United News of Bangladesh

BNP will finalise its candidate for the Thakurgaon-1 by-election on September 18 following a decision by the party’s nomination board, BNP Acting Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said Saturday night. The by-election to the Thakurgaon-1 constituency will be held on October 29. Rizvi disclosed the decision after a meeting of the BNP Standing Committee at the party chairman’s Gulshan office in the capital. The meeting was chaired by BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. This is the committee’s third meeting since the party formed the government on February 12 this year. Rizvi said the by-election will be held in the Thakurgaon-1 seat of BNP former Secretary General and incumbent President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on October 29. “Those who want to contest the election will collect nomination forms from the BNP central office in Nayapaltan on September 15, as per the party’s decision. The collected nomination forms will be submitted the following day, September 16. The candidate will be finalised on September 18 based on the decision of the nomination board, which is the party’s National Standing Committee,” he said. Rizvi, however, said no discussion was held at the meeting about the party council. Rizvi also said the BNP Standing Committee took several decisions to prevent dengue. He said BNP will conduct extensive publicity campaigns across the country to raise awareness about dengue. “Mosquito nets will be supplied to district- and upazila-level hospitals. Besides, a leaflet prepared with the help of renowned doctors and experts on dengue prevention will be distributed across the country, including Dhaka,” he said. Rizvi said, according to the meeting’s decision, awareness-raising measures on dengue prevention will be disseminated through social media, mass media, radio and television. “The meeting also discussed arranging bins for disposing of garbage at schools, madrasas and marketplaces,” he said. He said BNP will take all necessary initiatives to raise awareness and prevent dengue. Rizvi said the meeting also discussed several organisational issues. “One of the organisational issues discussed was that in many of our party committees, some members have died, while others are no longer with the party for various reasons, including expulsion. There are vacant posts in those committees,” he said. He said the party would consider promoting those immediately below the vacant posts in accordance with the provisions of the BNP constitution. “Whether those who are immediately below them can be promoted to those vacant posts will be considered, and necessary measures will be taken in accordance with the provisions of the party constitution. This was also discussed at the meeting,” Rizvi said. BNP Standing Committee members Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Local Government Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, BNP Chairman’s Political Adviser Mirza Abbas MP, Dhaka-3 MP Gayeshwar Chandra Roy,  BNP Chairman’s Political Adviser Nazrul Islam Khan, and Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury were present at the meeting. Also present were Begum Selima Rahman, Amanullah Aman, Dr Farhad Halim Doner, Ismail Zabihullah. The BNP Standing Committee last met on August 1 at night.  On August 15, BNP included four new members in its National Standing Committee. This is the first meeting of the committee with the new members. The new members are Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Amanullah Aman, Dr Farhad Halim Doner and Ismail Zabihullah.

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu has said formal implementation of the Teesta Master Plan will begin in 2027. He made the remarks while addressing a gathering as the chief guest at Khuniagach SC High School ground in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila on Saturday afternoon. The event was organised with the aim of empowering women, improving the standard of sports and building an “enlightened Lalmonirhat”. The minister said the government is working actively to implement the Teesta Master Plan, which he said would play a vital role in resolving the long-standing problems faced by people living along the Teesta River and in surrounding areas. He also called for collective efforts to combat social problems including drug abuse, gambling, child marriage and dowry. At the event, 11 sewing machines and sports equipment were distributed among various educational institutions. Besides, 20 kilograms of government relief rice were distributed to each of 750 families affected by floods and river erosion.

Dhaka Zila Parishad Administrator Yasin Ferdous Murad on Saturday said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has emerged as a democratic, humane leader before the nation, carrying forward his parents' ideals. He made the remarks while addressing a brief rally held before a procession organised by Dhamrai upazila BNP and its affiliated organisations to mark the party's 48th founding anniversary. Murad, also president of the Dhaka district unit of Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, said BNP founder and late President Ziaur Rahman declared independence, defeated the Pakistani occupation forces and secured the national flag. He said Ziaur Rahman later assumed state power at a critical juncture in the country’s history, abolished the one-party BAKSAL system, and restored multi-party democracy and press freedom. “Bangladesh achieved political, economic and diplomatic success because of Ziaur Rahman’s visionary decisions,” Murad said. He said Ziaur Rahman was killed in what he described as a conspiracy while working for the country. Following his death, Begum Khaleda Zia took up the struggle to restore democracy, the administrator said, adding that she led a nine-year movement that ended autocratic rule and restored parliamentary democracy. He said the BNP had been allowed to serve the people three times under Khaleda Zia’s leadership despite various challenges and conspiracies. “Whenever the BNP assumed state power, it has had to face various crises, including a fragile economy inherited from the previous government,” Murad said. He said Tarique Rahman has also taken responsibility for governing the country amid various challenges, including a shattered economy left by the previous government. “I hope he will also succeed, just as his parents did,” he said.

BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday questioned whether sabotage or a conspiracy is behind repeated disruptions in electricity supply from the Adani power plant in India. “One of its units has broken down. The supply of electricity coming from there has been disrupted. There are crises from so many directions,” he said. Rizvi made the remarks while addressing a discussion organised by the 12-party alliance at the Jatiya Press Club in the noon on “The Ongoing Crisis in the Country and What Patriotic Forces Should Do.” “Is there any incident? Is there any mystery? Is there sabotage somewhere? This question has arisen in people’s minds, not only mine, but in everyone’s mind. Why are technical faults occurring one after another? Why is a unit shutting down somewhere?” he said. “These issues are making all of us think. Why is this situation being created? Are various conspiracies being carried out to obstruct the government’s people-oriented programmes? Everyone is thinking about this,” he said. He said the government has been paying power plants in instalments and is also paying dues under international agreements, including those with India. “So why is this happening? I have simply raised before you the question that has arisen in people’s minds,” Rizvi said. He said the country is going through a crisis and alleged that it was being artificially created. “I don’t know why, but looking at the reality and the incidents taking place, I feel that there may be some conspiracy somewhere. Some may ask how I can say this. But looking at everything, the reality and the prevailing incidents, it seems to me that there may be some conspiracy or plot somewhere,” he said. He said similar incidents had been seen between 2001 and 2006, suggesting that such incidents could disrupt a government’s normal activities, including people-oriented programmes and social protection measures. Rizvi questioned whether there was any conspiracy to stop the government’s social protection initiatives. He also questioned how a banned political party managed to try to resurface and gather a large number of people, asking what the intelligence agencies and police administration were doing. About the killing of four members of the same Hindu family in Rangpur he said the government has acted quickly to arrest those responsible and bring them before the law. “We have to remain alert. We have to remain conscious and united. There must be no opportunity for fascism in this country. If fascism resurfaces, the country’s independence, sovereignty and the rights of the people will face an extreme threat,” he said.

Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) on Saturday announced a special nationwide programme to raise public awareness about dengue prevention and keep the environment clean. JCD President Rakibul Islam Rakib and General Secretary Nasir Uddin issued a press release in thus regard. According to the release, a two-day awareness and cleanliness campaign will be conducted at all educational institutions across the country on September 13 and 14 (Sunday and Monday) to prevent dengue. The campaign will focus on destroying mosquito breeding grounds on educational institution premises, ensuring overall cleanliness and creating a safe and healthy learning environment for students. JCD said its three-month-long Dengue Prevention and Cleanliness Campaign-2026 is already underway across the country to raise public awareness about dengue prevention and promote a clean environment.  

BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday expressed hope that violence against women including rape, child abuse and all forms of wrongdoing would be eliminated from society. “We will wipe out rape, violence against women, child abuse and all kinds of wrongdoing from this society,” he said. He made the remarks before a rally organised in the capital’s Nayapaltan marking the 48th founding anniversary of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal. He said the government led by BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would ensure women’s civic dignity, right to live and legal rights. “For this, there are two things. Women must be enlightened through education, and women must become mentally self-reliant. The government has taken many efforts and initiatives to make women mentally self-reliant,” Rizvi said. Rizvi said that incidents of murder and abuse involving women such as Nusrat, Rupa, Khadija, Tonu and Mitu are no longer taking place. “Today, Nusrat and Rupa are not being killed. Today, Khadija, Tanu and Mitu are not being killed or subjected to abuse. And no leader or activist of the ruling party is involved in such wrongdoing. There is no such news now,” he said. “This is development. This is progress. This is social development,” Rizvi added. He also highlighted education as another key means of empowering women. Rizvi said the leaders of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal are not incompetent and are equally capable of running the state. “Those who are its leaders, whether at the district level, metropolitan level or central level, none of them is incompetent. They are highly qualified. They are equally capable of running a state and an institution,” he said. He said BNP’s assumption of power meant that every party worker is now part of the government, not merely those holding official positions. He said people could now speak and move around freely, while women could travel without fear, and recalled the persecution faced by Mohila Dal leaders during the previous government. He urged Mohila Dal leaders and activists to closely follow the government’s programmes, particularly its contributions to people and social protection, and communicate those initiatives to the public. He urged Mohila Dal members to inform people about the government’s measures, particularly those concerning women, saying they are part of both the party and the government. He said the Prime Minister’s mother, Begum Khaleda Zia, had made education free up to the intermediate level, with no tuition fees required for girls studying at schools and colleges. “And her eldest son has said that education up to the degree and honours levels will be free, with no tuition fees for girls’ education,” Rizvi said. He described the initiatives as public welfare measures aimed at empowering women through education and making them financially self-reliant. “These programmes and initiatives of Tarique Rahman have to be explained to people, communicated to them and spread among them. That is your responsibility because you are part of this party and part of the government,” he said. Rizvi then inaugurated the colourful rally marking the 48th founding anniversary of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal.

Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) staged a protest rally in the capital on Friday night against the activities of the Awami League, whose activities are banned across the country. The rally was led by JCD Vice-President Kazi Zia Uddin Baset, with leaders and activists of the organisation taking part. The procession began from Gulshan-1 on Friday night and marched through different streets of Gulshan. During the procession, JCD leaders and activists chanted various slogans protesting the activities of the Awami League and called for building united resistance against such activities. Kazi Zia Uddin Baset, who led the procession, said JCD would remain active on the streets against any activities of the Awami League, whose activities are banned across the country. “JCD activists are ready to thwart any attempt to disrupt the country’s democratic environment and the security of the people,” he said. The activists, at the end of the procession, pledged to continue their protests against the activities of the Awami League.

Gulshan Thana unit of Jatiyatabadi Swachhasebak Dal staged a procession in the capital’s Gulshan on Friday evening protesting the activities of the banned Awami League. The procession was held around 6:30pm under the leadership of Nazrul Islam Mona, a candidate for president of the Gulshan Thana unit of Swachhasebak Dal. The procession began in front of Road No. 95 in Gulshan and proceeded through Gulshan-2 towards Gulshan-1.

BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Thursday said that although there were many television channels and newspapers in the country over the past 17 years, freedom of expression was effectively limited to one person and one political party. “Over the past 17 years, we saw that there were many television channels and many newspapers. But speaking out and expressing opinions were allowed only for one person and one political party,” he said. Rizvi said those who tried to express views outside that framework either became victims of enforced disappearance or had to remain in jail. “That situation was terrible,” he said. He made the remarks while speaking at a programme organised on the premises of the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) to mark its 31st founding anniversary. “The media were under their control, talk shows were under their control, and the talk show hosts were under their control. They controlled social media in various ways,” he said. He, however, praised journalists working at the grassroots level for keeping alive some light of democracy during that period. “Those who were journalists at the field level were only burning dimly, but many of them who are sitting here kept the light of democracy burning to some extent. They tried even amid that situation,” he said. Rizvi said the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) had played an important role in Bangladesh’s struggle for democracy. “At a time when freedom of expression was suppressed, when speaking out was considered a sin and saying anything against the government was considered a grave wrongdoing, the DRU never hesitated to publish and disseminate whatever little space we had,” he said. He said journalists also faced pressure during that period, with many of them being subjected to harassment, imprisonment and persecution under repressive laws, including the Digital Security Act. Against this backdrop, Rizvi said, the country was now enjoying an open environment where everyone would have the opportunity to express their views freely. “Those who are in government, those outside the government and the opposition parties outside the government will freely criticise. They will constructively criticise the government's activities. This is how a democratic society and state are built,” he said. Rizvi said the media is an important pillar of that democratic commitment.

BNP has called a meeting of its National Standing Committee, the party’s highest policymaking forum, on Saturday (September 12) night at the Gulshan  political office of the party's chairman. BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan told UNB on Thursday that he had heard that a meeting of the party’s Standing Committee is scheduled for Saturday. The BNP Standing Committee last met on August 1 at night. This will be the committee’s third meeting since the party formed the government. On August 15, BNP included four new members in its National Standing Committee. This will be the first meeting of the committee with the new members. The new members are Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Amanullah Aman, Prof Dr Farhad Halim Doner and Ismail Zabihullah. The upcoming local government elections, the overall situation in the country and other issues are likely to come up for discussion at the meeting, party sources said.