United News of Bangladesh

BNP on Friday paid tributes to Inquilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi as his body arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from Singapore in the evening. On behalf of the party, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed and Acting Chairman’s adviser Dr Mahdi Amin paid the tributes to Hadi by placing a wreath on his coffin at the airport, said BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan. Earlier, the duo along with some interim government advisers and senior leader from different parties received the mortal remains of Hadi, who passed away in a Singapore hospital on Thursday. The Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-585 carrying Hadi’s body landed at 5:48 pm, having departed from Singapore’s Changi International Airport at 2:03 pm, Bangladesh time. Hadi, a prospective candidate for the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election from the Dhaka-8 constituency, was shot in the head on December 12 while travelling in a rickshaw on Culvert Road in Puratan Paltan, Dhaka. He initially underwent surgery at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and was later admitted to Evercare Hospital. For advanced treatment, he was airlifted to Singapore, where he passed away on Thursday night.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s physical condition became more stable on Friday after a small medical procedure was successfully carried out on her, said her personal physician Dr AZM Zahid Hossain. “Alhamdulillah. As I told you yesterday (Thursday), by the mercy of Allah and everyone’s prayers, her condition was stable. I would like to add that compared to her previous condition, she is now much more stable following the treatment of the medical board,” he said. The BNP leader made the remarks while briefing reporters about Khaleda’s health condition outside Evercare Hospital. Dr Zahid said a small medical procedure was carried out on the former prime minister on Friday in the operation theatre of the hospital. “She was able to receive it very successfully. The procedure went smoothly.” He said Khaleda is now receiving treatment at a Critical Care Unit cabin that has ICU facilities, under a medical board made up of specialist doctors from home and abroad. “At this moment, her condition is stable. This means her condition has not deteriorated,” the BNP leader said. Khaleda Zia integral to an important chapter in Bangladesh history: Prof Yunus Dr Zahid said BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and the wife of late Arafat Rahman Koko Syeda Shameela Rahman and other family members urged the country’s people to pray to Allah so that Khaleda continues to remain stable and moves towards full recovery with the treatment being provided by the medical board. The BNP chief was admitted to Evercare Hospital on 23 November with several health complications. Three days later, she was moved to the Critical Care Unit after a lung infection was detected. Her treatment is now being supervised by a medical board led by Professor Shahabuddin Talukder, with the involvement of both local and foreign specialists.    

BNP on Friday postponed two scheduled programmes of its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, considering the overall situation in the country. The party has also called an emergency meeting of its Standing Committee tonight at 8:30pm at the BNP Chairperson’s political office in Gulshan, said BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan. “The two pre-announced programmes have been postponed, and an emergency standing committee meeting has been called for tonight at 8:30pm,” he said. Sayrul said BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman will join the meeting virtually and preside over it. He said the programme of Fakhrul, which was scheduled to be held at 3pm at Sech Bhaban in the Sangsad Bhaban area, has been postponed. Another programme of the party’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, planned for 4pm in front of the WASA Bhaban at Karwan Bazar, has also been postponed,” Sayrul added. BNP sources said the two programmes were postponed after Inquilab Moncho convener Sharif Osman bin Hadi, who was shot and injured earlier, died on Thursday in Singapore and violence broke out afterwards in Bangladesh. They also said the Standing Committee meeting has been convened to discuss the country’s latest political situation, organisational matters, and to work out the party’s next course of action.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s verified Facebook account has been temporarily deactivated due to repeated hacking attempts. “Attempts were being made to hack the account since morning. That is why it has been kept deactivated for now,” said BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan. In the early morning, Fakhrul issued a statement on his verified Facebook account condemning the attacks on several media houses and the assault on New Age Editor Nurul Kabir. “While the grieving nation was praying for the (departed) soul of martyr Sharif Osman Hadi, shameful attacks were carried out on media organisations, including The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, as well as on respected journalist Nurul Kabir and several others,” he said in the post. Fakhrul also said those who wait for national crises to take advantage of them are enemies of the country. “They wait for moments of crisis. Today, they turned this tragic moment into an act of destruction. I strongly condemn this act of terror.” “We urge all parties to work together responsibly and in unity. The government must take action immediately,” he said. Soon after the post, attempts were reportedly made to break into his account, prompting its temporary deactivation.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday strongly condemned the attacks on The Daily Star, Prothom Alo, New Age Editor Nurul Kabir and other media professionals, saying those who carried out such violence are “enemies of Bangladesh”. “While the grieving nation was praying for the soul of martyr Sharif Osman Hadi, shameful attacks were carried out on media organisations, including The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, as well as on respected journalist Nurul Kabir and several others,” he said In a Facebook post early Friday, Fakhrul said Bangladesh is a sovereign and independent country, and the government is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of every citizen. He said those who wait for national crises to take advantage of them are enemies of the country. “They wait for moments of crisis. Today, they turned this tragic moment into an act of destruction. I strongly condemn this act of terror!” The BNP leader also said Hadi was a candidate in the upcoming national election and had gone to people seeking votes. “The election will be held, and a democratic government elected by people will be formed in Bangladesh, InshaAllah.” He said the assailants of Hadi must be brought to justice and every act of mob violence must also be punished. Fakhrul said the country has witnessed various mob attacks for over a year, which have divided the nation. After the fall of the autocratic Awami League regime, he said, the first and foremost responsibility of the interim government is to unite the nation and build a democratic, stable and inclusive society. “We urge all parties to work together responsibly and in unity. The government must take action immediately,” he said.

BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed on Thursday said a historic reception awaits BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, who will reach Dhaka at 11:55am on December 25. “Tarique Rahman is scheduled to land at Dhaka airport at 11:55am on December 25 by a regular commercial flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines from London,” he said. Talking to reporters in front of BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office after visiting Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with the reception committee for Tarique’s return, Salahuddin said people across the country are eager for a glimpse of him, and the BNP is working to ensure the gathering does not cause any public inconvenience. He said their committee inspected security and logistical arrangements at the airport ahead of the BNP Acting Chairman’s arrival. Salahuddin said the party is looking for suitable locations near the airport and Evercare Hospital to organise the reception programme. He said they want to ensure a reception that will surpass all previous gatherings in the last 55 years and will not be forgotten in the next 55 years, marking Tarique’s homecoming. Upon arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, the BNP leader said, Tarique will be taken under tight security by road to Evercare Hospital, where his ailing mother and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is undergoing treatment. Salahuddin, the convener of the party’s reception committee for Tarique’s homecoming, said, “We, the members of the reception committee, inspected the area where our leader will land. We checked where he will get down, where he will sit, how he will get into his car and which roads his motorcade will take to reach Evercare Hospital and then his residence. We are coordinating everything with the authorities.” He said Tarique is coming back after 17 years of painful exile. The BNP leader said the government is cooperating to ensure Tarique’s reception and security. He said BNP’s security team, led by retired Brigadier General AKM Shamsul Islam, has held several meetings with the heads of relevant government departments over the past few days to finalise the security arrangements. Salahuddin said BNP leaders and activists from across the country will travel to Dhaka to welcome Tarique. “We are instructing leaders of BNP and affiliated organisations in every district, upazila and union on how they should arrive in Dhaka on the night of 24 December or by the morning of 25 December. There is huge excitement among people all over the country,” he said. Reception committee member secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the committee is working full swing under the leadership of Salahuddin Ahmed. He said Tarique’s arrival will draw a ‘historic crowd’, and they are working day and night to make the gathering historic and memorable. Meanwhile, BNP has written to Bangladesh Railway authorities requesting to reserve trains on different routes on the night of 24 December to facilitate the arrival of leaders and activists in Dhaka.

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s health condition remains stable without any change, her personal physician Dr AZM Zahid Hossain said on Thursday, expressing hope that her condition will gradually improve. “Her condition is stable, Alhamdulillah. She has so far been able to receive all the treatment prescribed by the doctors properly,” Dr Zahid said while briefing reporters outside Evercare Hospital. Dr Zahid Hossain, who is also a BNP Standing Committee member, said Khaleda Zia’s physical condition has remained at the same level as it was a few days ago. “Alhamdulillah, this has made the doctors and everyone involved in her treatment, including all of us at the hospital, very hopeful. Insha’Allah, Madam Begum Khaleda Zia will gradually recover,” he added. He said Khaleda’s health complications are very serious as her illnesses are more severe than what her age may suggest. “Over past years she was pushed into a situation in a planned way where her health was harmed. She was not given treatment in time or was not allowed to receive treatment. Because of that, her complications increased greatly. Now she needs more time in hospital,” the physician said. Zahid said BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman are constantly monitoring Khaleda’s medical updates. “Among her family members, Arafat Rahman Koko’s wife Syeda Shameela Rahman, Begum Zia’s brother Shamim Eskandar, elder sister SelimaIslam and other relatives are also staying close, monitoring her condition,” he said. As Khaleda Zia is in the Critical Care Unit, Zahid said they cannot remain beside her physically. “They are staying at the hospital or nearby and keeping constant contact with the doctors.” Zahid thanked the Chief Adviser of the interim government, advisers, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, party Standing Committee members, and hospital doctors, nurses, and staff for their full cooperation. He requested BNP leaders and activists and visitors to maintain discipline at the hospital. The physician said the hospital has many patients under treatment and law enforcers are helping so that the treatment of other patients at the hospital continues without any disturbance “I want to request everyone through the media that this hospital is open to all. People come here for treatment. So please do not do anything that may interrupt services for other patients because of Khaleda Zia’s treatment,” Zahid said. Khaleda Zia integral to an important chapter in Bangladesh history: Prof Yunus He said they believe BNP leaders and activists will show respect to hospital rules. “No one will create any trouble. We are confident and hopeful about that.” The BNP chief has been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital since November 23. She was shifted to the hospital’s Critical Care Unit on November 27 due to multiple health complications. Her treatment is being supervised by a medical board led by Professor Shahabuddin Talukder, with the involvement of both local and foreign specialist doctors.    

BNP is facing an uphill task to reach an amicable understanding with its political allies and calm their anger over seat sharing after announcing its own candidates in 272 constituencies in two phases ahead of the 13th parliamentary election. Talking to UNB, some BNP and alliance leaders said several allied parties became upset as they expected more seats than BNP offered them, while some others became angry after getting only promises of future evaluation without any seat. BNP leaders, however, said they have continued talks to reach a compromise on seat-sharing and keep the alliance united. On Wednesday, BNP held separate meetings in Dhaka with two alliance platforms involved in the anti-fascist joint movement – Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote and the 12-Party Alliance. Read more: BNP weighing review of ‘controversial’ nominations amid grassroots unrest A BNP Standing Committee member, wishing anonymity, said they told allies that seats could be reviewed in favour of strong candidates from partner parties. He said some seats where BNP has already announced its candidates may be reconsidered for allies. The BNP leader, however, said they made it clear that due to strategy it will not be possible to leave all demanded seats for partners. In that case, he said, they assured allies that if the party forms the next government, their leaders will be given important posts in the Upper House of Parliament or in different state institutions. BNP leaders said they are determined to keep the alliance united logically and responsibly. “We are trying to reach an understanding with the allies by providing them with a logical number of seats.” Read more: Concerns grow over ‘administrative preparations’ for Bangladesh election So far, BNP has declared candidates in 272 seats, leaving 28 seats vacant, and the party has said the remaining seats are mainly for its allies. But alliance leaders claimed that they submitted their candidate lists as BNP requested, yet BNP announced its nominees without discussion. Top leaders from several small alliance parties who were seeking nominations in at least six constituencies were not considered, as BNP announced its own candidates there. On 10 December, 29 allied parties, including Ganatantra Mancha, the 12-Party Alliance, the Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote, Gono Odhikar Parishad and Gonoforum, met at Shishu Kallyan Parishad to decide their next steps and demanded that BNP clarify its seat-sharing policy. Following that pressure, BNP on Wednesday met the two allies separately to calm frustrations. The first meeting took place between 12pm and 1pm with the Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office. Read more: BNP nomination hopefuls frustrated as party delays green signal BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee Members Nazrul Islam Khan and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku represented BNP. Alliance convener Dr Fariduzzaman Farhad and several leaders attended the meeting and raised various demands and voiced frustration that BNP announced its candidates without discussion, said a leader of the platform. He said they told BNP that they had stayed with the party in the joint movement and would continue to support the party to ensure victory for the ‘sheaf of paddy’, BNP’s election symbol. The alliance leader said they requested BNP to reconsider the Narail-2 constituency for their chief Dr Farhad, who contested the seat in the 2018 election. He said Mirza Fakhrul told the meeting that BNP was seriously considering reviewing the Narail-2 seat. “It would not be possible to give seats to all alliance partners due to strategic reasons, but those who do not receive seats will be honoured later based on merit if BNP forms the government,” he quoted Fakhrul as saying. After the meeting, Dr Farhad told UNB that the talks were “positive” and expressed confidence in BNP’s leadership. Read more: Bangladesh must avoid return to fascism: Moyeen Khan Later, from 4pm to 5pm, BNP held another meeting with the 12-Party Alliance, where alliance leaders placed highest importance on three seats – Kushtia-2, Kishoreganj-5 and Pirojpur-1. Two of the seats already have BNP candidates, while Pirojpur-1 remains vacant. A leader of the 12-Party Alliance said BNP leaders assured them that their demands would be given serious consideration. Contacted, BNP Standing Committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said they are in talks with alliance partners to reach an understanding over the seat-sharing issue. He, however, said it may not be possible to satisfy every partner by giving them seats, as winning the election must remain the priority. “So, we consider sharing seats only with those who have the potential to win.” Tuku said BNP has finalised its candidates after careful assessment of many factors. “We have still kept 28 seats vacant and many of those will be shared with our alliance partners. Everyone needs to be patient.” Read more: BNP forms reception committee ahead of Tarique’s return

BNP has formed a reception committee ahead of the return of its Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman to Bangladesh on December 25. The committee was formed on Monday with BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed as the convener and BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi as the member secretary, said BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan. BNP sources said the committee includes the party’s 10 divisional organising secretaries, the presidents and general secretaries of BNP front organisations, and the conveners and member secretaries of BNP’s Dhaka North and South city units. The first meeting of the committee was held on Tuesday afternoon, where members discussed the work plan for welcoming Tarique Rahman back home. Earlier on Monday, a joint meeting of BNP and its front organisations was held at the party chairperson’s office in Gulshan to discuss arrangements for Tarique’s reception. The meeting was chaired by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. After more than 17 years in exile in London, Tarique Rahman is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on December 25. As per BNP’s plan, a large number of party leaders and activists will gather at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on December 25 to welcome Tarique and make his homecoming memorable. From the airport to Evercare Hospital, where his mother Begum Khaleda Zia is receiving treatment, BNP members will stand on both sides of the road to greet him. Party sources also said Tarique will first go to Evercare Hospital after his arrival to see his mother who has been receiving treatment there in a critical condition. Later, he is expected to stay at a house at number 196 on Gulshan Avenue, next to his mother’s residence, ‘Firoza’. Meanwhile, BNP has appointed Brigadier General (retd) AKM Shamsul Islam as the chief security officer to oversee the security of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. The decision was announced on Wednesday on Wednesday in a statement signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. Rizvi said Shamsul Islam will coordinate all security arrangements for the two top party leaders and ensure that all necessary measures are taken for their safety.  

BNP senior leader Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan on Wednesday said Bangladesh cannot afford to return to a fascist path again in the future. “We don’t want Bangladesh to be known again in the world as a fascist state. We want to build a humane Bangladesh,” he said. The BNP leader made the remarks while speaking at a discussion organised by the Doctors’ Association of Bangladesh (DAB) at the Jatiya Press Club. Dr Moyeen, a BNP Standing Committee member, said Bangladesh is now one of the most densely populated countries in the world, and by 2050 Dhaka is expected to become the most crowded large city. “How we will run such a city is a matter to think about. Though we are not economically strong yet, we are surviving on an informal economy. Those who will run the country in future must work on these issues,” he said. The BNP leader said the Awami League, instead of serving the people, created a system of self-serving power groups, which he termed an “oligarchic structure.” “As a result, the poor have become poorer,” he observed. The BNP leader said even after 54 years of independence, the nation is still searching for democracy. “For democracy the people fought the Liberation War in 1971. They fought for economic rights and dignity. Those who led the country in the past and those who are leading now must answer why they failed,” he said. Tough days ahead as conspiracies persist, warns Tarique Rahman Dr Moyeen said every authoritarian ruler in Bangladesh faced resistance whenever they tried to take away freedom of speech. “Modern state systems can be cruel because they make people numb and ignore human feelings. Those who come to power in future must make this clear,” he said. DAB President Prof Dr Harun Al Rashid chaired the discussion, which was attended by BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council members Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Prof Dr Forhad Halim Dona, and DAB Secretary General Dr Md Zahidul Islam Shakil and others.