Politics
48-hour nationwide hartal called by BNP underway
A 48-hour hartal, called by BNP and like-minded opposition parties to protest the 12th parliamentary election to be held tomorrow (January 07, 2024), is underway.
The hartal began at 6 am today (January 06, 2024) and will end at 6 am on Monday (January 08, 2024).
A large number of people have left Dhaka city ahead of the January 7 national parliamentary election. The number of vehicles on the street are fewer compared to other days, but despite fear of arson attacks, public vehicles were plying the streets.
Four people were killed as arsonists burnt four coaches of the Benapole Express train in Dhaka last night.
Read: Govt to face crushing defeat on Jan 7: Moyeen Khan
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the hartal at a virtual press briefing on Thursday.
He said their programme is meant to drum up public support in favor of the party’s call to boycott the January 7 election.
BNP along with nearly three dozen opposition political parties have been carrying out a simultaneous movement since December 10 last year to force the current government to quit and hold the 12th parliamentary election under a non-party neutral administration.
Read: BNP to hold processions, conduct mass contacts Friday to protest Jan-7 polls
Many senior leaders, including BNP’s secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, were arrested while many others went into hiding in the face of a crackdown by the law enforcers.
However, BNP and like-minded parties enforced countrywide blockades for 23 days in 12 phases and hartals for five days since October 29.
The opposition party came up with the call for a non-cooperation movement on December 20.
US visa policy should be applied on BNP leaders: Momen
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Friday said that if the United States is right in their words on the visa policy, then the visa policy should be applied on BNP leaders as they want to disrupt the election.
The foreign minister made the remarks while talking to reporters after a meeting with a US observer team at his residence in Sylhet in the evening.
He said BNP's popularity has decreased in the country at present, they have chosen the path of terrorism.
He also said that the people of the country are not worried about Khaleda Zia's jail. The party is suffering from immaturity of leadership.
Replying to a question, the minister said 227 observers and journalists from different countries of the world will come to monitor the next election.
He said members of the US observer team did not comment on the election, they were gathering information.
"The observer team wanted to know how to reduce the bitterness between the big parties Awami League and BNP in the future, and why BNP did not participate in the election," he added.
The US team included Geoffrey McDonald, Senior Advisor, Asia Pacific, IRI, Amitab Ghosh, Senior Program Manager, IRI, and David Hogstra, Program Manager, IRI.
Govt out to show artificial turnout in Jan 7 polls: Dr Moyeen Khan
BNP senior leader Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan on Friday alleged that the government has taken various unconstitutional, immoral and deceptive moves, including intimidating voters, to show artificial voter turnout in Sunday's election.
Speaking at a press conference, the BNP leader called upon the people to boycott the voting in the ‘farcical’ election, braving what he said all threats and intimidation by the government.
BNP standing committee arranged the press conference on the premises of Moyeen Khan’s Gulshan residence, just two days before the voting. It was the first formal in-person press conference of the BNP since its grand rally was foiled in the capital on October 28.
“Criticism and hilarity are going on at home and abroad about the one-sided election of seat sharing and distribution to be held on January 7... the government has not stopped by creating dummy candidates and dummy parties, as they have now turned their attention to forcefully creating dummy voters,” Dr Moyeen said. Alongside BNP and 62 pro-democracy political parties, he said voters of all classes and professions and every conscious citizen of the country have already boycotted and rejected the so-called election.
“Getting desperate to hang onto power, the illegitimate government is trying to show the arrangement of seat distribution as a participatory and inclusive election. So, the Awami League and the identified quarters of the state apparatus have devised a blueprint of the conspiracy,” the BNP leader observed.
He alleged that the way the government has resorted to violence to show the presence of artificial voters in a ‘meaningless’ election, which is being held against the aspirations of the people, is morally anti-people and politically childish.
“The list of all their tricks to show the inflated number of presence of voters is now clear to the international stakeholders...the Awami League and its submissive state apparatus have taken countless unethical, undemocratic, and unconstitutional initiatives to show false and fraudulent voter turnout,” Dr Moyeen said.
As part of the move to intimidate voters, he said the MPs of the government are threatening that millions of beneficiaries of the government’s social safety net programmes will lose their financial benefits if they do not go to the polling stations.
“At present, about 1.28 crore people are getting various social benefits which is an ongoing process under all governments. Awami League has given instructions to ensure these beneficiaries and their family members go to the polling stations. It is being told that if they do not vote on January 7, their allowances will be cancelled,” he said.
The BNP leader also alleged that the central and local leaders of the Awami League have started seizing the cards of government beneficiaries in many places by resorting to coercive tactics.
“Beneficiaries are being threatened door to door that they will not get their cards back if they don't go to polling stations and vote in public. Initiatives are also being taken through the local administration to compel the beneficiaries of various types of social security programmes to cast their votes," he said.
Besides, he said, the government has unlawfully taken an unprecedented initiative to allow nearly two million government employees across the country to cast their votes by postal ballots.
“Such a decision imposed against their will has created frustration across large sections of the administration. This is an attempt to control the voting rights of government officials," he said.
Dr Moyeen said the illegitimate government and its subservient state machinery have focused on taking the postal votes of government officials and employees who will participate in the election process. “At the same time, the officials are also asked to ensure that their family members go to the polling stations. Apart from this, over a lakh of officers of private and autonomous organisations, involved in various electoral duties, including presiding and polling officers, are being asked to vote by postal ballots.”
He said a large part of 61 lakh members of Ansar and VDP will perform various duties on the so-called Election Day. “A letter has been sent from the headquarters to each unit and battalion to ensure postal voting for all of them and at least five members of each family to go to the voting centres.”
The BNP leader alleged that members of police across the country are on a mission to increase voter turnout.
“The police commissioner of Dhaka himself called the councilors of the two city corporations and urged them to ensure the presence of voters at the polling stations as much as possible. The SPs and OCs of the police in various places are directly involved in the campaign of Awami League candidates and asking people to cast their votes. A question has arisen in the public mind, who has given the police the political responsibility to increase voter participation? What is the constitutional and legal basis for this biased and partisan behavior?
He accused the Awami League leaders of threatening people with revoking their national ID cards and stopping different utility services if they do not go to the polling stations
Besides, Dr Moyeen said the ruling party leaders and workers are making preparations to increase the presence of voters by resorting to various tricks and terror acts and casting fake votes.
He called upon the people to face the threats of the illegal government with courage and keep records of the names of those who were forcing them to go to the polling stations.
"We want to say that the time of this one-party government is over. So there is no more reason to care about their unjust and illegal threats. We hope that the people of Bangladesh will soon be freed from the grip of one-party rule," he said
Another BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said the government has been carrying out subversive acts like torching vehicles and trains to shift the blame on BNP and malign its peaceful movement.
He alleged that the ruling party is playing with the fate of the people by holding a lopsided election, destroying the country and its all achievements.
BNP Standing Committee member Selima Rahman called upon the people to peacefully observe the 48-hour hartal to be enforced by their party from 6am Saturday as part of a move to boycott the election.
“We have appealed to the people to observe strike and boycott this election. That is why our leaders and workers will carry out the programme in a peaceful manner,” she said.
Jan 7 polls: BNP takes out procession with sticks in capital, calls for vote boycott
The leaders and activists of the BNP and its associate bodies brought out a procession with sticks in the capital on Friday morning demanding the government's resignation and cancellation of the ‘one-party’ election on Sunday (January 7).
They also called upon the country’s people to boycott the election and not to go to the polling stations on Sunday.
The BNP leaders and followers took out the procession, led by the party’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, in the city’s Karwanbazar area.
Also read: Bangladesh election is domestic affair: India
They chanted various slogans against what they said was an “unacceptable, farcical and dummy” election.
In a brief address after the procession, Rizvi said the government is trying to hold a unilateral election illegally by using the state machinery.
Also read: Vote AL to power again in Jan 7 election to serve the country: Hasina appeals in televised address to the nation
“The country’s people won't accept this illegal election arranged by looters. We urge the people, including the leaders and workers of the BNP and like-minded opposition parties, to boycott the dummy election,” he said.
Referring to victims’ pleas, Sajeeb Wazed says BNP’s ‘disinformation campaign’ aimed at passing the blame on Awami League
Referring to pleas of victims of the recent violence and arson attacks, Sajeeb Wazed in a tweet pointed out BNP’s “disinformation campaign” aimed at passing the blame on Awami League.
“BNP Jamaat Politics of burning people alive stood exposed yet again” reads the tweet that also includes a video — in reference to the letters BNP sent to UN and various embassies — posted by the former ICT affairs adviser to the PM.
Read: BNP leaders hired bomb-makers to unleash violence and intimidate voters, Sajeeb Wazed says
Though BNP has sent letters to the Dhaka office of the United Nations and various embassies claiming that “state-sponsored arson attacks and sabotage are underway in Bangladesh,” a number of victims and families yesterday held BNP-Jamaat responsible for arson attacks.
“BNP-Jamaat supporters burnt my son alive… My son was never involved in politics… I request Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to ensure punishment for those who burned my son and their instigators,” Runi Begum, mother of Nahid – a victim of the 2013 arson attack in Shahbagh – said.
Read: Sajeeb Wazed questions US stance on BNP's involvement in violence before polls
“We are alive because of the Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute opened by Sheikh Hasina,” Shikdar Mohammad, who was injured in an arson attack in Chattogram on December 3, said.
Citing these references, Sajeeb Wazed wrote: “Now the world should listen to the first-hand accounts from arson attack victims and relatives of those innocent lives perished since the outbreak of the violence as BNP Jamaat combine waged street violence to thwart polls.”
It won't affect polls whether left leaning parties boycott or not : Hasan Mahmud
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud said on Thursday that as the left leaning parties don't have noticeable voters it won't affect the elections whether they boycott the elections or not.
“I respect my leftist brothers as they are pro-liberation forces, and socialism is also one of the main pillars of our party. For this, I also support many issues coming from them. But, it is a sheer truth that they have no public support. So, there is no impact on whether the leftist parties are joining the poll or not”, he said.
The minister made the remarks while talking to journalists at his secretariat on Thursday afternoon.
Awami League comes to power to serve: Law Minister
He also said that the BNP recruited some Jewish agents to spread falsehood against the January 7 election after being rejected by the people.
“People have rejected the BNP’s call of resisting the poll. Now they are urging to boycott the election and have recruited some Jewish agents including David Bergman to make the election questionable,” he said.
“The BNP-recruited lobbyists are writing articles in different foreign newspapers. But there is no benefit of their evil motive,” he said, adding that Begum Khaleda Zia also had written article in a US newspaper by her name against the country.
Sheikh Hasina does not care about threat from foreign powers: Quader
The information minister said it is nothing new as the BNP can do anything against the country. Even they wrote articles forging the signatures of congressmen and presenting a fake US president’s advisor before the nation, he said.
He said the BNP also had spread propaganda that Indian Home Minister Amit Shah phoned them. By doing this the BNP has made itself “a fraud party”, he noted.
He also said that the countrymen are now rlrction-oriented and the election will be held in a free, fair and festive mood.
Awami League president Sheikh Hasina to address nation this evening
The European Union, the US, SAARC countries, OIC and other countries have already sent their observers to monitor the polls.
“It actually proves that this election has been widely accepted by the international communities,” he said. “The BNP's anti-election campaign is baseless.”
Awami League comes to power to serve: Law Minister
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq said on Thursday that others come to power to take and the Awami League government comes to give.
“The allowance for freedom fighters was Tk 2,000 earlier and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made it Tk 20,000. We know how to repay. Other governments come to swallow and the Awami League government comes to give,” he said.
The law minister said these while addressing a rally as the chief guest at the ground adjacent to Hirapur Government Primary School in Akhaura, South union of Brahmanbaria, on Thursday.
“The BNP tries to find out ways to obstruct the election. They first blockaded in 2014. Innocent people were burned to death without any fault. In 2018, they did nomination trading. Again, in 2023, they imposed blockade. For not participating in this election, they set fire to the train compartments and killed the child in the lap of an innocent mother,” he added.
"Bangladesh's citizens are not safe from such a political party. The people of Bangladesh will show the rest of the world on January 7 that they understand democracy. They also understand how to utilise their voting rights.” Anisul said.
Presided over by Upazila Awami League Election Steering Committee Chairman Mohammad Majnu Mia, the meeting was addressed, among others, by Upazila Awami League General Secretary and municipality mayor Takzil Khalifa Kajol.
No pressure on voters to vote, but leaflets from ‘a party’ asking not to go, says FS quoting CEC
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal has "categorically" said there is no pressure on the voters to go to vote centres to cast vote but pressure is seen regarding distribution of leaflets urging people not to go to vote centres.
“There is no such pressure from the Election Commission, even he has no evidence of as such," Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen quoted the CEC as saying during a briefing arranged for the diplomats stationed in Dhaka on Thursday.
Independent candidate for Sylhet-3 says election rally attacked by AL candidate's campaigners
The CEC made remarks when one of the diplomats wanted to know his comments regarding pressure on voters to go to vote centres.
The CEC, however, gave a counter reply mentioning distribution of leaflets by a political party (BNP) which is boycotting polls and urging people not to go to vote centres.
The foreign secretary said over 50 diplomats and representatives from international organisations joined the briefing hosted by the Election Commission.
Election 2024: Armed forces deployed across the country
CEC Awal gave an update regarding preparations of January 7 polls which was followed by a question-and-answer session.
The foreign secretary said such a opportunity is rare for the foreign diplomats as national election takes place in every five years.
He hoped that the briefing will help the diplomats to let know their respective countries know about the election through their comprehensive reports.
The diplomats remain in touch with the EC and they remain updated through frequent exchanges, Masud Momen said.
Chuadanga-1: Jatiya Party candidate withdraws from election, alleging lack of cooperation from party
The diplomats are kept fully informed and that is why there were not too many questions, he said.
The foreign secretary said the international observers and journalists have started arriving in Dhaka.
They can observer polls in Dhaka and other places across the country if they feel convenient, he said.
The EC made sure that there is no deficit in terms of preparation to the polls successfully.
Govt to face crushing defeat on Jan 7: Moyeen Khan
BNP leader Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan on Thursday alleged that the government will suffer a crushing defeat through the 'dummy' election on January 7.
"The government is thinking of a victory on January 7. The reality is that Awami League will suffer a severe defeat in Bangladesh on January 7," he said.
BNP announces 48-hour nationwide hartal from 6 am Saturday
Speaking at a rally, the BNP leader also said Awami League which claims to be a pro-independence force, is walking on the wrong path. “If they continue to walk on the wrong path, they will be thrown into the dustbin of history." You (AL) should realise this bitter truth.”
Bangladesh Smmalita Peshajibi Parishad, a platform of pro-BNP professionals, arranged the rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club in protest against the 12th parliamentary polls billed for January 7.
Later, Dr Moyeen, a BNP standing committee member, along with the leaders and different professional bodies distributed leaflets among the pedestrians urging them to boycott the election.
Bangladesh needs PM Hasina again to protect democracy: Quader
He called upon the government to come to the right path to restore peace in the country by cancelling the election, and dissolving the parliament and the cabinet. “You won’t be able to suppress the 18 crore people of Bangladesh with bullets, sound grenades and tear gas. So come to the path of negotiation, come to the path of peace.”
The BNP leader said 63 political parties, including the BNP, are boycotting the election as they believe in liberal, democratic and peaceful politics. "That's why I am calling upon the government to come back from the wrong path. Try to learn how to respect the opinion of the people of the country. You claim that you are the pro-Liberation War forces. If that is the case, why have you sacrificed democracy?"
BNP to hold processions, conduct mass contacts Friday to protest Jan-7 polls
He said both the people of Bangladesh and the foreigners have no confidence in the January-7 election.
Moyeen said journalists from different international media came to Dhaka to present how a so-called election is being held in Bangladesh through their reports.
Meanwhile, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi distributed leaflets, containing BNP’s call for boycotting Sunday’s election, near Uttara Rajuk School in the morning.
Talking to reporters there, he said only the Awami League leaders and workers, not the common voters, will go to the polling stations on Sunday, no matter what strategies the government resorts to.
"The government thought it would show the democratic world that a fair election was taking place by showing dummy candidates...but it has become clear to the democratic world that a stage-managed election is being held in Bangladesh,” the BNP leader said.
Rizvi said the government will not be able to stay in power by holding a dummy election using the state machinery.
“The consequences will not be good if you (govt) push the country towards danger. People will boycott the election and they won’t go to the polling stations,” he said.
BNP to hold processions, conduct mass contacts Friday to protest Jan-7 polls
BNP will bring out processions and conduct mass contacts across the country on Friday to protest the 12th parliamentary election to be held on Sunday.
Speaking at a virtual press briefing, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Thursday announced the fresh programmes which are meant to drum up public support in favour of the party’s call to boycott the Januray-7 election.
Also read: AL will no longer be able to cling to power by holding ‘deceptive’ polls: Moyeen Khan
He said other like-minded opposition parties will also observe a similar programme on Friday, just two days before the election day.
"BNP and like-minded parties will hold processions and mass contact programme on Friday,” the BNP leader said.
Rizvi called upon the opposition leaders and workers to make the programme a success with their spontaneous support.
Earlier on Monday, the party extended their mass contact and leaflet distribution programme until Thursday (today).
Also read: BNP's anti-polls tone has softened, their supporters are eager to vote: Info Minister
On December 24, the party announced a three-day mass contact and leaflet distribution programme beginning on December 26. Later, the programme was extended thrice.
BNP along with nearly three dozen opposition political parties have been carrying out a simultaneous movement since December 10 last year to force the current government to quit and hold the 12th parliamentary election under a non-party neutral administration.
BNP’s movement lost its momentum following clashes with law enforcers centring the party’s grand rally on October 28 as many senior leaders, including its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, were arrested while many others went into hiding in the face of a crackdown by the law enforcers.
Also read: Leaflet distribution: Police, AL men clash with BNP activists in Natore, 7 hurt
However, BNP and like-minded parties enforced countrywide blockades for 23 days in 12 phases and hartals for five days in four spells since October 29.
Finally, the opposition party came up with the call for a non-cooperation movement on December 20.