A BNP delegation led by its standing committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury met the diplomats of three Nordic countries –-Sweden, Denmark and Norway-- here on Sunday. The meeting was held at the residence of Swedish Ambassador Nicolas Weeks in the city’s Gulshan area in the morning.  Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh Hakon Arald Gulbrandsen and Deputy Head of Danish Embassy Anders B. Karlsen were present in the meeting. Two other members of the BNP delegation are Shama Obed and Barrister Kayser Kamal. BNP seeks election roadmap, new EC based on political consensus Talking to reporters after the meeting, Shama Obed said it was a breakfast meeting. “They invited us. They actually wanted to know the situation in Bangladesh following the August 05 student-people revolution,” she said. The meeting discussed what BNP thinks regarding the future of Bangladesh and how it can make a recovery from the current destroyed economic situation, said Shama Obed. 15 injured in BNP factional clash in Khulna; 4 expelled  

BNP senior leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Sunday (June 4, 2023) said the country’s people, not the Prime Minister, will decide whether they will go to the USA or not. “It is her (PM’s) personal matter whether she will go to any particular country or not. It’s also a matter of their decision whether the 17 crore people of Bangladesh will go to that country or not,” he said. Talking to reporters after a meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Iwama Kiminori at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, Khosru also said the people of Bangladesh will decide whether they will go to the USA for their personal, business, professional, family and educational purposes. “The Prime Minister can’t take a decision in this regard,” Khosru, also the chairman of BNP’s foreign affairs committee, observed. Also read: Japan wants to understand what’s happening in Bangladesh and where it’s headed, BNP says as ambassador meets Fakhrul Earlier on Saturday (June 3, 2023), Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said it does not matter at all if someone does not go to the USA crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a 20-hour- plane journey. “There are other oceans and other continents in the world and we’ll make friends with those continents crossing the other oceans. Our economy will be stronger and more developed and vibrant,” she added. The PM also said Bangladesh will run on its own feet and the government will build the country. “We will not be dependent on others, who will not give us visas, who will impose sanctions on us.” Meanwhile, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the Prime Minister is not worried about the US sanctions or visa restrictions but a neutral election. Read more: BNP’s complaints to foreign countries didn’t yield any results: Quader “The Prime Minister becomes ill and suffers from headache when any country talks about fair elections under a neutral caretaker government,” he said. Speaking at a food distribution programme arranged by Jatiyatabadi Tanti Dal’s Dhaka south city unit on the ground floor of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office marking party founder’s 42nd death anniversary, Rizvi said the Prime Minister said it matters little if anyone does not go to the USA. “Then why don't you keep your son in the country? Why do your sons and daughters live abroad? Why did you keep your son in the United States instead of any other friendly country of yours?” he questioned. He said Sheikh Hasina will not take any steps for holding a fair election and establishing a caretaker government as she considers the country’s people as her enemies. Read more: Govt to blame for US’s disrespectful visa policy: Fakhrul “If an impartial caretaker government is established, the people of the country will be able to vote freely and fairly. She knows people won’t ‘vote for her party. So, doesn’t want a neutral caretaker government to come,” the BNP leader said.

BNP senior leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Sunday said their party’s 27 points for the state reform are 'parts of the ongoing movement’  to unseat the Awami League government. “I have been saying repeatedly that these 27 points are parts of the ongoing movement. It's not different,” he said. Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader also said the philosophy behind the 27 points is to make the people understand what Bangladesh will look like in the future and also for encouraging them to involve with the current movement. About the significance of the 27 points, he said it will not be possible to run the country in the future without implementation of these points. “The country will be destroyed if we can’t reform it. So, we must implement these 27 points for the sake of the country,” the BNP leader observed. Dhaka north city unit of Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB) and BNP Media Cell jointly organised the discussion titled “Explanation and Analysis of the State Structure Repair Framework” at the Jatiya Press Club. Khosru, a BNP standing committee member, said many people are asking as to why BNP has been discussing the 27 points when the party has been on a movement to oust the government. Through the discussions on the 27 points, he said they are trying to give people an idea about what they will gain when the current “fascist, corrupt and usurper” regime is removed from power. The BNP leader called upon the people who are still confused about the movement and its positive outcome to take to the streets reviewing the 27 points. On December 19, BNP unveiled a 27-point outline of ‘Structural Reform of the State’ — proposing radical changes to the state system including balancing the executive powers of the president, prime minister and the Cabinet, and introduction of the upper house of legislature. The outline of the ‘Structural Reform of the State’ has been prepared in line with the late president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman's 19 points and BNP's 'Vision-2030'. About Awami League’s “Smart Bangladesh” slogan, Khosru said smartness has both positive and negative meanings. He said the ruling party’s smartness means how to steal professionally, loot banks, stock market and rig votes sometimes during the day and sometimes at night smartly. "AL’s smartness also means to use the country’s people like subjects to plunder lakhs of crores of taka through mega projects. You must have the smartness to siphon off 10 lakh crores of taka abroad.  We’re not talking about that smart Bangladesh,” the BNP leader said. He said their party is focusing on the 27 points to bring Bangladesh out of the deep hole in which it is.  “If you can get it out of that hole and put it on the tack, then you can run the country." The BNP leader accused the ruling party of doing and promoting politics of corruption by establishing their control on the state institutions. He said Awami League has created a group—comprising businessmen, corrupt politicians and government officials—to stay in power using money and muscle. “They all created the regime together.  I do not call it the government since it’s not elected by the people.” Khosru said this regime has created its own 'Awami model' of economy in the name of  free market economy, “That is the economy of plundering. So, the country should be brought back on track through the implementation of the 27 points.”

German Ambassador to Bangladesh Achim Troster on Sunday had a “closed door” meeting with BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury. The 45-minute meeting that began around 3:00 pm was held at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office. After the meeting, Amir Khosru briefed reporters about the talk. Read more: BNP’s Khosru for preparing lists of overenthusiastic cops, AL cadres “The German Ambassador along with an official of their foreign ministry came here to our office to talk to us. But we don’t want to disclose what we discussed since it was a private meeting,” he said. He said it is the responsibility of the foreign diplomats to report at their headquarters about the political, social, economic and cultural affairs of the countries they have been given postings. “As part of that responsibility, the German Ambassador held the meeting with us,” the BNP leader said. Read more: BNP to intensify movement for Khaleda’s release: Khosru BNP Organising Secretary Shama Obaed was also present at the meeting.

BNP senior leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Wednesday alleged that Awami League has been conspiring to rig votes again in the next election using the state machinery. “Awami League is conspiring against people. They’re hatching a plot to snatch people’s voting rights again and rig votes in the upcoming (general) election,” he said. Speaking at a rally, the BNP leader also said the ruling party has been trying hard to hang onto power by regulating the judiciary, gaging the media and using government officials. “All the vote thieves have joined hands to manipulate the election while people are getting united to resist them,” he observed. READ: AL conspiring to hinder BNP’s victory in city polls, alleges Fakhrul As part of their party’s second phase of countrywide programmes, Chattogram south district unit BNP arranged the rally in Karnafuli CDA residential field on the south side of Shah Amanat Bridge demanding Begum Khaleda Zia’s advanced treatment abroad. Khosru, a BNP standing committee member, said the people of Bangladesh have been closely observing the election manipulators and vote robbers. “The wave of movement that has created now will foil all plots and evil plans. Those who’ve been involved in the conspiracy against people won’t be spared. No one of those who’re snatching our constitutional and basic rights will be spared,” he warned. The BNP leader said their party’s ongoing movement gathered pace across the country with the spontaneous participation of mass people. “No force can stop this movement. Those who’ve sold the soul of Bangladesh will have to pay the price in the future.” Referring to media reports that the government is making a list of BNP leaders and activists, he said almost all, except a few supporters of Awami League, now belong to BNP. “Now there's no politician in Awami League. No one except those involved in plundering, is now with Awami League.” “The US State Department's Human Rights report has made it clear that it’s a political decision to imprison Begum Zia. It has also become as clear as daylight around the world that this regime came to power by resorting to enforced disappearances, killings, false cases and vote robbery at midnight,” the BNP leader said. In the United States, he said, members of the Congress of the two parties are jointly talking about taking effective action against the Bangladesh government. “Human rights organisations around the world are calling for effective action against it. The most famous newspapers in the world are also advocating for taking similar action. They’re saying a regime has been in power in Bangladesh by stealing votes and depriving people of their freedom of speech.” READ: Clash at BNP rally in Chattogram, stage collapses Khosru said they will no longer demand for the release of their party chairperson Khaleda Zia as they will ensure her release by ousting the current regime from power. Rally stage collapses Meanwhile, a clash broke out between two groups of BNP activists while Khosru was delivering his speech. Although no one was injured, the stage collapsed with the leaders on it during the clash. The BNP activists also threw chairs at each other and clashed using sticks. Later, senior BNP leaders intervened and brought the situation under control.