United News of Bangladesh

Saying that his government’s main responsibility is to protect the interests of people and resolve their problems, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday urged citizens of all strata to stand by his government to help take Bangladesh forward and place it alongside developed nations. “This government is your government. You elected it and brought it to power. Its number one duty is to protect the interests of people and solve their problems,” he said while addressing a gathering after inaugurating the re-excavation of the Basia River at Kashipur Union in Sylhet. Tarique sought support from people of all walks of life to carry forward development plans and address the challenges facing the country. “If you stand by us, we will be able to move Bangladesh forward and make it capable of standing alongside developed nations—if we all work together,” he said. The Prime Minister said the people of Bangladesh voted in the election on the 12th February to install a government that will work for them. “Our only accountability is to the people of this country. That is why we want to carry out programmes and take actions that truly benefit the people.” He said local leaders told him that there are not enough mills and factories in Sylhet, leaving many young people unemployed. “We promised before the election that if BNP formed the government, we would reopen closed factories. Here with you is your own representative, Muktadir (Khandaker Abdul Muktadir), who is the Industries Minister. Soon after the election, within five to seven days, I sat down with him to review where factories are closed. Insha’Allah, we will reopen them gradually,” Tarique said. He also said the government is working to create employment opportunities for young people abroad. The Prime Minister said, “Less talk, more work. Now is the time to build the country.” Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee, State Minister Farhad Hossain Azad and Prime Minister’s adviser Humayun Kabir were present at the programme. The Basia River, which connects the Surma River and the Kushiyara River, has long suffered from loss of navigability and remained nearly defunct. The re-excavation initiative has been undertaken by the Ministry of Water Resources following demands from local residents. The Prime Minister earlier inaugurated the re-excavation work of the Basia River canal at Kashipur Union around 1:20pm by cutting soil with a spade. Addressing local residents, Tarique said the canal was originally excavated in 1977 by former president Ziaur Rahman but has since become silted up and nearly unusable. “We want to re-excavate this canal because around 80,000 farmers will benefit directly, while another 150,000 will benefit indirectly,” he said. Tarique, also the Chairman of BNP, said the project is expected to increase crop production by nearly 7,000 metric tonnes in nearby areas. The Prime Minister said similar canal re-excavation projects will be carried out across the country to support farmers. Highlighting the government’s pro-farmer approach, he said the distribution of farmers’ card has already begun in Tangail and will gradually reach farmers nationwide. “Through the farmers’ card, we will provide benefits such as access to loans, fertiliser, seeds and pesticides,” Tarique said adding that each farmer will receive Tk 2,500 annually to support their farming needs. He also said loans of up to Tk 10,000 for farmers have been waived. Tarique said canal excavation work has already started in around 60 places across the country and that the 23-kilometre stretch of the Basia canal will be completed over two dry seasons. Work will resume in November after the monsoon, with efforts to complete the project next year, he added. The Prime Minister also announced plans to plant around 50,000 trees along both sides of the canal to protect it and benefit local communities.

Welcoming the interim government for rolling out a roadmap for the next general election, BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman sought on Wednesday public support for the party to implement reform proposals. Virtually addressing a rally organised by BNP in front of its Nayapaltan central office marking the first anniversary of the July Uprising, Tarique said his party has already presented its vision before people, outlining how it would govern, run the state and politics, if entrusted with state power. “And the interim government has proposed reforms in consultation with all democratic political parties, and BNP seeks public support to implement all these programmes for the welfare of the country and its people,” he said. “The interim government yesterday announced a timeframe for holding the (national) election with the aim of establishing a democratic government accountable to the people in the fascist-free Bangladesh. The government has unveiled the July Charter in order to implement people’s will. We welcome these initiatives to implement,” he said. Tarique Rahman made the remarks while virtually addressing a rally, organised by BNP in front of its Nayapaltan central office in the capital to mark the first anniversary of the 2024 July Mass Uprising.

Leaders of pro-BNP professional bodies on Saturday urged the party policymakers to mobilize public support in favour of the party’s demand for holding the next general election under a non-party government. On the second consecutive day of the views-exchange meeting with BNP top leaders, they also said it will not be possible to lead any movement to success without the spontaneous support and involvement of common people. A journalist who was present at the meeting said the professional body leaders urged the BNP high-command to create a solid ground for a strong movement with different pro-people programmes. He said they also advised BNP to remain careful so that no one can divert the movement to a different direction by resorting to violence. Also read: Caretaker is a must, no more game: BNP As part of their move to take opinions about their next course of action ahead of the 12th parliamentary election, BNP policymakers sat with the leaders of 12 professional bodies, including Sammilita Peshajibi Parishad, Jatiya Press Club, BFUJ, DRU, Zia Parishad, teachers forums of Dhaka University, Chattogram University, Buet, Rajshahi University, Mymensigh Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Ruet, Khulna University, Nationalist Teachers’ Forum, G-9, Haji Danesh University of Science and Technology, Sylhet Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Gazipur National University and Open University, at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku were present at the meeting while party acting chairman Tarique Rahman joined it virtually from London. After a series of closed-door meetings with the party’s central and grassroots leaders, BNP policymakers also took the opinions of the leaders of 20 professional bodies on Friday. Also read: BNP won’t join election with AL in power: Abbas BNP began the series of meetings on September 14 last to know the views of party rank and file and pro-BNP professionals about the party’s next course of action ahead of the next general election. The party had six closed-door meetings in two phases with BNP vice-chairmen, advisory council members with joint secretaries general, organising secretaries, assistant organising secretaries, secretaries, executive committee members, leaders of the party’s different associate bodies and presidents of different district units. The party also sat with journalists and university teachers on September 29.

Britney Spears’ powerful plea to a judge to end the conservatorship that has controlled her life since 2008 brought sympathy and outrage from fans, famous supporters and even casual observers who say she deserves independence. Yet lawyers who deal in such matters say the speech itself may not have helped her in the legal process, which will be long and arduous. “When Britney spoke, I mean, the world listened. This was amazing,” family law attorney Peter Walzer said. “Now, whether the judge will buy it, whether the judge will let her out of her conservatorship, my bet is no.” Spears’ passionate, at times emotional address Wednesday to Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny was the first time in 13 years she has spoken in open court on the conservatorship, which she called “abusive” and “stupid.” The conservatorship was put in place as Spears, hounded by paparazzi and media scrutiny while a new mother, underwent a very public mental health crisis in 2008. READ: Britney Spears' conservatorship sues blogger for defamation Spears revisited the speech in an Instagram post Thursday, apologizing “for pretending like I’ve been ok the past two years. “I did it because of my pride and I was embarrassed to share what happened to me,” she said, later adding, “Believe it or not pretending that I’m ok has actually helped.” In court, Spears said she is forced to keep using an intrauterine device for birth control and take other medications, is prevented her from getting married or having another child, and is not allowed let her have her own money. She condemned her father and the others who control it. The speech was compelling for the same reasons it may be problematic to the court. She spoke very quickly, often profanely, and could seem out of control as she rattled off injustices and the emotional turmoil they have brought her. “It just seems to me that her presentation to her court didn’t do herself any favors,” said David Glass, a family law attorney with a doctorate in psychology. “The words came out like bullets. She shifted rapidly between thoughts and ideas. She also admitted to being depressed and crying all the time. I’m not her psychologist, but these are things that potentially point to being in the middle of mental illness.” Penny did not tip her hand or offer much reaction to the dramatic presentation, other than to say Spears’ speech was “courageous.” It’s unclear how much the judge has heard before, either during Spears’ previous addresses to the court in closed sessions or in the numerous sealed documents filed in the case. “The court didn’t say ‘I don’t agree with you,’ or ‘I’m concerned for you’ or ‘I’m disappointed these issues were not brought before me previously,’” Glass said. There is evidence that Penny considers Spears’ opinions in her decisions. She recently appointed estate-management firm the Bessemer Trust as co-conservator of Spears’ finances, though kept her father James Spears as its co-conservator against her wishes. And Penny has been keeping court hearings like Wednesday’s increasingly public and leaving more documents unsealed since Spears pushed for greater transparency in the case last year. Short of ending the conservatorship, Penny may alter it to make it more palatable to Spears, and could order an immediate investigation into some of the allegations. “I’m alarmed if I’m the judge,” said Sarah Wentz, an attorney who specializes in estates and conservatorships. “I’m going to find out ASAP if there are things we need reviewed or corrected, for the court to see if there are not human rights violations.” There is plenty of room for Penny to make changes that don’t end the conservatorship entirely. “What they can do is try to put together a plan that meets her goals and wishes in every way possible, so she only has a few things that she needs to check in on,” Wentz said. “It doesn’t have to be an all-in kind of thing.” READ: Metal fans mosh at 1st UK live music festival since pandemic Spears’ court-appointed attorney, Samuel Ingham III, said that despite his client’s pleas to Penny to end the conservatorship, she has yet to even ask him to file a petition to do so. He said before the presentation Wednesday that he made no attempt to “control, or filter, or edit” his client’s words. That most likely meant that while he felt compelled to pass along Spears’ request to speak, it doesn’t necessarily mean he agreed with her approach. “This is why lawyers don’t like their clients speaking a lot,” family law attorney Chris Melcher said. “We know what to say and how to say it. Sometimes what the client says can really come back and bite them and end up proving the other side’s case.” Melcher said a different approach could have proven more effective. “I think she would be best served by a calm demeanor, acknowledgement of her past problems, and acceptance of the court’s previous decisions,” he said. That was the approach taken by Ingham in recent filings for Spears that attempted to get her father removed and assert more control. Those documents acknowledged that the conservatorship had done a lot of good in its early days while forcefully arguing for change and saying she reserved the right to end it eventually. One thing that will certainly not happen is the conservatorship being terminated, as Spears requested, without any further evaluation of her. A petition to terminate the conservatorship, which Ingham said he may file soon, would be only the beginning of a process that places the burden on Spears to show her competence. “It’s up to Britney or another interested person to convince the court that it needs to end,” Melcher said. “This is not a voluntary process where she can just walk out the door.”