Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus is set to meet leaders of several political parties on Saturday as part of an ongoing dialogue. Fifteen political parties, including Gono Forum, Liberal Democrats Party (LDP), and Bangladesh Jatiya Party (Andaleeve), are among those likely to join Saturday's dialogue, said the Chief Adviser’s press wing. Chief Adviser to hold dialogue with political parties tomorrow This is going to be the second such dialogue in the current phase, which started on October 5 with the participation of BNP, Jamaat, CPB, and some other parties. The key purpose of the dialogue is to inform the political parties about the progress of the reform work and to seek their suggestions.    

For Nidal Jumaa, a Syrian from Aleppo, life in Turkey is tough. He works part-time at a furniture workshop and collects plastics and cardboard from trash cans that he sells for recycling, but can hardly afford the rent for his run-down house in a low-income neighborhood of Ankara. Despite the hardship, the 31-year-old would prefer to remain in Turkey than return to Syria where he no longer has a house or a job. Most of all, he worries that his 2-year-old son, Hikmat, who requires regular medical supervision following two surgeries, wouldn't be able to receive the treatment he needs back home. “Where would we go in Syria? Everywhere is destroyed because of the war,” Jumaa said. “We can’t go back. Hikmat is sick. He can’t even walk.” Also Read: Turkey’s opposition denounces fairness of vote under Erdogan Syrians fleeing the civil war — now into its 12th year — were once welcomed in Turkey out of compassion, making the country home to the world’s largest refugee community. But as their numbers grew — and as the country began to grapple with a battered economy, including skyrocketing food and housing prices — so did calls for their return. A shortage of housing and shelters following a devastating earthquake in February revived calls for the return of Syrians, who number at least 3.7 million. The repatriation of Syrians and other migrants has become a top theme in Sunday's presidential and parliamentary elections when the country will decide whether to give incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a new mandate to rule or bring an opposition candidate to power. All three presidential hopefuls running against Erdogan have promised to send refugees back. Erdogan himself has not mentioned the migration issue on the campaign trail. However, faced with a wave of backlash against refugees, his government has been seeking ways to resettle Syrians back home. Also Read: Turkey’s Erdogan faces tough election amid quake, inflation Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the joint candidate of an alliance of opposition parties that includes nationalists, says he plans to repatriate Syrians on a voluntary basis within two years. If elected, he would seek European Union funds to build homes, schools, hospitals and other amenities in Syria and encourage Turkish entrepreneurs to open factories and businesses to create employment. Kilicdaroglu has also said that he would renegotiate a 2016 migration deal between Turkey and the European Union, under which the EU offered the country billions of euros in return for Ankara's cooperation in stemming the flow of refugees into European countries. “How long must we carry this heavy load?” Kilicdaroglu said in an address to ambassadors from European nations last month. “We want peace in Syria. We want our Syrian brothers and sisters who took refuge in our country to live in peace in their own country.” Sinan Ogan, a candidate backed by an anti-migrant party, says his government would consider sending Syrians back “by force if necessary.” Faced with mounting public pressure, Erdogan’s government, who long defended its open-door policy toward refugees, began constructing thousands brick homes in Turkish-controlled areas of northern Syria to encourage voluntary returns. His government is also seeking reconciliation with Syrian President Bashir Assad to ensure the refugees’ safe return. The Syrian government, however, has made normalization of ties conditional on Turkey withdrawing its troops from areas under its control following a series of military incursions, and on Ankara cutting support to opposition groups. “Realistically speaking, implementing the promises (of repatriation) is much harder than restoring the (Turkish) economy,” said Omar Kadkoy, an expert on migration at the Ankara-based TEPAV think tank. “At the end of the day, if the opposition comes to power or if the government stays in power, I don’t really see how they could repatriate 3.5 million Syrians in two years.” Kadkoy continued: “Assad is so maximalist with his demands from Turkey to accept millions of people back. I don’t think Turkey is ready to meet his demands.” Around 60,000 Syrians crossed the border into northern Syria following the earthquake, after Turkey relaxed regulations allowing them to return to Syria and remain there for a maximum of six months. The move allowed refugees to check on family or homes in quake-hit areas of northern Syria. It was not immediately known how many have crossed back into Turkey, or plan to do so. Kadkoy says high inflation and a cost of living crisis have made life for Syrians in Turkey difficult. “But when compared to ... having no place to stay, no functioning democracy ... where you might be subjected to bombing and shelling at any given moment, (Syrians) prefer the bad conditions here in Turkey over having nothing in Syria,” he said. In Ankara’s impoverished Ismetpasa neighborhood, plastic sheets partially cover the roof to keep the rain out of the house where Jumaa, his wife Jawahir and their four children live. The family has no furniture and they sleep on mats they throw around a coal heater. Jawahir Jumaa says their home in Syria was destroyed in air raids. The few relatives that have remained there live in tents that are flooded in winter months. “The living conditions (here) are better than in Syria,” she said. Hikmat, her youngest son, had a cyst and a tumor removed from his head and back. “They can’t treat him in Syria. They don’t know how,” Jawahir added. Asked about the anti-migrant sentiment and calls for the repatriation of Syrians, Nidal Jumaa was fatalistic. “There is nothing we can do, for now we are carrying on living. We are under the mercy of God,” he responded. The neighborhood is close to an area where riots broke out two years ago after a Turkish teenager was stabbed to death in a fight with a group of young Syrians. Hundreds of people chanting anti-immigrant slogans took to the streets, vandalized Syrian-run shops and hurled rocks at refugees’ homes. Hassan Hassan, a neighbor, says he isn’t concerned about the violence that erupted or about the calls for Syrians to leave. “I’m not afraid, we suffered too many terrible things, what could happen that is worse than what we (have already) lived through?” he asked.

The United States has reiterated that it does not endorse one political party or candidate over another in Bangladesh. "And as we have said, the US supports free and fair elections in Bangladesh as well as around the world, and we do not endorse one political party or candidate over another," Principal Deputy Spokesperson of US Department of State Vedant Patel said in a regular media briefing on May 2. He also said, "Broadly what I will say is that the US doesn’t consider it interference to have honest dialogue with our friends and partners about concerns that we have and shared interests that we have that may or may [not] impact the bilateral relationship, that may – may or may [not] impact regional concerns and regional priorities.” Also Read: US calls upcoming national election an 'internal' affair of Bangladesh Patel said the US embassy in Dhaka acts as an envoy for bilateral relationship with Bangladesh as well as all US embassies around the world do.  "And what I will note – you heard me speak to this yesterday – Bangladesh is a country of great importance to us. It’s a country we are interested in deepening our relationships with," Patel said. In 2022, the two countries celebrated 50 years of bilateral relationship, and they believe that there are a number of issues in which they can continue to deepen cooperation – not just with the Bangladeshi government, with the Bangladeshi people as well, he said. Also Read: Stop targeting truth, truth-tellers: UN Chief on World Press Freedom Day Patel mentioned addressing the threat of climate change, deepening economic ties, and security concerns as it relates to the Indo-Pacific. Responding to a question, Patel said, "That’s our expectation for any country in the world, is that for elections to take place and for them to happen freely, fairly, and as you said, with neutrality as well, and for them to be conducted with neutrality, as I might add."

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday upheld the verdict of the High Court (HC) that declared the registration of the political party, ‘Trinamool BNP’, as valid. A bench of three justices led by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order rejecting a leave-to-appeal petition filed by the EC against the HC order, said the plaintiff’s counsel Advocate Shah Manjur Hoque. Advocate Mohammad Yeasin stood for the EC at the court. Read more: ACC case against Nazmul Huda to continue as HC rejects plea He said the HC order to register Trinamool BNP, led by former BNP leader and ex minister Barrister Nazmul Huda, will remain in place from today (Sunday). Earlier on November 4, 2018, an HC bench of Justice Tariq Ul Hakim and Justice Md Shohrowardi directed the authorities concerned to grant Trinamool BNP registration as political party. Read more: Court grants bail to Barrister Nazmul Huda in case involving ex-CJI Sk Sinha Later, the EC moved the SC with the leave-to-appeal against the order after rejecting the party's appeal for registration on June 14, 2018. Being rejected by the EC, Nazmul Huda moved the HC with a writ petition challenging the EC decision.

Law Minister Anisul Huq on Thursday said Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration as a political party is sub judice and he will wait to see how the Election Commission handles their appeal for registration under a different name. “Will make a comment in this regard after EC’s step,” he said replying to a reporter’s question after a training programme organised for the sub registrars at Judicial Administration Training Institute in the city. His remarks came amid reports that all leaders of newly launched Bangladesh Democratic Party (BDP) that sought EC’s registration belong to Jamaat and its student front Shibir. BDP filed for registration on Wednesday. In 2013, the High Court declared the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami with the EC illegal effectively banning it from taking part in general elections. In 2018, the EC formally deregistered the Islamic fundamentalist party as it failed to fulfill its prerequisites. However, Jamaat is still operating as a legal political party amid calls from the secular forces to ban it for its role in the genocide during the Liberation War it vehemently opposed.   Responding to another question on Jamaat leaders’ trial for war crimes the law minister said the AL government is determined to bring the war criminals of 1971 under justice, which is a proven fact. Also read: Jamaat-e-Islami can get registered if conditions are met, says commissioner Alamgir In reply to another question on the trial of Jamaat for its role against the Liberation War, Huq reiterated that it requires some changes in the law and it’s under process. “I have mentioned earlier we need some changes in law to proceed with the trial against Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and we have already sent the amendment to the Cabinet Division. Very soon we will pass a law in this regard and begin the trial,” he added. Government will take immediate steps to begin the trial if it finds necessary, he added. On Wednesday, Election Commissioner Md Alamgir said that Bangladesh Jamaat-e Islami can get registration under a different name if they fulfill all the conditions. The deadline for new political parties to apply for registration expires on October 30.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday said no new political party will face any obstruction in waging any movement in this multiparty democratic country, but they will not be allowed to damage the lives and property of people. “If anyone (group) wants to form a party they can do it because there’s a multiparty democracy here. There’ll be no obstruction here,” she said while addressing a meeting of the Awami League Central Working Committee at her official residence Ganobhaban. Sheikh Hasina said BNP-Jamaat is always hyperactive to make every development activity of the government controversial. “No matter how much good work we do, they come up with an attempt to create a controversy. BNP-Jamaat is hyperactive here,” she said. Read:Done enough for Khaleda Zia, says Hasina Noting that some new parties are being formed, the PM said she asked the IGP on Thursday that those who want to form new political parties should be allowed to do so. “Let them form parties and work because it’s essential in Bangladesh,” she said. “If they want to bring out processions, they can. Why do we hinder their processions? They can do all sorts of movements, but they can’t burn people to death and cause any damage to any life and property. We’ll have to take care of it,” she said.