United News of Bangladesh

Newly elected President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was warmly greeted with flowers and congratulations by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and ruling party lawmakers after the announcement of the presidential election result on Thursday. Immediately after the result was announced in the Parliament Chamber, Prime Minister Tarique congratulated Fakhrul with a red rose. As they left the chamber, he again presented the newly elected President with flowers on behalf of himself and the party. Tarique Rahman then accompanied Fakhrul to the Parliament lobby, where he greeted him with a large bouquet.

Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday visited the graves of BNP founder and Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar after completing the presidential election process. Tarique Rahman went to the grave premises around 6:00pm after leaving Parliament, said Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon. PM greets Fakhrul with red rose for being elected Bangladesh's 23rd President “He visited the graves of his father and mother, recited Fateha and offered a munajat seeking their eternal peace,” Rumon said. Before offering prayers, the Prime Minister stood silently alone for a while in front of the graves. He then went to the BNP Chairman’s Gulshan office, where he offered Maghrib prayers before joining an organisational meeting. Tarique Rahman held the meeting with BNP leaders from Pabna and Chapainawabganj districts. Newly appointed BNP acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi was also present. The Prime Minister enquired about the organisational situation in each district and gave various directives to further strengthen the party’s organisational activities at the grassroots level, Rumon said.

BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday evening held an organisational discussion with leaders of the party’s Pabna and Chapainawabganj district units. The meeting began around 7:00pm at the BNP chairman’s Gulshan office, said Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Jahidul Islam Rony. The discussion was organised as part of the BNP’s efforts to further strengthen and organise the party at the grassroots level.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday congratulated Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir with a red rose immediately after the BNP candidate was declared elected as Bangladesh’s 23rd President. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Returning Officer AMM Nasir Uddin announced the results at 5:20pm after the completion of ballot counting in the Parliament Chamber. Fakhrul secured 255 votes, while his rival Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmad, the candidate of the 11-party alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, received 88 votes. “Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has secured 255 votes. I declare that, having received the highest number of votes, he has been duly elected President,” Nasir Uddin announced.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman remained seated in the Parliament Chamber for more than an hour after voting began in the presidential election on Thursday, exchanging greetings and speaking with lawmakers. BNP presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was seated beside the Prime Minister, followed by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and veteran lawmaker Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain. As the Prime Minister remained at his seat, lawmakers gathered in front of him. Tarique spoke with them smilingly and enquired about their wellbeing. Earlier, the Prime Minister cast his vote in the presidential election alongside BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul, drawing applause from ruling party lawmakers. At around 2:10pm, the Prime Minister rose from his seat and walked to the ballot box with Fakhrul who was sitting beside him. At 2:11pm, Tarique collected his ballot paper and cast his vote, prompting BNP lawmakers to thump their desks in applause. Moments later, Fakhrul cast his ballot, with members of the ruling party again welcoming the moment by thumping their desks. At 3:13pm, the Prime Minister left the Parliament Chamber for his office, taking BNP presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir with him. Voting in the presidential election was scheduled to continue until 5pm. Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Saleh Shibly, Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon, Deputy Press Secretary Jahidul Islam Rony, Deputy Press Secretary Md Suzauddoula Suzon and Assistant Press Secretary AKM Nazmul Haque visited the press gallery to observe the voting process and exchange greetings with journalists. Only two galleries were kept open for journalists during the voting, while the remaining galleries were closed.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday cast his vote in the presidential election alongside BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, drawing applause from ruling party lawmakers. At around 2:10pm, the Prime Minister rose from his seat and walked to the ballot box with Fakhrul who was sitting beside him. At 2:11pm, Tarique collected his ballot paper and cast his vote, prompting BNP lawmakers to thump their desks in applause. Moments later, Fakhrul cast his ballot, with members of the ruling party again welcoming the moment by thumping their desks. The BNP presidential candidate then shook hands with lawmakers present in the House. He later exchanged greetings with Leader of the Opposition Shafiqur Rahman and Deputy Leader of the Opposition Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher. Voting in the election to choose Bangladesh’s 23rd President began at 2:10 pm in the Parliament Session Chamber under the supervision of Chief Election Commissioner and Returning Officer AMM Nasir Uddin. Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmad and Acting Speaker Kayser Kamal were the first to cast their votes. After voting, they exchanged greetings with the Leader of the Opposition and other lawmakers. Acting President Hafiz Uddin also shook hands with Prime Minister Tarique and presidential candidate Fakhrul before leaving the chamber after around eight minutes. At 2:12pm, Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman cast his vote along with his fellow lawmakers. The voting began with a recitation from the Holy Quran. Before the process started, Chief Election Commissioner Nasir briefed the lawmakers on the voting procedure. Two candidates are contesting the presidential election — BNP nominee Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and retired Colonel Oli Ahmed, the candidate of the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance. A total of 349 Members of Parliament are eligible to vote. The last presidential election involving voting in Parliament was held on October 8, 1991. The presidential election was called following the resignation of former President Md Shahabuddin on July 24. Under the Constitution, a new President must be elected within 90 days of the office falling vacant. The Election Commission announced the election schedule on August 6, and the vote is being held after completion of all required procedures.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Assistant Personal Physician Dr ANM Monowarul Kadir Bitu on Wednesday visited Prof Dr Md Asadur Rahman at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Asadur Rahman, head of the ENT Department at DMCH, came under attack at Shantinagar in the capital on the night of August 17. During the visit, Bitu spoke to DMCH Director Brigadier General Md Asaduzzaman and doctors on duty about Asadur Rahman's overall treatment. Expressing deep concern, he said such barbaric attacks on doctors were unacceptable. "Such incidents seriously disrupt the normal healthcare environment in the country and create a sense of insecurity among doctors, which is deeply worrying," he said. Bitu also spoke to Asadur Rahman's family members and expressed sympathy for them. The family members strongly demanded that the Prime Minister immediately enact the Health Worker Safety Protection Act.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting is underway with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in the chair. The meeting started at 10:00am on Wednesday at the Planning Commission in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital. A total of 11 development projects have been placed before the meeting for approval. LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain, Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman, and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam, among other ECNEC members, have joined the meeting. Senior officials from the relevant ministries and agencies are also present to place and discuss thr development project proposals. A press briefing will be held at the Planning Commission auditorium after the meeting.

Four newly appointed members of the BNP National Standing Committee on Tuesday met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at his office in the Bangladesh Secretariat. The four leaders – Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Amanullah Aman, Dr Farhad Halim Donar and Ismail Zabihullah – called on the Prime Minister in the evening, said his Deputy Press Secretary Jahidul Islam Rony. BNP Standing Committee member and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed was also present during the meeting. Earlier in the morning, the four newly appointed Standing Committee members paid tribute to BNP founder and Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia by placing wreaths at their graves in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman appointed the four leaders as members of the party’s highest policymaking body on August 15. In a press release, the BNP said the four leaders had been appointed to the National Standing Committee in line with a party decision aimed at further enhancing its organisational dynamism. The party expressed hope that, through their wisdom, experience and well-considered advice, the new members will contribute to taking important decisions in the interest of both the party and the people at its highest policymaking forum. The BNP last held its national council on March 19, 2016, following which the National Standing Committee was reconstituted. Several positions subsequently fell vacant due to the deaths and resignations of members, while the party appointed new members to some of the vacancies at different times. This is the first time in recent years that the party has appointed four members to the Standing Committee at once. The BNP’s 19-member National Standing Committee previously had 13 members. With the addition of the four new members, its current strength now stands at 16. The existing members include Tarique Rahman, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Rafiqul Islam Miah, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Selima Rahman, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku and AZM Zahid Hossain. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been nominated by the BNP as its candidate for the presidency. He is expected to resign from his party position following the presidential election scheduled for August 20.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday urged greater private sector engagement in humanitarian and social initiatives, saying collective contributions could help address major challenges. “As members of society, if everyone comes forward and contributes in their own way, many major problems can be solved,” he said while launching a programme to distribute 20,000 raincoats among tea garden workers in Sylhet division. The Prime Minister formally handed over raincoats to 10 tea workers at the Prime Minister’s Office at Secretariat, said a release issued by the PM’s Press Wing. He also enquired about their wellbeing and exchanged views with them. The initiative has been taken by the Social Welfare Ministry to help ensure protection for tea garden workers in Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Habiganj during adverse weather and contribute to creating a safer working environment. Under the programme, a total of 20,000 raincoats will be distributed among tea workers. The Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI) will provide 10,000 raincoats, while Chevron Bangladesh and Pandughar Group will provide 5,000 each under their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Assuring private-sector organisations of government support for humanitarian and social initiatives, Tarique said the government would stand beside those willing to undertake such work and provide necessary assistance. Representatives of the participating private-sector organisations said that alongside their business activities, contributing to the welfare of disadvantaged and working peopleis  also part of their social responsibility.