Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday said strict organizational action would be taken against the party members who worked against its interest during the recent union parishad election. " List of names of those who were involved in misdeeds and had tarnished the image of the party in the UP elections is being compiled and strict organizational measures would be taken against them," he said speaking virtually at the triennial council of Natore district Awami League this morning. Quader directed the central leaders present at the Natore district Awami League council to identify and punish those who were involved in election violence. Also read: None can defeat a united AL: Obaidul Quader The AL leader said that all the development of the country would be ruined if the party gets involved in the conflict before next general election. He said that BNP is now in a ditch after failure both in winning elections and waging movement. He ridiculed BNP leaders for the making noise against the government. Accusing BNP of conspiring against the government Quader said people will foil such ill attempts. “The Awami League will win the next general election by a huge margin,” he said. Also read: BNP sold out the War of Liberation sharing power with anti-independence forces: Quader Presided over by Natore District Awami League President Abdul Quddus, the council was also attended by Awami League presidium members Abdur Rahman, AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Joint-General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud, Organizing Secretary SM Kamal Hossain, Health and Population Secretary Dr Rokeya Sultana, ICT State Minister Junayed Ahmed Palak, Natore District Awami League General Secretary Shafiqul Islam Shimul and other central leaders and local MPs.

Defying age Rabiul Awal of Kamarkhand upazila of Sirajganj district has passed this year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination with a good grade at the age of 43. Rabiul, the youngest son of Sohrab Hossain of Nandinamadhu village of the upazila, appeared in the SSC examination of 2021 (Vocational) and obtained GPA 4.68. A three-time elected member of Ward No 9 of Jamtoil Union Parishad of the upazila, Rabiul was a little bit frustrated as he failed to win the post in the recently held UP election. Read: UP-polls violence: 1 succumbs to injuries in Sirajganj, 1 arrested “But the SSC results which was published on December 31 washed away my grief and brought me joy,” he told the UNB correspondent. In 1992, Rabiul appeared in the SSC exam under Rajshahi General Education Board. In all subjects except Mathematics he got letter marks. He failed in Mathematics securing only 28 marks, he said.. Being frustrated over the failure, he stopped studies. After remaining detached from formal education for 29 years, Rabiul started to think over resuming study two years back and got admitted to Shahidul Bulbul Technical School and College in class IX under Technical Education Board . This time he succeeded. Encouraged by the success he now wish to continue his study. Read:Shocker from Sirajganj: In-laws ‘shave housewife’s hair, eyebrows’ Upazila secondary education officer Md Sakman Ali confirmed Rabiul’s achievement. Robiul is the youngest among his seven siblings. Among them, his two brothers are government service holders, one is involved in farming and another is involved in local politics.

Some 1,000 Union Parishads are set to go to polls on Sunday in the third phase of the countrywide elections to the lowest tier of the local government. The balloting will be held from 8am to 4pm without any break. Over 50,000 candidates are running in the election to the local bodies. More than two crore people have the voting rights under 10,159 polling stations in Sunday’s election. In the third phase election, 569 candidates have already been elected unopposed. Of the uncontested candidates, 100 are in chairman posts, while 132 in reserved seats and 337 in member posts. So, the polls will not be required against the chairman posts in the 100 UPs. Apart from the unelected candidates, some 4,500 chairman contestants are running in the election (900 UPs), 11,000 women contestants (for reserved seats) and 34,500 member contestants in the polls. The polls to the UP chairman posts are held in partisan manner, while the election to other posts – reserved seats and members posts- in non-partisan manner. Among the major political parties, Awami League and Jatiya Party are participating in the countrywide staggered UP election, but BNP is refraining to join the local body polls. In the third phase election, the highest 981 chairman candidates are being fielded by AL, while 438 chairman contestants by Islami Andolan Bangladesh, and 187 by Jatiya Party. The electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used in 33 UPs. Though the Election Commission earlier announced the election schedule for 1,007 UPs, the polls to seven UPs were postponed on different grounds.

In a first for the district, a member of the transgender community has won elected office during phase two of the UP elections last Thursday. Shahida Bibi, 43, has been elected as a member of Maguraghona Union Parishad-6 (Council) in Khulna district. Shahida’s victory was announced on Thursday after she contested a reserved seat for women of wards 4, 5, and 6 under the unionint the second phase of UP polls. She won by a huge margin of 2,740 votes competing against four female candidates with her symbol Mic. Shahida, a resident of ward-6 of Dumuria upazila, has been living for a long time in this area after building her own house. Her father Abdur Razaque Morol is a resident of Dakkhin Chuknagar village. Read: Empowering transgender and hijra communities a priority of the state: NBR chairman An ecstatic Shahida vowed to change society’s perspective towards the transgender community through her activities after winning. “I have contested in the poll to ensure the rights for people of our community which I’ll try to attain with my utmost effort,” she said. "People elected me for this position even though our community is neglected in society. I’m indebted to all who voted for me,” she said. Shahida also thanked the only transgender voter in the three reserved wards, Moni Mukta, for her constant support and another group of her community who came from different areas on the day of election to show their support. Meanwhile Moni Mukta said, “This is an achievement is for all of our community as people valued our efforts in the election campaign.” Read: Tashnuva Anan makes history as first transgender woman to present the news in Bangladesh When asked about future plans, Shahida said she wants to return the love she got from people by doing notable work for the locals. A guideline was approved in 2013 at cabinet committee for granting Hijra or transgenders state recognition. Following that, in January, 2014, government issued a gazette granting state recognition to the transgender community. In 2019, the Election Commission decided to enlist third gender as a gender identity in the voter list along with male and female. Shortly afterwards, the country got its first transgender elected representative, shop owner Pinki Khatun was was elected a councillor in Kotchandpur, Jhenaidah district, also in Khulna division.

A newly elected member of Laxmipur union parishad was allegedly killed by a youth in Gobindapur village of Sadar upazila on Friday night. The deceased was identified as Abdur Rauf, an assistant teacher of Laxmipur High School, and member of ward number one of Laxmipur union. Read: Bangladeshis who studied in India get together in Dhaka Md Abdur Rauf, officer-in-charge of Sadar police station, said Abdur, along with his neighbour Ruhul Amin, was returning home on a motorbike around 11pm. As they reached a broken bridge, they got off the bike and started to cross the structure on foot. "Suddenly, Arif Mia, son of Haidar Ali, hit Rauf with an iron rod on his head, leaving him critically injured," the OC said. Rauf was taken to a local hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Read: Valuables stolen from UNB Bagerhat Corr house Police claimed to have arrested a man, identified as Rezaul, in connection with the murder.  

Traffic on the busy Dhaka-Chattogram highway came to a standstill for over half an hour Thursday morning after supporters of two rival union parishad (UP) member candidates blocked the high-speed corridor following a clash. Summon Banik, inspector at Sitakunda police station, said the two groups clashed with each other in Sonaichhari union of Sitakunda upazila in Chattogram around 5am, hours before voting began for the second phase of UP polls in Bangladesh. The members of the two groups were supporters of rival UP member candidates, Mahbub and Forkan, respectively. "Both tried to occupy the Ghoramara Government Primary School polling station, leading to the clash," the OC said. Read: One dead in Narsingdi as UP polls kick off On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the two member candidates to the police station for questioning. Cops also seized bamboo sticks and 10 petrol bombs from outside the polling station. Voting in nine unions of Sitakunda upazila, 12 unions in Fatikchhari upazila and 16 unions in Mirsarai upazila of Chattogram is currently underway.

Three people were killed and 30 others injured at Bashgari union in Raipura upazila of Narsingdi district, prior to the second phase of the union parishad (UP) polls across the country on Thursday. The deceased were identified as Salauddin, 30, son of Hekim Mia, Jahangir, 26, son of Abdul Haque Mia and Dulala, 45, son of Hazi Siraj of Bashgari village in the upazila. The deceased were supporters of Ashraful Islam, an Awami League-backed candidate for the post of chairman in Bashgari UP. Satyajit Kumar Ghosh, assistant superintendent of police (Raipura circle), said supporters of Ashraful Islam and Ratul Hasan Zakir, an independent candidate, attacked each other in front of Bashgari Union Parishad complex around 6 am, two hours before the beginning of the elections. The two groups fired gunshots and attacked each other with teta (a type of fish spearing), leaving three people dead and 30 others injured, he said. Read: Voting underway for second phase of UP polls The injured were taken to Brahmanbaria and Narsingdi Sadar hospitals. On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Additional police have been deployed in the area to avert further trouble. However, voting is underway in Bashgari union parishad. Polling began in 835 of 848 UPs at 8am on Thursday and will continue till 4pm. More than 41,000 candidates, including 3,310 contenders for the post of chairman, are contesting in the countrywide second phase UP election. A total of 81 chairman candidates have already been elected unopposed. Similarly, all contestants -- for chairman and member posts, and reserved seats -- in five UPs were elected uncontested. Some 28,747 candidates are contesting for the member posts and 9,161 women for the reserved seats in the UPs. Read: UP polls creating panic instead of festivity: GM Quader But 203 member candidates and 73 women candidates for reserved seats were elected unopposed in this phase. There are nearly 16.6 million voters -- 8,405,831 men, 8,189,379 women and 16 transgender (Hijra) -- under 8,492 polling stations in these UPs.

Voting for the second phase of the union parishad polls is underway in Bangladesh, with over 41,000 candidates in the fray for different posts. Polling began in 835 of 848 UPs at 8am on Thursday and will continue till 4pm. A total of 81 chairman candidates have already been elected unopposed. Similarly, all contestants -- for chairman and member posts, and reserved seats -- in five UPs were elected uncontested. Read: 2 hacked dead, 10 hurt in Meherpur pre-polls violence Though the Election Commission had earlier announced the second phase poll schedule for 848 UPs, it postponed election in seven UPs and cancelled polling in one. More than 41,000 candidates, including 3,310 contenders for the post of chairman, are contesting in the countrywide second phase UP election. Some 28,747 candidates are contesting for the member posts and 9,161 women for the reserved seats in the UPs. But 203 member candidates and 73 women candidates for reserved seats were elected unopposed in this phase. There are nearly 16.6 million voters -- 8,405,831 men, 8,189,379 women and 16 transgender (Hijra) -- under 8,492 polling stations in these UPs. Read: 4th phase elections to 840 UPs to be held Dec 23 About the recent election violence, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda on Wednesday said that "it is not possible to prevent such incidents by only deploying policemen in every locality". "Tolerance among all people concerned with the election is the only way to check such incidents," he had said.  

Jatiya Party Chairman on Tuesday voiced concern that the ongoing Union Parishad (UP) polls have become a matter of panic instead of festivity. In a statement, he said, “The second and third phases of Union Parishad elections are going on across the country. These elections of the local government were once held in a festive manner in the country. Now these polls have become a frightening matter instead of festivity.” Read: Prices soaring for no reason: GM Quader GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in Parliament, said the Election Commission has completely failed to maintain law and order in the ongoing UP elections. “Attacks and exchange of fire over elections have become a daily affair. People have become panicked over the killing and violence every day,” he observed. The Jatiya Party chief said the country’s people do not want to see bloodletting in the name of elections. He also voiced frustration over the inaction of the Election Commission (EC) in ensuring a congenial election atmosphere. Read: Raising fuel price, transport fare an anti-people move: GM Quader GM Quader also said the EC’s role in the UP polls gives an impression that it has nothing to do with polls violence. He said people are getting disappointed as the violence and terrorist activities are taking place every day in front of the members of the law enforcement agencies. GM Quader said some people have already been killed in election violence. “Terrorists hacked to death two sons of a mother at Kathuli union of Gangni Upazila in Meherpur. “Nothing can be more unfortunate and painful than this.” He urged the Election Commission to take more stern measures to curb election violence. The Jatiya Party chief said it is not acceptable that the EC will be unable to maintain a peaceful environment after declaring the election schedule. “Tougher initiatives need to be taken to hold polls in a free, fair and neutral manner.”  

As many as 15 people were injured, five of them with bullet wounds, when supporters of two rival candidates for the upcoming Hatkhali Union Parishad election allegedly clashed in Barbhagia village of Pabna Thursday night. Police, however, claimed on Friday that it was actually a clash between two families in the village under Sujanagar upazila over an unapproved love affair. Those who sustained bullet injuries have been identified as Azhar Ali Molla, 65, Azgar Ali Molla, 60, Khairul Islam, 40, Rehena Khatun, 35, and Jubayer Hossain. Four of them have been shifted to Pabna General Hospital from the upazila health complex. Also read: Chattogram: Two killed in clash over boundary wall dispute Firoz Ahmed Khan, the organisational secretary of the upazila Krishak League, an associate outfit of the Awami League, told UNB that the members of the ruling party had been attacking rival candidates for the UP election since October 26, the last day of withdrawing nominations. Firoz is contesting the UP election for the chairman's post as an independent, while Abdur Rauf is the ruling party candidate. "Around 8.30pm on Thursday, a gang of miscreants owing allegiance to Abdur, went on a vandalism spree in Barbhagia village, attacking residents and damaging houses as well as the election office in Nuruddin Bazar. Some of the miscreants fired at my supporters," Firoz claimed. Also read: 1 killed, 4 injured in clash over a road accident in Sunamganj Abdur, however, refuted the allegations, claiming it was a clash between the Bishwash and Molla community in the village over a love affair. "Firoz is trying to exploit the situation,” he said. Officer-in-charge of Sujanagar police station Mizanur Rahman also said it was not a UP poll-related violence, "but rather a love affair related clash between two groups owing allegiance to Firoz". “Currently the situation is under control. A heavy police force has been deployed in the village," he said. "We will initiate legal action, post-filing of a complaint."