Awami League
A series of rehabilitation steps taken for victims of communal violence
A series of steps have been taken by both the government and the ruling Awami League to rehabilitate the victims of communal violence to boost their confidence and ensure security for them.
A total of 102 cases were filed accusing 20,619 people in connection with the violence against the Hindu community. So far 583 were arrested as part of the ongoing drive against offenders.
Cash assistance, foods, cloths, other essential commodities and house construction materials have been provided to the affected families by the government and the party.
Besides, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared that houses would be made for the affected families. “Steps have already been taken in this regard,” she said while addressing a virtual programme on the day.
In order to restore confidence among the minority people, the PM directed her party members to intensify vigilance to maintain communal harmony preventing any possible violence in every locality.
The government earlier directed the law enforcement agencies to hunt down the culprits responsible for breaking communal harmony.
A total of 117 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh have been deployed in 37 districts and three metropolitan cities while police, Rapid Action Battalion and plain-cloth law enforcers are patrolling round the clock.
Read: Hindu community stages protest against communal violence
On the part of the ruling party, AL has directed all its units to remain vigilant and assist the law enforcers to thwart any sort of violation of communal harmony, said Biplab Barua, office secretary of the ruling party.
Several ministers, senior Awami League leaders, Members of Parliament, high government and law enforcing officials visited the affected and vulnerable areas in the past few days following the directive by the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister’s Office is also monitoring the situation at the directive of the Prime Minister, said PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim. “Bangladesh is a land of communal harmony and none will be allowed to break it,” he added.
Social media and online media are being monitored constantly, and over two dozen people including an assistant professor of Begum Badrunnessa Government Girls College were arrested for their involvement in spreading rumors using false information, according to the police headquarters.
The LGRD Ministry issued directives to all public representatives including Union Parishads, Upazilas, municipalities and City Corporations to remain vigilant and play their due role to maintain peace and harmony in their respective localities. To this end, the ministry would hold a virtual meeting on Sunday.
LGRD Minister Md Tazul Islam also visited Cumilla from where the incident spread following alleged defamation of Holy Quran.
The Religious Affairs Ministry has recently held meetings with clerics of major religions in the several days and directed them to build awareness, motivate people and disseminate the essence of communal harmony for maintaining peace, said a high officials of the ministry.
State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Huq Khan visited the victims and distributed cash Taka 10,000 each of 61 families alongside provided baby foods and cattle feed in Rangpur.
Read: Iqbal, the prime suspect in Bangladesh communal violence, brought to Cumilla
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief allocated 100 bundles of corrugated iron sheets, Tk 445,000 for house construction and distributed 1200 packets of foodstuffs as humanitarian assistance for the victim Hindu families, said its secretary Md Mohsin.
Rangpur district administration on Sunday night distributed Tk 9 lakh cash assistance and 100 bundles of corrugated iron sheets among 65 affected families.
Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) has set up a number of tents to give shelter to the homeless people so that they are not forced to spend night under open sky.
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud also visited the victim families and distributed Tk 5,000 and 20kg rice among each Hindu family, who became victims of violence and arson attack in Pirganj.
On behalf of the Awami League, cash, food and clothes have been given to the victim families, said Barua, also a special assistant to the Prime Minister.
He said a central Awami League team will visit across the country shortly led by party general secretary Obaidul Quader.
Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and Whip Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud Swapon visited the victims in Rangpur.
AL to observe Sheikh Russel Day on Oct. 18
The ruling party Awami League will observe the 'Sheikh Russel Day' on Monday who was brutally killed on August 15, 1975 along with most of the family members, including his father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The party has set a two day-long celebration to mark the birthday of Sheikh Russel, the youngest son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
A press release sent from Awami League said the party will place wreaths at Russel's grave at Banani Graveyard at 8am.
Alongside, homage will also be paid to other August 15 martyrs by laying wreaths at their graves at Banani Graveyard on that day.
Read: MoFA hosts Sheikh Russel Rapid Chess Tournament
Special doa, recitation of Surah Fatiha and prayers will be arranged there too.
On October 19, a discussion will be arranged on the occasion of the Day at 3.30pm at its party office 23, Bangabhandhu Avenue where Prime Minister and Party President Sheikh Hasina presided over the discussion programme in a virtual manner.
Sheikh Russel Day will be observed on October 18 each year starting from this year.
The cabinet on August 23 last approved a proposal of listing the day as an A-category day for celebration across the country.
BNP not to fall into ‘election trap’ any more: Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said their party will no longer fall into the ‘trap’ of any election under the current Awami League government.
"The people of the country know it very well that any election under the Awami League government will never be fair and credible. So, we’re no longer going to be caught in the trap of any election under it,” he said.
Fakhrul made the remarks while speaking at a workers’ rally arranged by Chattogram city unit BNP at a community centre in the city’s Kazir Dewri area.
He said their party will create a mass upsurge to force the current “monstrous’ government to step down handing over power to a non-party neutral government.
The BNP leader said no major question was raised about the four national elections held under the caretaker government.
Read: EC going to be formed as per govt wish: BNP
Opposing the formation of the Election Commission through a search committee, he said the government will form the search committee with the people of their choice to constitute another KM Nurul Husa-like Commission that held an election at the night before the voting.
About the recent communal incidents, the BNP leader said the ruling party has a hand in all these despicable incidents.
He also alleged that the government itself carried out the communal incidents in Cumilla, Chnadpur, Chattogram, Noakhali and other areas in the country through its different agencies to divert people’s attention to a different direction from a democratic movement.
Fakhrul also alleged that ‘innocent’ people have been arrested over the communal incidents only to harass them by filing false cases against them.
He said the government used to foil the rallies and meetings of the opposition parties using law enforcers. “Opposition leaders and activists are not allowed to stand in and make their way to the political field. BNP leaders are telling us that criminals vandalised temples and puja mandaps in the presence of police and Rab in different areas. But cases are being filed against BNP leaders and activists over.”
Also read: Forming EC through search committee a deception: BNP
“There’re many dangers ahead of us. People are going through a critical time now. This government talks about democracy, but it doesn’t believe in democracy. It has snatched all the rights of people in a well-planned way and established a dictatorship undercover of democracy,” he observed.
Fakhrul advised the party followers to stay away from Facebook-centric politics and engage in real politics. “A loyal and well-disciplined force is necessary to create a mass upsurge. The movement has to be carried out with a prudent strategy. Politics on Facebook won’t pay off.”
He claimed that nearly one lakh ‘false’ cases were filed against 35 lakh BNP leaders and activists across the country. “Our over 500 leaders disappeared while more than a thousand others were killed. It’s our misfortune that we have not yet been able to defeat this despotic regime.”
The BNP leader said they are now working to overhaul the party within a short time by waging a strong movement to establish a pro-people government ousting Awami League from power.
BNP daydreaming of staging 90s-like mass upsurge: Quader
Stating that the perspective of the 90s and 2021 is not the same, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said that BNP’s plan to create another mass uprising like the 90s is a daydream.
"The perspective of the 90s and 2021 is not the same. So, the BNP’s plan to create another mass uprising like the 90s aiming to oust the government is now a daydream," he said.
He said this while addressing a briefing at his residence in reply to the recent remarks of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Read: Quader urges BNP to forget neutral caretaker govt. for polls
On Monday, Mirza Fakhrul called upon students and people in general to unite for "another mass uprising", like that of 1990, to oust the current government.
"Students and people overthrew the then dictatorial government through a mass uprising in the 1990s. Our leader Khaleda Zia led the movement. We need such a mass uprising again," said Fakhrul.
People fed-up with AL, BNP: Chunnu
Newly-appointed Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu on Monday said people have got fed-up with Awami League and BNP as the two major parties could not fulfill their hopes and aspirations.
“Awami League and BNP have failed to fulfill the expectations of people despite repeatedly returning to power. The country’s people have become fed-up with Awami League and BNP,” he said.
Chunnu said people believe that it is only the Jatiya Party that can meet the expectations of the people after returning to power. “So, they (people) want to see Jatiya Party in power through the next election.”
He made the remarks while talking to reporters and party leaders and activists after offering fateha at the grave of late party secretary general Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu at Mirpur Martyred Intellectual Graveyard.
READ: Problems over RMG wage board to be addressed through discussions: Chunnu
Chunnu said Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu always dreamt of strengthening Jatiya Party to take it to power.
“Ziauddin Bablu wanted to see the Jatiya Party in power by fielding candidates in 300 seats. Therefore, we’re working to revitalise Jatiya Party so that we can give candidates from 300 seats in the next election,” he said.
On Saturday, Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader appointed party co-chairman Mujibul Haque Chunnu as its secretary general following the death of Ziauddin Bablu.
READ: No reason to be upset with minimum wage: Chunnu
On October 2, Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu passed away at a city hospital at the age of 67.
Chunnu, who joined Jatiya Party leaving a government job in the 80s, was elected MP five times from Kishoreganj-3 seat.
3 candidates submit nomination papers for Sirajganj-6 by-election
Three candidates – one each from Awami League and Jatiya Party and an independent - on Sunday submitted the nomination papers to contest Sirajganj-6 parliamentary by-elections slated for November 02 next.
The candidates are AL’s Marina Jahan, Jatiya Party’s Moktar Hossain and independent Humayun Kabir, according to the information provided by the Election Commission Secretariat on Sunday, the last valid day of the nomination submission.
The date for scrutiny of nomination papers is Monday and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 17.
The parliamentary constituency (Shahjadpur Upazila) fell vacant after the death of AL MP Hasibur Rahman Swapan on September 02 last.
Read: Sirajganj-6 by-polls: AL picks Kabita
Besides, a total of 41 mayoral aspirants filed their nomination papers in 10 municipalities to contest the seventh phase municipal election, scheduled to be held on the same date (November 02).
But the mayoral election to two municipalities –Kasba in Brahmanbaria and Ramgarh in Khagrachhari-- is set to go unopposed as only AL nominated candidates filed their papers there. The two AL mayoral contenders are Golam Rabbani in Kasba and Rafiqul Alam (Kamal) in Ramgarh.
In municipalities, the election to only mayoral post, not councillor posts or reserved seats is held in the partisan manner with the use of polls symbols of registered political parties.
The deadline for nomination submission expired on Saturday. The date for scrutiny of nomination papers is Monday and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 17.
Read: Cumilla-7 by-polls: Pran Gopal elected unopposed
Alongside independent candidates, the contestants nominated by Jatiya Party, Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Bangladesh Workers’ Party submitted nomination papers in several places among the eight other municipalities.
The eight other municipalities are Ghorashal in Narsingdi, Chhagalnaiya in Feni, Sonatala in Bogura, Ghoraghat in Dinajpur, Domar in Nilphamari, Lohagara in Narail, Pakundia in Kishoreganj and Chapainawabganj.
Moreover, a total of 570 aspirants --123 women for reserved seats and 447 contestants for councillor posts -- filed nomination papers to run the election in the 10 municipalities, as per information provided by the EC Secretariat.
Sirajganj-6 by-polls: AL picks Kabita
Awami League has picked its executive committee member Merina Jahan Kabita as its candidate for Sirajganj-6 parliamentary by-polls slated for November 2 next.
Besides, AL nominated mayoral contestants in the seventh phase election to 10 municipalities and chairman contenders in the polls to two Upazila Parishads and two Union Parishads.
The decision was taken in a meeting of the parliamentary nomination board and local government representatives’ nomination board of the Awami League at Ganobhaban on Thursday.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also chairperson of Awami League parliamentary and local government representative nomination board, presided over the meeting.
Read: Municipal polls must be held within 5-year timeframe; law being amended
Sirajganj-6 (Shahjadpur upazila) constituency fell vacant after AL MP Hasibur Rahman Swapan died on September 02.
As per the schedule, the last date for nomination submission is October 10, while the date for scrutiny of nomination papers is October 11, and the last date for withdrawal of candidacy is October 17.
The AL nominated two Upazila chairman candidates are Rezaul Karim (Montu) in Sariakandi Upazila of Bogura and Nargis Begum in Bhuyanpur of Tangail.
The 10 mayoral aspirants who won the AL’s tickets are Yunus Ali in Ghoraghat municipality of Dinajpur, Ganesh Kumar Agarwala in Domar of Nilphamari, Mokhlesur Rahman in Chapanawabganj municipality, Shahidul Bari Khan in Sonatala of Bogura, Syed Masiur Rahman in Lohagora of Narail, Al Mujahid Hossain in Ghorashal of Narsingdi, Nazrul Islam Akanda in Pakundia of Kishoreganj, Golam Hakkani in Kasba of Brahmanbaria, Mohammad Mostafa in Chhagalnaiya of Feni and Rafiqul Alam (Kamal) in Ramgarh of Khagrachhari.
Read: AL invites applications from nomination seekers till Oct 6 for November polls
According to the schedule, the municipal election will be held on November 02.
The deadline for nomination submission is October 09, while the date for scrutiny of nomination papers is October 11 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 17.
Quader urges BNP to forget neutral caretaker govt. for polls
BNP should cooperate in the formation of a neutral election commission instead of bothering about an impartial caretaker government during the next general election, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said on Wednesday.
Quader was addressing virtually the triennial conference of Tongibari Upazila Awami League in Munshiganj district.
He said that all affairs related to election are placed under the Election Commission which is empowered to take any action to make the balloting free and fair.
He said the election-time government carries out only routine duties and assist the EC in holding a peaceful free and fair election.
Read: Next neutral national poll to be held on time: Quader
Quader trashed BNP leader Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s recent comment that people will vote for BNP to get rid of Awami League’s misrule.
“The reality is that people have voted for Awami League to free them from BNP misrule,” he said.
He said people are happy with the rule of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “They will not allow them to be trapped by BNP again,” he said.
Read: Work for the people’s welfare, not for personal gain, Quader asks AL members
Quader said voters have turned away from the BNP long ago and this has become clear in the recent by-elections and local government polls too.
Awami League presidium member Dr Abdur Razzak, organizing secretary Mirza Azam, liberation war affairs secretary Mrinal Kanti Das, legal affairs secretary Najibullah Hiru, MP Sagufta Yasmin Emily, among others, also addressed the council.
Work for the people’s welfare, not for personal gain, Quader asks AL members
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Monday asked his party members to do politics for the welfare of the people instead of gaining personal wealth.
“We have to do politics for improving the fate of the people and not for personal gain. It is in no way expected that some would become desperate after gaining power,” he said.
Quader made this call by virtually joining a memorial meeting for late MP Hasibur Rahman Swapan at Shahjadpur in Sirajganj district this morning.
He warned the party leaders and workers not to abuse their power rather asked them to maintain their clean political image
“If people with bad image are allowed in politics, the party will be ruined,” he also warned.
Quader said that the politics of revenge that started in the country after 1975 is still going on.
He said that BNP founder Ziaur Rahman was the protagonist behind the 1975 assassination while Tareq Rahman was the mastermind of August 21 grenade attack.
READ: WB delays decision to fund road safety project: Obaidul Quader
The AL leader said Zia had started the politics of revenge in the country and BNP still continues the trend.
He said that it has become very important for us to avoid the politics of revenge and hatred.
Quader also asked the grassroots leaders to send the names of credible aspirants for the party's nomination in the forthcoming Union Parishad elections. "Don't send the names of bad people to the central level for money," he added.
READ: No political harassment in the country, says Obaidul Quader
He also called upon all to refrain from these misdeeds.
Awami League Organizing Secretary SM Kamal Hossain, Central Executive Member Professor Marina Jahan Kabita, Sirajganj District Awami League Acting President Advocate KM Hossain Ali Hasan, Acting General Secretary also spoke at the mourning meeting held at Shahjadpur Pilot Model Government High School ground.
BNP sitting out polls for 'fear of losing': Quader
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has chastised the BNP for turning their back on elections, putting it down to a 'fear of losing' on the part of the opposition.
He made the remarks while delivering a speech Saturday to his party activists from his official residence.
Mentioning that the Election Commission is committed to free and fair voting, the General Secretary of the Awami League said that the government will extend all kinds of cooperation to the Election Commission to ensure fair voting.
Quader also called upon all registered political parties including BNP to participate in the elections.
READ: Don’t resort to arson again in name of movement, Quader warns BNP
Quader again warned the Awami League leaders and workers and party-nominated people's representatives at all levels to shun any rebel candidates in the election.
Alongside, he also called upon all to work together for the party's nominee.
The AL started selling nomination forms for the interested candidates for the party nomination in the elections of different levels from October 2, which will continue till October 6 from 10.30 am to 5 pm.
The party also informed that interested candidates will have to collect and submit an application form for party nomination from the political office of the Awami League president in Dhanmondi.
READ: Padma Bridge to open before June next year: Quader
At the time of collecting the application form, all the candidates must bring a photocopy of the national identity card and submit the nomination form by 5 pm on October 6, 2021.
The general secretary of the Awami League said that the candidates have to comply with the proper health protection rules without any kind of public meeting while the candidate can collect and submit the application form himself or through a representative of the candidate.