Politics
Voting underway for Faridpur-2 by-election
Voting in the by-polls to Faridpur-2 constituency began on Saturday morning.
The voting began at 8am and will continue till 4pm.
No untoward incident was reported till filling of this report, at 11:30am.
Voting is undergoing at 123 centres in Nagarkanda, Saltha and Sadarpur upazilas of the constituency using Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), said senior district election officer Habibur Rahman.
A total of 3,18,472 people are expected to cast their votes.
As many as 1,052 CCTV cameras have been installed at polling centres ahead of the by-polls.
Read: Voting at Cumilla City polls underway peacefully
Rab, police, Ansar and BGB members have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order situation.
Faridpur-2 constituency fell vacant following the death of senior Awami League leader Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury.
Sajeda Chowdhury’s son Akbar Chowdhury Labu and Advocate Joynal Abedin Bakul Mia are vying for the seat.
Mustaque, Zia behind Nov. 3 jail killing: PM Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday told Parliament that those who killed Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman committed the November 3 jail massacre in 1975.
“Four national leaders were killed in the central jail, which is a protected place. The killers of Father of the Nation – killers including Zia and Mushraq— committed this killing (jail killing),” she said joining an unscheduled discussion on the Jail Killing Day in the House.
The Leader of the House said Ziaur Rahman killed freedom fighters one after another from military officers as well as rehabilitated anti-liberation forces, collaborators of Pakistani occupation forces in power.
“They wanted to spoil our victory (achieved following the Liberation War) completely and distort history,” she said.
Hasina said Zia patronized and rewarded the killers and gave them jobs in the foreign missions.
Read: Don’t resort to violence in name of movement: PM Hasina warns BNP
HM Ershad also did the same and he allowed Bangabandhu’s killer Col Faruk to do politics and gave scope for him to be a candidate for the post of President.
Criticising Barrister Mainul Hosein, the premier said he is now talking loud, but he formed a political party with killers.
Pointing at the BNP, he said those who come to power in an illegal way can’t give democracy and protect human rights.
“Now we’ve to hear statements on democracy and human rights. But those who come to power through martial law, they can’t give democracy. Those who come to power in an illegal way violating the Constitution can’t give democracy. How can they protect human rights?” she added.
Read: Jail Killing Day: PM Hasina pays homage to Bangabandhu, four national leaders
“I think it wouldn’t be possible to make such a development (of the country) unless we made Bangladesh free from curses by trying the killers (of Bangabandhu’s killing and Jail Killing) and war criminals, '' said Hasina.
AL lawmakers Amir Hossain Amu, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Matia Chowdhury, Tanvir Shakil Joy (grandson of martyred national leader Monsur Ali) and Naheed Ezaher Khan, and Jatiya Party lawmakers Kazi Firoz Rashid and Mashiur Rahman Ranga also joined the discussion.
Opposition out to destabilise politics amid crisis: PM tells Parliament
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday told the Parliament that the opposition parties are trying to create political instability in the country, taking advantage of the ongoing economic crisis.
“When the country is in a transition period (crisis), I’ve not seen such worry among those who are in our opposition. Rather I’ve seen that they are trying how to create a political instability, taking its advantage. Is it fair to do that?” she said.
The premier said this while replying to a supplementary question from Jatiya Party MP Mujibul Haque (Kishoreganj-3) if the government would take any initiative for a unity among all political parties to face the existing economic crisis.
Read more:People who engage in anti-Bangladesh propaganda abroad to be punished, PM tells JS
She said the opposition parties should demonstrate patriotism when the country faces difficulties. Why are they not doing it?, she asked.
“When there is a crisis throughout the world, we should avoid the tendency to unstable the political situation and catch fish in the troubled water,” said Hasina, the leader of the house.
She said her government has been developing the entire Bangladesh and the mass people, without considering which area voted for AL or not.
The PM said her government didn’t sit idle in facing disasters. Many people continue criticizing the government, but they didn’t stand beside the people even giving a fist of rice, she added.
She said unity is not a matter of just words. Everyone will have to come forward spontaneously. “We always believe in unity. We’ll work together with whoever comes forward,” she added.
Read more:Do your best to boost food production to keep Bangladesh free from famine: PM Hasina urges youth
In reply to another supplementary question from BNP MP Rumeen Farhana, the prime minister advised the MPs to stand beside the people instead of finding faults amid the global crisis.
Hasina said the price of every commodity soared following the Russia-Ukraine war and the sanctions and the people of the entire world are now victims. “The MPs should think what they can do for the people of Bangladesh as lawmakers, instead of finding faults in Bangladesh,” she said.
Earlier, Rumeen referred to the think tank CPD and a newspaper questioning what steps are being planned by the government to control the inflation as the food prices are the highest in Bangladesh in South Asia and Bangladesh is among the 42 countries that may face famine.
The premier said everyone should consider the price-hike of essentials in Bangladesh, comparing that in the world markets.
“I am not denying that the prices have not increased in Bangladesh. Since the prices have soared, we are providing subsidies and the goods at low prices to those who cannot afford,” she said.
Responding to a supplementary question from Gonoforum MP Sultan Muhammed Mansur Ahmed (Maulvibazar-2), the PM said Bangladesh still remains in a better position than even many developed countries amid the economic recession.
She said there are also some unscrupulous businessmen who consider only their profits - not the sufferings of the people - and they sometimes hoard goods and create artificial price-hikes.
Sheikh Hasina said she has already taken steps against those who try to hoard goods and create artificial hike in prices and these will continue.
Brazil: Can Lula the Lefty do better?
Brazilian voters narrowly elected former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as the next President defeating Jair Bolsonaro, the right-wing incumbent. The vote percentage was 50.9% against 49.1% so it’s not a sweeping victory but a narrow squeak through. Lula is beloved of the Global Left who has no serious icons left in the world now. But the troubles may not be entirely over. Bolsonaro had indicated that he may not hand over power that easily but he seems to have relented now.
Bolsonaro, is an ex-army who had often said that he won't accept an electoral loss. Because the loss margin is less than 1% he was confident of street and public support. Bolsonaro supporters termed the election as a fraud and called for military intervention.
However, several key allies have recognized the result leaving Bolsonaro looking increasingly isolated. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden and the presidents of all of Brazil’s South American neighbors have congratulated Lula, further increasing the pressure on the incumbent.
Lula wants power not a fight and said, “As of January 1, 2023, I will govern for 215 million Brazilians and not just for those who voted for me. There are not two Brazils. We are one country, one people, and one great nation.”
Who is Lula?
Lula is a trade union leader who established the leftist Worker’s Party which won the Presidential election in 2002. He ruled for 2 terms and they coincided with a surge with booming value of Brazilian commodities and rising exports to China. His major expansion in social programs, particularly Bolsa Família which gave the poor “cash for school attendance” made him very popular. His departure in 2010 was with an 83% approval rating.
In 2017, Lula was convicted in a corruption case and sentenced for 10 years. But in 2021, Brazil’s Supreme Court overruled Lula’s conviction, saying his right to a fair trial had been compromised. But Brazilians are split on his guilt or innocence. 44% believe he was rightly convicted, while 40% believe his conviction was unjust.
Read: PM Sheikh Hasina congratulates Lula on winning Brazil election
Why did Bolsanaro lose ?
The main enemy is Covid and the global economic downturn. Bolsonaro handled it poorly with more people dying than all countries except the US. After Lula’s release, his alliance with disgruntled rights wingers tipped the scale. Lula has promised to restore public services now sunk low due to years of underinvestment, lower domestic energy prices, battle inflation and easing food insecurity. Some are however critical of his policies as he has declared nothing. Lula told TIME magazine, in March 2022. “ I’ve been a President twice already. We don’t discuss economic policies before winning the elections. First, you have to win the elections.”
With eight years of deep economic crisis, this round for Lula will be tough. Lula had greatly benefited from a commodity economic boom that was over. Now, global economic turmoil from the war in Ukraine is driving up energy prices, while a years-long drought is curbing food production.
Bolsonaro’s global image is very negative due to his ravaging of the Amazon and handling of the Covid crisis. He called it a “little flu” but ended up with 700,000 recorded COVID-19 deaths. But Bolsonaro is hardly over. Many of his ministers have won the election and his political movement is very alive. Even the former environment minister won a seat in Brazil’s Congress at the first round of elections making his right-wing Liberal Party the largest party in both the upper and lower house. The governorships of Brazil’s three most economically-important states were also won by Bolsonaro allies. Lula’s challenge is very big indeed.
Lula’s world has changed
Read: Brazil election: Lula defeats Bolsonaro to become president again
Lula is being welcomed by the liberal section of the West because of his environmentalist agenda. But Lula is also not an ally of the West as some think. He is not supporting Ukraine against Russia
“The United States has a lot of political clout. And Biden could have avoided [the war], not incited it, Biden could have taken a plane to Moscow to talk to Putin. This is the kind of attitude you expect from a leader.”
The world has changed much since Lula was the President last. Not only has the economy become more globalized and interconnected but the challenges are in every sector including health and war. Lula has returned to power when the world is in its worst shape in many ways since the last few decades.
In this world, a better environment and economy doesn’t depend on Brazil or Lula anymore. Russia and the West have shown their capacity to manage a world in which they reign as superpowers is very limited. Commodity prices have shifted by artificial demand loss generated by the war in Ukraine. The West did push the world into an acute shortage zone willingly, whether it’s the Russians or the US.
Why Lula should be responsible for saving the environment when the West doesn’t take on climate change issues is a question he won’t answer but will become a big reality. The One world never existed, never will. It’s how Brazil plays that game in the absence of any serious “political” globalization, that global issues including climate change should be considered.
JP to join JS session upon speaker’s assurance
Jatiya Party’s parliament members have decided to join the parliamentary session on Monday, a day after they announced to stay away from parliament till the speaker recognises GM Quader as the leader of the opposition instead of Raushan Ershad.
JP Chairman GM Quader directed all the MPs of the party to join the 20th session of parliament on Monday upon assurance from Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, said Khandakar Delwar Jalali, JP press secretary.
Earlier on Sunday, Jatiya Party announced they will stay away from Parliament after a discussion with the speaker where she offered no hint of a positive decision in this regard coming soon.
Currently, Raushan Ershad is the opposition leader who has been abroad for a long time for medical treatment with GM Quader as her deputy.
Read: Jatiya Party removes Ranga as opposition chief whip
Earlier on September 3, the JP parliamentary party proposed to make GM Quader the opposition leader of the parliament instead of Raushan but the speaker is yet to take a decision in this regard.
The 20th session of the current parliament that began Sunday will continue till November 6.
Govt cheating nation in name of development before democracy: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Wednesday alleged that the nation is being deceived in the name of development before democracy.
“Acceptable elections are the gateway to democracy. Democracy cannot be practised without free, fair and acceptable elections,” he said.
Speaking at a programme at Jatiya Party Chairman’s Banani office, GM Quader also said the main objective of their party’s politics is to establish democracy and ensure people’s rights.
He alleged that some people want to misinterpret democracy in the name of development as they say development should be given the priority over democracy.
“In fact, there is no such thing as developmental democracy. The nation is being cheated in the name of such democracy,” the Jatiya Party chief observed.
He said that the country's development and good governance will be ensured if democracy is established. “All the rights of people will be ensured only if democracy is guaranteed.”
Read: Bangladeshis burning in hell, says GM Quader
At the programme, renowned physician Manjur-A-Khoda joined Jatiya Party by presenting a bouquet to the party chairman.
GM Quader welcomed the physician and urged him to play a role in strengthening the organisational capacity of Jatiya Party.
Jatiya Party presidium members Advocate Md Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan, Mostafa Al Mahmud and Office Secretary-2 MA Razzak Khan, among others, were present at the programme.
BNP-Jamaat fielded '300 cadres' as local government election officers ahead of 2007 polls: Joy
The BNP-Jamaat government appointed "300 party cadres" as upazila election officers ahead of the elections scheduled for January, 2007, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's son and ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy on Friday.
"In the history of Bangladesh, there has never been such quick recruitment through the Public Service Commission (PSC)," Joy wrote on his verified Facebook account.
The government led by Khaleda Zia tarnished the PSC and the recruitment process in government jobs by making these appointments based on the list and without any examination, he added.
Read: Zia killed many freedom fighters to prolong “illegal rule”, says Sajeeb Wazed Joy in FB post
Iran’s problem: Politics or food inflation?
Global food inflation is a major problem that goes unnoticed by the media in general. Politics is more exciting so the issue comes only when linked to it. Street movements are more interesting than data on extreme food denial. The causal factors that lead to many of these unrests are ignored. Two cases in point are Sri Lanka and Iran.
Iran’s inflation misery
Iran was considered an economically stable country but events show that era is largely over.
Iran’s overall annual inflation rose to 41.5 percent according to the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) at the end August 2022. The rate has accelerated since May.
Rents, medicine, restaurant food, and snack foods have gone up but prices of chicken and hydrogenated cooking oil dropped slightly. However, this was marginal and so was the effect as prices were already very high. General food price inflation continues to hit Iran which is continuing for the last several years.
Read: At least 26 dead from protests in Iran, suggests its state TV
“The overall nationwide point-to-point annual food inflation rate in June 2022 compared with the same period in 2021 was 87 percent but the rate reached 100 percent in parts of Iran.” (SCI)
Prices sprinted up since May when Iran decided to drop a food import subsidy costing $15 billion dollars every year. It was billed as the ‘great economic surgery’ but led to extreme price rise for food staples, such as bread, pasta, dairy products, cooking oil and meat.
Iranian media report that President Ebrahim Raisi announced on TV that the government would pay a monthly stipend of “around 4 million rials (about $15) to 30 percent of the population at the lowest-income groups, and around 3 million to 60 percent of the population. The 10 percent at the highest income level would receive no cash handouts”
It’s obvious that such payments could be worth as high as $10 billion annually which means more money printing and hence more inflation. Food subsidies had less risk of inflation.
“Economists say lower income people experience a higher rate of inflation as they spend more of their income on essential foods and often forsake anything deemed as luxury. With back-to-back high inflation since 2018, many missile class people have dropped to low-income status.” Tejarat News
Lowest income groups spend more than 40% of their budget for food while the better off spend less than 17% in Iran. Iranian media says that goods are not in shortage but buying is less.
Mahasa Amini and US sanctions
Meanwhile, media coverage is focused on the death of activist Mahasa Amini who died while in custody. She was arrested for wearing “inappropriate clothes” as described by the Iranian police. Al Jazeera reports, “the US Department of the Treasury sanctioned the country’s “morality police”, as well as seven leaders of Iranian security organisations that it said “routinely employ violence to suppress peaceful protesters and members of Iranian civil society, political dissidents, women’s rights activists, and members of the Iranian Baha’i community”. This basically means the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Core ( IRGC) or the “morality police''.
Read: Protests over hijab: Iranians experience near-total internet blackout
Iranian police have denied “torturing her to death” in custody but the public resentment against the official world is high among the younger section that have held demos and chanted slogans. The Iranian regime's source of strength is the lower income groups but if they are hit hard as it’s happening now, political turmoil is inevitable.
That doesn’t translate into regime change as many are hoping but the turmoil is here to stay. Once more, events show that economics, not ideology, decides the fate of states.
“Decision to join politics is best left to Joy and people of Bangladesh”
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy was the brain behind many of her government’s digital initiatives but the decision on joining politics is best left to him and the people of the country.
In an interview with ANI, PM Hasina opened up about her son, who is also the PM’s ICT Advisor.
“Look... he’s a grown-up. It’s up to him but he is working for the country… the Digital Bangladesh (initiative) we set up, all these satellite or submarine cable or computer training – these are all his ideas and he is assisting me… But he never thought about taking any position – either in the party or ministry,” the Bangladesh prime minister said.
Read:“Despite pandemic and Ukraine war, Bangladesh economy in robust shape”
Hasina recalled that at one of the events of her party, there was a tremendous demand from leaders and activists that Joy should take up a role.
“Even in our party conference, there was a tremendous demand for him. Then I asked him, you take the microphone and say what you want to do. And he did it. He said no, ‘I don’t want any position in the party at this moment. Rather, those who are working here, they should get this post. Why should I occupy a post? I am with my mother; I am working for the country, and I am assisting her… I’ll continue doing that.’ That’s the way he thinks,” she said.
Asked if she felt it was for her son to take a call, Hasina replied, “It depends on the people, you see.”
During the interview, she also recalled the role of her father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in shaping the foreign policy of her nation.
Read:“Not only Bangladesh, in India minorities suffered too at times”
“Friendship to all, malice to none – which my father, Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, said in his address at UN. And we follow his ideology. And my point is that we should focus on our people… How to give them a better life… We have one enemy. That is poverty. So, let us work together,” she said.
Hasina said that she always felt leading countries should address disputes and differences through dialogue. “…If there is any problem between China and India, I don’t want to poke my nose in that. I want development of my country and because India is our next-door neighbour, we have very good relationship. We had many bilateral issues, it’s true, but we solved many problems too,” she said.
During her interview with Indian News Agency ANI, PM Sheikh Hasina also said that the priority for Bangladesh was development and it was willing to take any country’s help that could offer betterment for its people.
Read “Differences can be resolved through dialogue, Bangladesh-India do precisely that”
We have no choice but to win this time, says Fakhrul about movement
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said their party will not get defeated in any way this time as they will make their movement a success by braving all obstacles.
Speaking at a discussion, he also warned the BNP rank and file to remain alert so that the ruling party does not get any scope to put them in danger.
"We won’t be defeated by any means this time…we must win this time and we have no choice but to turn victorious. We can't let the sacrifices of Noor-e-Alam, Abdur Rahim, Shaon Pradhan go in vain.”
Bangladesh Chhatra Forum and Uttaranchal Chhatra Forum organised the discussion at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity, marking the 16th anniversary of the release of BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman from jail.
Tarique, the eldest son of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, was arrested on March 7, 2007 by the joint forces on different charges, including corruption, from their then cantonment residence.
After nearly 18 months of imprisonment, he went to London securing bail from the High Court in September 3, 2009. He has been staying there since then.
Read: Get ready for final push against AL govt: Fakhrul to BNP activists
Fakhrul said the government is trying to suppress BNP as the party leaders and activists have started waking up across the country. “This is their target and they have started working on it.”
The BNP leader said the government attacking BNP leaders and activists in different parts of the country as they are registering protests against the increase in the prices of oil, pulses, salt and fuel.
“They (govt) are trying to take this movement to a different direction and they are trying to divert people’s attention to a different direction by repeating their acts of arson terrorism and other terror acts. The information minister yesterday (Friday) said that they would go to the outside world with pictures of BNP's terrorist activities," he said.
Fakhrul, however, said the global community is now not paying heed to Awami League’s propaganda against BNP. “It has already been proved through US sanctions on RAB and IGP Benazir Ahmad that their campaigns (against BNP) were not correct. That's why we have to take every step very carefully. Let's not fall into a new plot and give it (govt) another chance to suppress us.”
Referring to a newspaper report, Fakhrul said police inspector Kanak fired at BNP leaders and activists in Naryaanganj by 'illegally' collecting a Chinese Rifle though he was not authorised to use that gun.
About the Narayanganj SP’s comment that Shaon did not have involvement with BNP’s politics, Fakhrul said. “We would like to clearly say that it’s not important which party he belonged to. The important thing is that he was a worker and he was shot dead though there was no such situation there to open fire."
He also warned his party colleagues that the police Awami League government will not give them any scope to take to the streets, but they have to do it together people by exercising the power of the people.
Recalling the political changeover during the 1/11 regime in 2007, he said there was a plot at that time to eliminate the believers in Bangladeshi nationalism and democracy. There was a lot of publicity about minus-two formula at that time. But minus two didn't happen as it happened minus one."