Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader Wednesday said the Election Commission (EC) is trying to arrange a stage-managed general election by using electronic voting machines (EVMs) in up to 150 seats. "During their dialogues (with the EC), almost all the political parties opposed the use of EVMs, but the Election Commission decided to conduct voting with it. Most people in the country think that EVMs are vote-rigging machines," he said. Referring to the chief election commissioner's recent remarks that it is not their responsibility to ensure all parties' participation in the polls, the Jatiya Party chief said it has cast doubt in the public mind about the EC's ability to conduct a free, impartial and acceptable election. "It seems that the EC is trying to implement an agenda. On the other hand, the people of the country are unable to speak out. If there is a movement for any demand, the police and opponents are attacking it," he said. GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, said there will not be a level playing field if the national election is held in such a context. "Where the government has 90 percent influence (on state machinery), having the police and administration in its hands, a fair election cannot be expected." Read: Scope for politics gets limited: GM Quader He said there is no crisis in the Jatiya Party and it will not face any split. "The Awami League and BNP have repeatedly tried to harm the Jatiya Party. None of those who left the party could establish themselves as a strong organiser. Even if someone leaves like this, the Jatiya Party will not be weak." Replying to a question, GM Quader said Raushon Ershad called him repeatedly to inquire about his condition as his vehicle was recently hit by a bus and told him she does not want to be the chairman of the National Council. He also said the top leaders of the Jatiya Party think that Raushon was forced to announce the party's council under pressure. "Taking advantage of her illness, some outsiders may be trying to implement a different agenda by using Begum Raushon Ershad's name." In response to a question about the formation of an electoral alliance, the Jatiya Party chair said a decision will be made on it following a discussion in the party forum before the election. "The Jatiya Party will decide on the formation of any alliance considering the reality and the expectations of the commoners."   GM Quader, however, said their party is now preparing for elections in all 300 seats. "We are implementing regular programmes to strengthen the party."

Green University English Club (GUEC) celebrated "Shakespeare Fest 2022" with an enthralling stage performance of the legendary playwright William Shakespeare’s popular tragedy “Macbeth” at its Mirpur campus auditorium on Monday.  Green University of Bangladesh (GUB) Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Golam Samdani Fakir joined the event as the chief guest, while Prof Dr Farhana Helal Mehtab, Dean of the GUB Faculty of Business, Arts and Social Sciences, joined the fest as the special guest.  Prof Shafi Ahmed, Vice President, Theatre Education and Training Committee, International Training Institute (ITI) joined the event as its guest of honour, alongside popular thespian and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Theatre and Film Department Director Afsana Mimi and Md Herock Mushfik, Assistant Professor at the Theatre and Performance Studies, Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University. Prof K M Wazed Kabir, Department of English and Proctor of the Green University of Bangladesh, delivered the welcome speech and shared the history of the Green University English Club (GUEC) and its stage performances since 2016. The stage performance of “Macbeth” then began by the students of the Green University English Club (GUEC), under the directive and supervision of Ashik Istiak, Assistant Professor, Department of English and Moderator of GUEC. Read: 'Chilekothar Sepai' staged at JU “Macbeth,” the world-famous tragedy and one of the most-staged plays in the entire world, was written by William Shakespeare in 1606. The play dramatizes the detrimental physical and psychological ramifications of political ambition on individuals who strive for power. In this tragedy, the protagonist Macbeth, driven by prophecy and demented by ambition, kills the Scottish monarch and assassinates him in order to take the kingdom. Driven by remorse and paranoia, the new king and his wife launch an increasingly brutal struggle to uphold their power and position. The characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were played by Pranto Kumar Saha and Tanisha Tafsin Basher, and the entire cast and crew members were showered with acclamation by the audiences for their brilliant portrayal of the characters in the play.  Presided over by Prof Dr M Shahidullah, Chairperson of the GUB Department of English, the event was also joined by other distinguished faculty members including GUB Treasurer Prof Dr Md Fayzur Rahman, Chairperson of the EEE Department Prof Dr ASM Shihavuddin, and Proctor of the Green University of Bangladesh Prof K M Wazed Kabir, to name a few. Faculty members and students from different departments also joined the event and cheered the performance of the students. Afsana Mimi highly appreciated the director, performers, backstage performers and volunteers for staging the play while portraying its full glory.  Md Herock Mushfik, Assistant Professor at the Theatre and Performance Studies, Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, recalled his memories of playing the character of Macbeth during his student days while praising the performers. Prof Shafi Ahmed talked about the overall scenario of the stage performance and direction of Shakespearean plays and appreciated the performers of GUEC and the director Ashik Istiak for their hard work and perseverance in making the event a success. Under the supervision of Ashik Istiak, Green University English Club (GUEC) began celebrating Shakespeare Day on July 31, 2016.  The club performed two plays of Shakespeare (Hamlet and The Merchant of Venice) on May 24, 2017, in honour of Shakespeare's Day. In 2018, Othello (in English) and Romeo and Juliet (in Bangla) were staged as full-fledged two-hour plays on March 28 and 29, respectively.    The event was sponsored by Englishology, a premium English language teaching centre and the media partner was Somoy TV.

Aggrieved E-orange customers staged demonstrations in the capital and tried to block a road near Matsya Bhaban, prompting the police to charge baton on them.   The customers staged the protests seeking their money back and the repatriation of the mastermind of fraudulent police inspector Sohel Rana. Witnesses said the cheated customers of E-orange, an e-commerce platform, formed a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club at noon.  When they tried to put barricades on the road near Matsya Bhaban around 1:30 pm, police charged baton and dispersed them. Police detained three people from the spot for interrogation, Sazzadur Rahman, DMP Ramna Division deputy commissioner, told UNB.  “Thursday is the last working day of the week and there was huge pressure of vehicles on roads, so we didn’t let them block road,” he said. During demonstrations, the protesters said as E-orange is a sister concern of Orange Bangladesh then it must bear its responsibility. READ: E-commerce firms like Evaly, E-orange to face action: DMP They also demanded the trial of all the cases related to E-orange in speedy trial tribunal and rejection of bail pleas of all the accused until the issue is settled. A Dhaka court on September 2 sent the owner of virtual outlet e-orange Sonia Mehzabin, her husband Masukur Rahman and Aman Ullah, Chief Operating Officer of E-orange, to jail in a fraud case filed over the embezzlement of Tk 1,100 crore from consumers. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Baki Billah passed the order rejecting their bail petition when they were produced before it on completion of their 5-day remand. Earlier on August 23, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Morshed Al Mamun Bhuiyan placed the accused on a 5-day remand in the fraud case. On August 17, the court sent them to jail rejecting their bail prayers when they surrendered to Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abubakar Siddique's court. READ: Owner of e-orange.shop, 2 others land in jail On August 16, an aggrieved customer of E-Orange Md Taherul Islam filed a fraud case with Gulshan police station in presence of 37 other customers who testified against the accused.