United News of Bangladesh

Jatiya Party Secretary General Barrister Shameen Haider Patwary on Monday demanded that the government arrest those involved in the “attack” on their party Chairman GM Quader’s Uttara residence within 24 hours. “If you do not arrest the perpetrators within 24 hours, Jatiya Party will launch a strong movement and protest,” he said, addressing a press conference at the party office in the city. Earlier in the day, GM Quader’s residence in Sector 7 of Uttara in the capital came under attack by a group of people. Describing the attack as a planned one, Shameen claimed that a group of people brought out a procession and attacked and vandalised the house. He said their party chief was at home with his family members during the attack, but they were safe. The attack took place because GM Quader had criticised the hike in the prices of essential commodities, the Jatiya Party secretary general claimed. “We are not a banned organisation. We will speak out and engage in politics. Jatiya Party is a legal and registered party, and it should be allowed to carry out its political programmes,” he said. Shameem said their party office was set on fire four times during the immediate past interim government, led by Dr Muhammad Yunus. “We do not want that horrific situation to return,” the Jatiya Party leader said. He urged the government to ensure political coexistence, saying their party had planned to organise a long march and procession on September 26 to protest soaring prices of essential commodities and fuel, but it did not get permission. A group of people under the banner of “Anti-Autocracy General People” staged a demonstration outside GM Quader’s residence on Monday, demanding his immediate arrest. The protesters staged a sit-in on the road in front of the house at 10:40am and chanted various slogans. According to witnesses, the protesters could not enter the residence but vandalised its windowpanes before leaving the scene ahead of the police’s arrival. CCTV footage showed some protesters demonstrating in front of Quader’s residence, throwing bricks and other objects at the house.

The Election Commission (EC) has announced the schedule for the by-election to the reserved women’s seat in the 13th Parliament that fell vacant following the resignation of Ferdousy Ahmed Mishti, setting November 12 as voting day. An official notification signed by EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed was issued on Monday, declaring the by-election schedule. According to the schedule, the deadline for submitting nomination papers to the returning officer at the Nirbachan Bhaban is October 26. The nomination papers will be scrutinised on October 27, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is November 1. Voting will be held on November 12. Mishti was elected as a lawmaker from a reserved women’s seat with nomination from the BNP. Under the law, only the BNP can nominate a candidate for the vacant seat. If more than one candidate contests the election, only lawmakers from the BNP alliance will be eligible to vote. However, reserved women’s seats generally have a single candidate, requiring no voting. Mishti resigned from her parliamentary seat on October 1 following instructions from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman amid allegations that she was involved in an attack, vandalism, looting and demolition at the Radda MCH-FP Centre, a maternal and child healthcare facility in Mirpur, Dhaka, on September 24.

BNP acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday warned party leaders and activists against sacrificing their long political struggle for personal benefits such as fertiliser dealership and government contracts, saying the party must maintain public confidence through tolerance and responsible conduct. “If we sell out our long political struggle to obtain fertiliser dealerships and contracts, we will not be able to achieve anything significant. We will fail to secure our greater goals. General people, who are the voters, should see that BNP leaders and activists are extremely tolerant,” he said. Rizvi made the remarks while addressing a commemorative meeting marking the 10th death anniversary of former minister and BNP National Standing Committee member Brig Gen (retd) A S M Hannan Shah. He said BNP leaders and activists should not remain preoccupied with what they gained or failed to gain personally, but should instead focus on the broader responsibilities of the party and government. “After 17 years of hardship, we have secured a BNP government through a free and fair election under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. He is working day and night to make the country prosperous,” Rizvi said. Despite the difficulties, the government is trying to provide relief to people and meet their essential needs, Rizvi said. He said industrial mills and factories have been at risk of shutting down amid the gas and electricity shortages, but the situation was gradually improving under Tarique Rahman's leadership. “By the grace of Allah, we are gradually getting these services back in many places. Gas stoves in our kitchens are burning again. I believe the situation will gradually return to normal in the coming days,” he said. Rizvi said every party leader and activist should consider themselves part of the government, regardless of the positions they had received. “What matters is that the government maintains a good image and continues to run the country with sincerity. We must all cooperate in this effort,” he said. He urged MPs to maintain peace and stability in their respective constituencies and asked party leaders and activists to support them. He also called on lawmakers to stand beside people in both good times and difficult situations.“We have all been involved in politics. We did not enter politics to become wealthy overnight.” Rizvi said BNP leaders and activists are not behaving like those who are involved in what he described as the fascist rule of the past. He alleged that during the previous regime, those in power looted public money, occupied people's land and even took cattle from cowsheds and fish from ponds, plunging the country into disorder to establish a system of plunder. “The BNP will not repeat those practices. The party has no such commitment. The BNP stands for peace, stability and the rule of law,” he said. He stressed that even grassroots-level party workers are part of the government and must act with restraint to preserve peace and stability. Rizvi said various conspiracies and attempts to create instability are continuing, adding that police have arrested two retired army officers on Sunday over suspected plans for sabotage. He urged party leaders and activists to remain alert, particularly ahead of the upcoming Durga Puja. He said party leaders and activists should voluntarily perform these duties on a voluntary basis, without waiting for specific instructions. “If we understand our responsibilities and work accordingly, the people of this country will continue to support the nationalist forces,” he said, warning party members to ensure that their conduct never resembled that of activists of the previous regime. Rizvi concluded this part of his speech by praying for the eternal peace of the late Hannan Shah. The event was attended by BNP Gazipur district president Fazlul Haque Milan, BNP National Executive Committee Organising Secretary for Dhaka Division Saiful Haque Bablu, Hannan Shah's son and BNP leader Reazul Hannan, former central Chhatra Dal leaders and BNP lawmakers.

Prime Minister and Leader of the House Tarique Rahman has taken a tough stance against extortionists and land grabbers, making it clear that there is no place for them in the BNP and that no one will be allowed to escape accountability for wrongdoing by using the party's name. Speaking to reporters, Chief Whip Md Nurul Islam Moni said "the prime minister had taken a firm position against extortion and land grabbing and stressed that such activities would not be tolerated under any circumstances". He conveyed the message while briefing reporters after a meeting of ruling party lawmakers chaired by Tarique Rahman at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Sunday evening. The meeting began at 6:20pm and continued for around three hours, ending at 9:20pm. It was held in the meeting room for ruling party members of parliament. Senior BNP leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan, Power and Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmood and Social Welfare Minister AZM Zahid Hossain, among others, spoke at the meeting. Moni said the meeting was convened at the prime minister's direction to hear lawmakers' concerns and find ways to address them, although such meetings are not usually held between two parliamentary sessions. “The last session of parliament ended on the 10th of last month. The next session will begin next month. Usually, meetings of this kind are not held between two sessions. However, the prime minister directed that this meeting be held to speak with MPs, hear about their problems and find ways to resolve them,” he said. The chief whip said the prime minister listened to lawmakers for an extended period, discussing the difficulties they faced in their respective areas. Ministers concerned also spoke on issues falling under their responsibilities. He said discussions covered various problems faced by MPs, government activities, the functioning of parliament, the law and order situation, electricity and energy, education, the judiciary and local government elections. Moni said the objective was to strengthen government activities and ensure accountability to the people. “MPs were asked to inform the leader of the House and the ministers whether government activities were meeting people's expectations and to raise any problems they identified. Based on the discussions, the prime minister provided directions on various issues,” he said. The chief whip said lawmakers were instructed to ensure the peaceful celebration of the upcoming Durga Puja and maintain a normal law and order situation. He said law enforcement agencies and the administration would work to ensure that the celebrations proceeded without any disruption. BNP leaders, activists and lawmakers were also asked to remain actively involved. “They have been instructed to remain vigilant so that no one from the Hindu community or other minority groups faces any problems, and to stand beside them when necessary,” Moni said. Asked about discussions on party discipline, the chief whip said the meeting emphasised the need for everyone to maintain party discipline and operate within its rules. Moni said the prime minister had also instructed party members to remain united and advised them to choose suitable leadership for the upcoming local government elections. He said the BNP would try to field a single candidate in local government elections through coordination with grassroots leaders and organisational structures. “The party will try to nominate a single candidate in every union by utilising its grassroots organisational structure,” the chief whip said. Asked what action the party would take if anyone contested against the grassroots-level decision, Moni said the party would decide on the matter, adding that no discussion had yet taken place on the issue.

A meeting of the ruling BNP’s parliamentary party, chaired by Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, began on Sunday evening. The meeting began at 6:20pm in the ruling party members’ room at the at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. The meeting comes ahead of the next session of parliament, the date of which has yet to be finalised. Tarique Rahman, also the Leader of the House, called the meeting amid discussions on maintaining party discipline, the law-and-order situation, constitutional amendments and the upcoming local government elections, according to party sources. Usually, meetings of parliamentary parties are held one or two days before the start of a parliamentary session or during the session. This time, however, the meeting was called before the date of the next session was fixed. The next session of parliament may begin in the second week of November.

Leaders and activists of Jatiya Jubo Shakti, the youth wing of the National Citizen Party (NCP), staged a demonstration in front of the Department of Youth Development in Motijheel on Sunday to press home their five-point demand, including the resignation of State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Aminul Haque over an alleged question paper leak in a recruitment examination.

Leader of the Opposition and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman returned home on Sunday after completing his visit to Turkey and performing Umrah in Saudi Arabia on his way back to Dhaka. He arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 9:00am, where Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer ATM Azharul Islam, MP, Central Executive Council member and Dhaka South City Jamaat Ameer Nurul Islam Bulbul, MP, and Dhaka North City Jamaat Ameer Md Selim Uddin welcomed him with bouquets. Shafiqur left Dhaka on October 7 to attend the Second International Conference on Bangladesh Studies, held at Istanbul University in Turkey, as the chief guest. He delivered the keynote address at the conference on October 9. During his stay in Turkey, he also met Turkish Parliament Speaker Prof Dr Numan Kurtulmus on October 8.  The Jamaat chief then travelled to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah before returning to Dhaka on Sunday morning.

A meeting of the ruling BNP’s parliamentary party will be held this (Sunday) evening with Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman in the chair. The meeting is scheduled to take place at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban from 6pm, according to the information disclosed by the Prime Minister’s Press Wing on Saturday night. The date of the next session of parliament has not yet been fixed. Meanwhile, Tarique Rahman, also the Leader of the House, has called a meeting of the party’s parliamentary group. The meeting may discuss establishing discipline within the party, the law-and-order situation, constitutional amendments and the upcoming local government elections, according to responsible sources. Usually, meetings of parliamentary parties are held one or two days before the start of a parliamentary session or during the session. This time, however, the meeting has been called before the date of the next parliamentary session has been determined. The next session of parliament may begin in the second week of November.

BNP leaders and activists will work in coordination with local puja celebration committees to help ensure the security of Durga Puja venues across the country, including Dhaka, party Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said on Saturday night. He said the decision was taken at a meeting of the BNP National Standing Committee held at the party chairman’s office in Gulshan, chaired by BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Rizvi said the party policymakers discussed ways to ensure that members of the Hindu community could celebrate Durga Puja peacefully and share the joy of the festival with others. He said BNP leaders and activists would work as volunteers in coordination with local puja committees across the country. “The leaders discussed in detail how our party activists would coordinate with local puja celebration committees and play a voluntary role at puja venues across the country. Our party leaders and activists will stand guard at every puja venue like vigilant sentinels,” Rizvi said. He said the party has already formed a 12-member Durga Puja monitoring committee led by BNP Joint Secretary General Khairul Kabir Khokon. Rizvi alleged that various quarters were conspiring against the country and the democratic government. He expressed hope that the government would be able to counter all forms of propaganda, misdeeds and conspiracies through efficient management, adding that BNP leaders and activists would remain vigilant. The meeting was held at the BNP chairman’s office in Gulshan in the evening. BNP Standing Committee members Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Selima Rahman, AZM Zahid Hossain, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Aman Ullah Aman, Ismail Zabiullah and Farhad Halim were present.

BNP leaders and activists will act as volunteers and sleepless sentinels at every Durga Puja mandap across the country, to ensure the safe and uninterrupted celebration of the festival by members of the Hindu community, BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said on Saturday. “They will act as volunteers and sentinels at every Puja mandap like sleepless guards,” he said. Rizvi made the remarks while briefing reporters after a meeting of the BNP’s highest policymaking body, the National Standing Committee, chaired by BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday night. The meeting began at 6:30pm at the BNP chairman’s office in Gulshan in the capital. Rizvi said the meeting primarily discussed ensuring the safe and uninterrupted celebration of Durga Puja across the country, allowing members of the Hindu community to take part in the festivities and share their joy with others. The party leaders discussed how BNP activists would coordinate with local Puja committees at different mandaps across the country and perform voluntary duties to help ensure security during the festival, he said. “You know that various kinds of blueprints are being drawn by some quarters against the country and the democratic government,” Rizvi said. He expressed hope that the government would be able to thwart all kinds of propaganda, misdeeds and conspiracies through efficient management and administration, adding that BNP leaders and activists would remain vigilant in this regard. He said the meeting also discussed what steps could be taken on the issue and what the party had already done. Rizvi said the BNP had formed a central Durga Puja monitoring committee on Friday under the leadership of Joint Secretary Generals Khairul Kabir Khokon and Syed Emran Saleh Prince, he added. The party had also issued various instructions earlier to ensure the peaceful celebration of the festival, he said. “We are deeply concerned about this issue, and all of us remain alert,” Rizvi said. The meeting also discussed organisational matters, including the party’s future course of action and ways to further intensify its organisational activities, Rizvi said. He said there was no discussion at the meeting about the upcoming local government elections. Asked whether there was any message regarding the formation of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) committee, Rizvi said no such message had reached him so far that he could share with the media. He also confirmed that the party’s national council was not discussed at the meeting. Those present at the meeting included Gayeshwar Chandra Roy MP, Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Selima Rahman, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Power and Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmood Tuku, Social Welfare Minister Prof AZM Zahid Hossain, Amanullah Aman MP, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Public Administration Ismail Zabiullah, and BNP Chairman’s Adviser Dr Farhad Halim Doner.