: BNP a ‘horrible blister’ in Bangladesh’s politics: Quader
At the outset of the meeting, AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader also spoke, while Barrister Biplab Barua placed a condolence motion.
Members of AL central committee, central working committee, advisory council, presidents and general secretaries of district, metropolitan, upazila and municipality units of AL, members of parliament, district and upazila parishad chairmen, city corporation and municipality mayors, presidents and general secretaries of AL associate organisations were present at the meeting.
Before every national election, the AL organises such meetings to give guidelines to the party leaders. Last such meeting was held on June 23, 2017 ahead of the 2018 parliamentary polls.
The next general election in the country is due in next December or first week of January.
Read more: BNP in some cases deadlier than dengue: Information Minister
The Awami League has been in power since 2009 after winning three consecutive national elections.
AL not under international pressure ahead of election: Quader
Awami League is not under any international pressure ahead of the 12th parliamentary election; if there’s any pressure it’s from our own conscience, said the party’s General Secretary Obaidul Quader.
“Why should we feel pressure? It is our commitment to hold free, fair elections. If you talk about pressure, then it’s pressure from our own conscience,” he said at a press briefing today (August 03, 2023), shortly after holding a meeting with US Ambassador Peter Haas at AL Central Office on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka.
Also read: US has no position on caretaker govt issue: Ambassador Haas after meeting AL delegation
“We have trade relations with America, we maintain friendly ties. The ambassador of the United States came to our party office. They've never been to our office before. He came, and he saw it,” said Quader.
“We talked about the next election. Our commitment remains the same and it is loud and clear. We want peaceful elections. We want free and fair elections. We're talking to everyone. It's our commitment to the people of the country,” he added.
Also read: Not a violation of Vienna Convention: US ambassador on raising issues about domestic political affairs
“It is our sacred duty to protect democracy. We are committed to this responsibility. Bangladesh has an independent Election Commission,” said the AL leader.
In response to a question, Obaidul Quader said, “We didn’t talk about any complaint. The US ambassador didn’t mention caretaker government, dissolution of parliament, resignation of the prime minister either. We talked about free, fair and peaceful elections.”
“The Americans didn’t give us any advice, and there was no talk of dialogue either,” he added.
Also read: US Ambassador Haas holding meeting with AL leaders at Bangabandhu Avenue office
US visa policy should be effective on BNP, Quader says
The new US visa policy should be effective on BNP as they are trying to obstruct election through violence and anarchy, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said.
Under the policy, the US can impose “visa restrictions on individuals and their immediate family members if they are responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh.”
Read: ‘Which party do they belong to?’: AL Facebook post responds to Fakhrul’s claim with photo of Chhatra Dal leader during yesterday’s clash
"BNP's recent political programmes were nothing but obstruction to the upcoming national election,” Quader, also road, transport and bridges minister, said at a press conference at his Secretariat office today (July 31, 2023).
"We don't want clashes and we won't go on the streets for that. Police will handle the situation and it is their responsibility," he added.
“BNP leaders and activists will block all important entry points of Dhaka and try to disconnect the capital from other parts of the country. In this situation, should the police stay inactive? Police will definitely take action and it is their duty to protect people's lives and property,” said the minister.
“Awami League wants a peaceful environment before and after the election. But BNP wants to remove Sheikh Hasina from power at any cost. So, we will remain vigilant until the election,” Quader added.
Read: Be alert so that anti-liberation forces cannot rise: Law Minister
Those who want election, should not go for conflict, he said.
“No foreign embassy, no foreign delegate has so far said anything about a caretaker government or the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina or dissolving the parliament," Quader said.
BNP's demand for a caretaker government did not get any support at home and abroad, Obaidul Quader observed. Among others, Awami League Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua and newly-elected Dhaka-17 MP Mohammad Ali Arafat were present at the briefing.
US supports Bangladesh’s goal of holding a free, fair and peaceful election: State Dept
The United States has reiterated that political violence has no place in a democracy and that it favors no political party in Bangladesh.
"We support Bangladesh’s goal of holding a free, fair, and peaceful election," Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the US Department of State, Vedant Patel, said during a regular media briefing in Washington on July 26.
He said they have always emphasized the importance of the United States and Bangladesh working together to achieve the latter’s goal of free and fair elections.
US State Department ‘deeply concerned over use of Digital Security Act’
"It’s an important aspect of our bilateral relationship. And we believe that free and fair elections are a shared priority, and many Bangladeshi government officials, including the Prime Minister (Sheikh Hasina), have themselves said that it is their goal," Patel said.
On Wednesday, Bangladesh conveyed its dismay to 13 envoys in Dhaka over their “undiplomatic behavior”.
“We expressed our dissatisfaction. I hope that after our discussion today, they will realize that their joint statement has been presented prematurely, out of step with the flow of events, and they will refrain from such undiplomatic behavior in the future," State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam told reporters at Foreign Service Academy on Wednesday.
BGMEA delegation meets US State Department official to discuss RMG issues
He said they advised the diplomats to be constructive, reminding them of the Vienna Convention.
The diplomats have also been warned that bypassing the government and behaving “devoid of objectivity, neutrality and impartiality” will only create a crisis of mutual trust, Shahriar Alam said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the ambassadors or high commissioners of the 13 foreign missions that issued a joint statement recently after a candidate was assaulted during a by-election to the Dhaka-17 constituency.
US State Department official dies from virus
The statement called for a full investigation and accountability for the perpetrators of the assault on independent candidate Ashraful Alom, better known as Hero Alom.
In the joint statement, the foreign missions had said, “We condemn the July 17 attack on Dhaka-17 constituency candidate Ashraful Alom, popularly known as Hero Alam. Violence has no place in the democratic process.”
"Everyone involved in the upcoming elections should ensure that they are free, fair, and peaceful,” said the diplomatic missions in Dhaka.
The joint statement was signed by the embassies/high commissions of Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States and the delegation of the European Union.
Read more: US says it would let India speak for its bilateral relations with Bangladesh
Shahriar Alam said they have conveyed to the diplomats that this is an isolated incident that cannot be used to judge peaceful, fair and free elections.
"So only a last-minute isolated incident at a center presented by a handful of diplomats never reflects a day-long peaceful election. In giving a quick response, they did not give due importance to the objectivity of their assessment," he said.
As soon as the incident came to light, the Election Commission and the government took prompt and legal action, said the State Minister.
“Two persons were arrested long before the diplomats' statement. However, after taking legal measures, these diplomats were calling for legal measures which is unnecessary,” he said.
Read more: US doesn't consider it interference when other countries discuss its elections: State Dept
BNP wants to destabilise the country, not election: PM Hasina says in Rome
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has alleged that the BNP doesn’t want election, rather the opposition party seeks to create an abnormal situation in the country.
“The election will definitely be held as per the constitution. BNP knows that the people will not vote for them. Why would the people go to vote for those who were driven out due to vote-rigging? They want to destabilize the country,” she said.
The premier said this on Tuesday (July 25, 2023) while addressing a community event held at her place of residence here in Rome, the capital of Italy. She was in Rome to attend the UN food summit.
She questioned how the BNP can seek votes after killing people through arson violence.
Read more: Time has come for a climate-smart agri-food revolution: PM Hasina tells UN food summit
“They don’t want election. They lick the legs of some of their foreign lords and they want to make the people of the country suffer by them (the foreign lords). They want to hamper the ongoing development trend of the country and its people,” she said.
Hasina said the BNP never wants the welfare of the people of this country. All will have to keep it in mind.
“Their purpose is to catch fish in troubled water. So, their aim is to hamper this progress of Bangladesh,” she told the gathering.
The PM asked all to stay united and protect Bangladesh from this evil force (BNP). “They want to push Bangladesh into an unstable situation again. So, all will have to remain alert in this regard,” she said.
Read more: PM Hasina offers Nepal use of Payra port during meeting with Nepalese counterpart in Rome
Stressing that Bangladesh Awami League (AL) will have to come to power to build the country as Smart Bangladesh, the AL president sought votes for her party electoral symbol ‘boat’ again in the next general election.
Referring to imposition of sanction on Rab officials and visa sanction by the USA, the Prime Minister said, “By whom we've curbed terrorism and militancy, sanction is imposed on them. We can’t understand its mystery.”
“Those who had not supported our liberation war want to play games with our country in various ways now. The players can’t be allowed to play. The people of the country will have to remain united,” she went on.
Read more: Work to stop anti-state propaganda abroad: PM Hasina tells country's envoys
The premier asked expatriate Bangladeshis to send remittance through legal channels, search foreign partners to make investment in Bangladesh particularly in ICT, food processing and small industries.
She also urged the expatriates to abide by the laws of their host countries and discouraged the overseas jobseekers to migrate to the foreign countries through illegal channels.
Hasina asked the expatriates to inspire their families and relatives in Bangladesh not to leave an inch of land uncultivated in order to boost food production amid the current global situation.
She said her government has taken steps to improve the food storage system.
The PM focused on her government's successes in different sectors and the progress the country has attained since 2009.
Read more: Declaring you oppose an election tantamount to spoiling election environment: Hasan Mahmud
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All countries including Bangladesh should have free and fair elections: US State Dept
The United States has reiterated that they support everyone’s right to freely exercise their role in a democratic society.
"We oppose any restrictions on human rights," US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters during a regular media briefing on July 24.
Read: Dhaka Metro Rail a symbol of Japan’s contributions to Bangladesh’s fast development: Nishimura Yasutoshi
He said visa restrictions would apply to anyone who undermines the democratic election process in Bangladesh.
"Actions that constitute undermining the democratic election process include vote rigging, voter intimidation, the use of violence to prevent people from exercising their rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly, and the use of measures designed to prevent political parties, voters, civil society, or the media from disseminating their views," said the spokesperson.
Read: EU Special Representative for Human Rights in Dhaka with ‘wide-ranging’ agenda
Responding to another question, he said they do not take a position with respect to any political party in Bangladesh or in other countries.
"But we believe that Bangladesh and all countries throughout the world should have free and fair elections," US Department of State Spokesperson Miller said.
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Foreign envoys' statement over attack on election candidate is clear violation of Vienna Convention: Information Minister
The statement made by foreign missions in Dhaka over the attack on a candidate of Dhaka-17 by-election is clear violation of the Vienna Convention, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Thursday (July 20, 2023).He said this while replying to questions from journalists after unveiling the cover of a book on Bangabandhu published by the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) at the secretariat.
Also read: Assault on Hero Alam: Foreign missions in Dhaka call for investigation, accountability of perpetrators"Ambassadors are behaving like political parties. I would ask them to abide by the Vienna Convention. At the same time, it is clear from Mirza Fakhrul's statement that they want to politics of violence, which they have already started. However, the government will prevent them with a strong hand," said Hasan."When there is violence in India or Pakistan or in any other neighboring country, ambassadors do not issue statements like this. Why are statements are being made like this in our country?" he asked.
Also read: Will investigate if any police negligence led to assault on Hero Alom: Home Minister
"They are actually being provoked by some of our politicians and some in civil society members. So before blaming the ambassadors, I think the people who provoke them are responsible for that."However, the ambassadors must comply with the Vienna Convention," Hasan added.
Earlier, foreign missions in Dhaka called for a full investigation and accountability of the perpetrators involved in the assault on Hero Alam.
In a joint statement, the foreign missions said, “We condemn the July 17 attack on Dhaka-17 constituency candidate Ashraful Alam, popularly known as Hero Alam. Violence has no place in the democratic process.”
Also read: Amnesty International condemns attack on Hero Alom
“Everyone involved in the upcoming elections should ensure that they are free, fair, and peaceful,” said the diplomatic missions in Dhaka.
The joint statement was signed by the embassies/high commissions of Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States and the delegation of the European Union.Hero Alam, an independent candidate contesting the Dhaka-17 by-election, was physically assaulted while leaving a polling centre in Banani area on July 17.
A day marked by violent clashes as political parties take to the streets across country
At least one person was killed and several hundreds were injured in violent clashes across the country as leaders and activists of Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) took to the streets across the country in a show of force ahead of the next general election.
A young man was killed and 50 people were injured in sporadic clashes between leaders and activists of BNP and Awami League in Laxmipur district town on Tuesday.
According to Mahfuzzaman Ashraf, superintendent of Laxmipur police, both BNP and Awami League brought out processions across the city.
Also read: Not a victory march, it’s a defeat march: Quader on BNP’s program
At 4 pm, the procession of BNP and Awami League mingled at Samad Academy intersection. At one stage, the BNP men tore down banners of Awami League, triggering a chase and counter chase.
The BNP men, numbering 30/40, chased some 15/20 men of Awami League, forcing them to take shelter in a building inside Madin Ullah Housing.
Sajib of Chandraganj was found lying on the ground floor of the building, and he died due to profuse bleeding, police said quoting locals.
Also read: Quit now, people don’t want to see you in power anymore: Fakhrul asks govt
Earlier on Tuesday, BNP's Dhaka march for its one-point demand came under attack near Mirpur's Govt Bangla college.
As part of their one-point movement, BNP started a march towards Old Dhaka from Gabtoli Bus Station around 11:20 am.
Also read: 50 injured in AL, BNP, police clash in Feni
When the march reached near the college in Mirpur around 11:45 am, some youths attacked them, resulting in a clash, witnesses said.
Dhaka-17 by-polls: ‘No alternative to Awami League’ Arafat says, optimistic about win
Awami League nominated candidate Mohammad Ali Arafat today (July 17, 2023) cast his vote at the Gulshan Model School and College centre during the parliamentary by-polls to Dhaka-17 constituency this morning.
He exercised his voting rights around at 10 am, said chief co-ordinator at the office cell of Dhaka -17 by-election, William Proloy Samadder Bappy.
Read: Dhaka-17 by-polls: Hero Alam says his agents 'assaulted' by AL activists, determined to remain in the race
Arafat told media that there is “no alternative to Awami League.” People will gather at polling centres to cast their votes for boat, he hoped.
He was also optimistic that he will win the race.
Read: Independent candidate Tariqul Islam Bhuiyan boycotts Dhaka-17 by-polls
The voting started at 8 am and will continue till 4 pm without any recess.
In the Dhaka-17 constituency, eight candidates are running in the race to be elected a member of the parliament. The seat comprising Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara and part of Dhaka Cantonment fell vacant after the death of renowned actor and freedom fighter Akbar Hossain Pathan Farooque on May 14 this year.
Read: EC monitoring Dhaka-17 by-polls, elections of 2 municipalities through CCTV cameras
The number of voters is 325,205 under 125 polling stations in Dhaka-17 constituency which comprises wards 15, 18, 19 and 20 of Dhaka North City Corporation as well as Dhaka cantonment area.
Dhaka-17 by-polls: Hero Alam says his agents 'assaulted' by AL activists, determined to remain in the race
Dhaka-17 constituency MP candidate, Ashraful Hossain Alam -- better known as "Hero Alam" -- has alleged that his agents are being barred from entering the polling stations and that several of them were harassed by the AL activists and leaders.
“The ruling party’s activists have resorted to intimidating tactics to oust my agents. They physically assaulted some of our agents, including women, and barred them from entering the polling centres,” said the independent candidate at Banani Model School centre this morning (July 17, 2023).
Independent candidate Tariqul Islam Bhuiyan boycotts Dhaka-17 by-polls
Asked in which polling centres his agents faced trouble entering, he mentioned Bhashantek Govt Primary School, Adamji Cantonment College, Matikata High School, and Jamia Madrasa centres.
He expressed concern about the fairness of the election.
EC monitoring Dhaka-17 by-polls, elections of 2 municipalities through CCTV cameras
“However, I’m determined to remain in the electoral race until the end,” he said.
Voting for Dhaka-17 by-polls, election in 7 municipalities underway