United News of Bangladesh

Leader of the Opposition and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has urged the Nippon Foundation, Japan’s largest charitable organisation, to expand development and livelihood programmes for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. He made the call when Chairman of the Nippon Foundation Yohei Sasakawa paid a courtesy call on him at a city hotel on Monday, according to a press release issued on Tuesday. During the meeting, Sasakawa briefed the opposition leader on his organisation’s ongoing humanitarian activities in the refugee camps, highlighting programmes focused on providing vocational training and creating livelihood opportunities to make the Rohingya population self-reliant. Shafiqur thanked Sasakawa for visiting Bangladesh and urged the foundation to undertake more development initiatives to meet the urgent needs of both the displaced Rohingya community and underprivileged local residents. He assured the Nippon Foundation of all necessary cooperation in carrying out its humanitarian activities in Bangladesh. In addition to the Rohingya issue, the two sides discussed the Nippon Foundation’s long-standing expertise and humanitarian programmes in combating and treating leprosy. Jamaat-e-Islami Central Executive Council Member Saiful Alam Khan, MP, Opposition Leader’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Barrister Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem, MP, and member of the Foreign Affairs Advisory Committee Ali Ahmad Mabrur were also present at the meeting.

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar has expressed deep concern over the severe fertilizer crisis across the country, warning that it has put the cultivation of Aman rice at extreme risk. "We are observing with deep concern that the fertilizer crisis has severely jeopardized Aman cultivation. It has also put the production and yield of seasonal vegetables and other crops at risk," Parwar said in a statement to the press circulated Monday. “Farmers are suffering like this due to the government's failed and shortsighted agricultural policies,” he alleged. Accusing the incumbent government of failing to implement sustainable agricultural policies, he said, “We strongly condemn and protest against this harassment of farmers and the government's failure to ensure an adequate supply of fertilizer for cultivation.” He alleged that marginalized farmers are being deprived of fertilizer according to their requirements due to the government's mismanagement. Citing media reports, the Jamaat leader claimed, “Ruling party-backed dealers and activists are scheming to sell fertilizer at excessive prices.” “This has placed the burden of additional production costs on the shoulders of the farmers, which is not helpful to ensuring the country's food security and stability," he said. He said farmers have already staged demonstrations and blocked highways in Rajshahi, Lalmonirhat, and Kurigram demanding adequate fertilizer supply. He also mentioned recent media reports regarding the looting of fertilizer from warehouses and the confinement of field workers of the agriculture department. “These incidents are highly alarming and reflect the severity of the crisis. If immediate steps are not taken to resolve the issue and protect the farmers' interests, the situation may become even more complex, and the government will not be able to avoid its responsibility,” he added. Parwar further accused ruling party syndicates of creating an artificial crisis in various areas to maximize profits. He also said,” While fertilizer remains unavailable at authorized dealer points, it is being sold openly in the market at excessively high prices.” He urged the government to take swift and effective measures to break the syndicates at all levels, put an end to the harassment of farmers, and ensure an uninterrupted supply of fertilizer to keep the country's agricultural production and food security intact.

11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami began a long march from the capital toward Chattogram on Saturday morning, to press home a six-point demand including the implementation of the “people's verdict in the February 12 referendum, trial of July 2024 mass killings, and resolution of the multi-dimensional energy crisis”. The alliance is also demanding measures to control soaring prices of essential commodities, an end to extortion and corruption, improvement of the law and order situation and an end to narrow partisanisation. The rally began at 7:00am at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel. The programme opened with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran. Dr AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, assistant secretary general of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and coordinator of the 11-party alliance, delivered the opening remarks. Top leaders of the alliance addressed the rally. Following speeches by the alliance's senior leaders, including opposition leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman, the long march convoy left for Chattogram. The first roadside rally will be held near the truck stand by the Kanchpur Bridge in Narayanganj, followed by rallies at Paduar Bazar Bishwaroad in Cumilla, Mohipal in Feni and Mirsarai and the final rally at Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram. The long march will conclude with a public rally at Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram. Jamaat Secretary General and Long March Implementation Committee Convener Mia Golam Parwar on Friday urged the government to provide all necessary administrative cooperation to ensure the success of what he described as the largest peaceful political programme of the opposition. He warned that if any government party or anyone creates an adverse situation during the long march, they would lose further public trust and face public anger. He clarified that delegates participating in the long march would not get down from their vehicles to join the roadside rallies. Local party units will organise those rallies. He said vehicles in the procession would carry stickers and no vehicle would be allowed to join the procession. Media vehicles will also be allowed to join the procession to cover the programme, he said. Talking about their demands, he said although six months had passed since the formation of the government, it had not taken any initiative to implement the people's verdict given in the referendum.  

The 11-party opposition alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami will observe a long march from Dhaka to Chattogram on Saturday, to press home a six-point demand, including the implementation of the people's verdict in the February 12 referendum, trial of the July 2024 mass killings, and resolution of the multi-dimensional energy crisis. The alliance is also demanding measures to control soaring prices of essential commodities, an end to extortion and corruption, improvement of the law and order situation and an end to narrow partisanisation. 11-party alliance backs march to Parliament over enforced disappearances Jamaat Secretary General and Long March Implementation Committee Convener Mia Golam Parwar on Friday urged the government to provide all necessary administrative cooperation to ensure the success of what he described as the largest peaceful political programme of the opposition. He warned that if any government party or anyone creates an adverse situation during the long march, they would lose further public trust and face public anger. “We hope that the government and anyone from the ruling party will not take such an unwise step,” he said, while briefing reporters after a final preparatory meeting. The meeting was held at 11am at Jamaat's central office in the city’s Moghbazar area to finalise preparations for the programme. Golam Parwar said preparations for Saturday's programme had already been completed and around 1,500 vehicles were expected to join the long march. The inaugural rally will begin at 7am at Shapla Chattar in Dhaka, while rallies will be held at a number of points along the route. The first roadside rally will be held near the truck stand by the Kanchpur Bridge in Narayanganj, followed by rallies at Paduar Bazar Bishwaroad in Cumilla, Mohipal in Feni and Mirsarai and the final rally at Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram. “We have so far received information that a huge number of people will join there (the final rally in Laldighi Maidan),” said Golam Parwar. He clarified that delegates participating in the long march would not get down from their vehicles to join the roadside rallies. Local party units will organise those rallies. He said vehicles in the procession would carry stickers and no vehicle would be allowed to join the procession. Media vehicles will also be allowed to join the procession to cover the programme, he said. The Jamaat leader said the opposition has continued to play a systematic, constructive and responsible role both inside and outside Parliament since the formation of the government following the 13th parliamentary election. Talking about their demands, he said although six months had passed since the formation of the government, it had not taken any initiative to implement the people's verdict given in the referendum. “Rather, it has turned away from implementing the people's verdict,” he said. Noting that they are dreaming of building their dream of Bangladesh, he said, “We are not waging any movement to overthrow the government. Our demand, as well as the people's demand, is that you accept the people's verdict in the referendum. Accept our six-point demands,” he said. Golam Parwar stressed for maintaining political tolerance between the ruling and opposition parties following the 2024 July political change. “Let it now be proven that there is mutual tolerance between the opposition and ruling parties and that we have come out of the negative culture of political violence,” he said. He said the alliance did not anticipate any sabotage during the programme and expressed confidence that the long march could be held peacefully without causing any loss of life or property. The Jamaat leader expected thousands of people to greet the long march from both sides of the road. The final preparatory meeting was attended, among others, by Jamaat Assistant Secretary General and 11-party alliance Coordinator AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, NCP Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari, Jagpa spokesperson Rashed Pradhan, Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Maulana Abdul Halim.

Malaysian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Mohd Shuhada Othman met Leader of the Opposition and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Thursday, with discussions focusing on bilateral relations, Bangladesh’s energy crisis and the repatriation of Rohingyas. The meeting was held at 10:30am at the Leader of the Opposition’s official residence on Minto Road in Dhaka. During the meeting, the two sides held an open and cordial exchange of views on issues of mutual interest and stressed the need to further strengthen the long-standing friendly and historic ties between Bangladesh and Malaysia, according to a press release. The Malaysian high commissioner praised Jamaat’s positive role as the opposition in Parliament, it said. The meeting also discussed in detail Malaysia’s possible role in addressing Bangladesh’s ongoing energy crisis and the issue of Rohingya repatriation. The two sides discussed expanding bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest, as well as issues related to development and economic progress. They expressed hope that cooperation between the two countries will continue to grow in the coming days. Leader of the Opposition’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Barrister Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem, MP, and member of the Leader of the Opposition’s Foreign Affairs Advisory Committee Ali Ahmad Mabrur were present at the meeting.

Two Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami lawmakers on Wednesday raised concerns over the “deteriorating” law-and-order situation, including what they described as rising incidents of mugging, theft, robbery and extortion, and called for coordinated drives by law enforcement agencies to ensure public safety. Speaking under Rule 71 of the Rules of Procedure on matters of urgent public importance, Jamaat MP Salah Uddin and reserved women’s seat MP Subikunnahar highlighted what they described as a growing sense of fear and insecurity among people in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country. Salah Uddin said people are increasingly concerned over the “deterioration” of law and order in different areas. Referring to several recent incidents, he said, “A female teacher was killed in an attack by muggers in front of the Parliament complex, a JCD leader allegedly snatched gold ornaments at the airport, Tk 39 lakh was snatched in broad daylight in Dhanmondi, and mugging took place in broad daylight at Mugda Hospital. A person was also stabbed to death in Jatrabari.” The MP said theft and robbery have also increased in rural areas, with frequent power outages creating opportunities for vehicle theft, burglary and other crimes. He alleged that in some cases, instead of arresting criminals, families of victims are being subjected to harassment. The lawmaker also alleged that drug dealers and armed criminals are moving around openly in different areas. “People are living in extreme fear because of the inactivity, indifference and inability of the police,” he said. He called for coordinated operations involving the police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to protect people’s lives and property. Salah Uddin also urged the government to conduct special drives if necessary, saying initiatives similar to “Operation Clean Heart” could be considered to ensure security for people. Meanwhile, Subikunnahar raised concerns over the occupation of footpaths and alleged extortion in Dhaka and other cities. She said footpaths intended for pedestrians have been occupied in many areas by shops, street vendors and permanent commercial structures, forcing people to walk on roads and exposing them to the risk of accidents. The female MP alleged that organised extortion has developed around the allocation of space for shops on footpaths. “It is now an open secret that an institutionalised extortion racket has developed around setting up shops on footpaths,” she said. According to the lawmaker, money is collected on a daily, weekly or monthly basis in different areas in exchange for allowing businesses to operate on footpaths. Citing a media report, she claimed that traders are sometimes being asked to pay Tk 20,000 to set up a tea stall and up to Tk 30,000 for other types of shops. “Extortion has today become like a communicable disease of the ruling party,” Subikunnahar said, urging the Ministry of Home Affairs to identify those involved in extortion and bring them to justice.  

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Tuesday demanded that the Election Commission (EC) allow private teachers enlisted under the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) scheme to contest local government elections and bar leaders and activists of Awami League, which faces a ban on its activities, from taking part in the polls. A six-member Jamaat delegation, led by its Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar, placed a number of demands at a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin and other election commissioners at the Nirbachan Bhaban in Agargaon. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Porwar said the party handed over a written list of nine demands to the EC and discussed the issues in detail. “Our first important demand is to allow MPO-listed teachers to participate in local elections. There are more than 30,000 such teachers in the country. They were previously allowed to vote and contest elections,” he said. The Jamaat leader strongly protested a recommendation to disqualify MPO-listed teachers from contesting local body elections, saying it is discriminatory and contrary to Articles 27 and 28 of the Constitution. “A person can contest a parliamentary election but cannot contest a Union Parishad election — this is discriminatory,” he said, demanding withdrawal of the recommendation. As its second demand, Jamaat called for barring leaders and office-bearers of any political party whose activities were banned by the government from contesting local elections, apparently referring to Awami League. “If the leader or office-bearers of a political party whose activities were banned by the government participate in a local body election, it should be considered political activity. So, they should not be allowed to participate in the election,” Porwar said. He said Jamaat also raised concerns over the political affiliation of recently appointed EC Additional Secretary Shamsul Alam. Noting that Shamsul Alam previously served on an election-related committee of a political party, the Jamaat leader said, “We told the Election Commission that such an appointment to a constitutional institution should not be made as it raises questions about the institution’s neutrality.” Jamaat also objected to the appointment of politically affiliated persons as administrators of various local government bodies, including Zila Parishad, Upazila Parishad, city corporations and development authorities. “We fear that these appointments are creating opportunities for them to prepare the ground [in favour of the ruling party men] for the upcoming local body elections,” he said. The opposition demanded that those who have served as administrators of such institutions be barred from contesting the upcoming local elections, even if they resign from their posts after the election schedule is announced. It also urged the EC to prevent ministers, MPs and other important government officials from participating in campaigns for local body polls.  

Eleven opposition lawmakers have filed a writ petition with the High Court (HC) challenging the government’s decision to assign ministers, state ministers and whips to oversee and coordinate government activities in all 64 districts. The writ was filed with the relevant branch on Sunday, said petitioners’ lawyer Mohammad Shishir Manir. The petitioners are Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami MPs Muhammad Nazibur Rahman (Pabna-1), Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem (Dhaka-14), Md Golam Rabbani (Rangpur-5), Md Nurul Islam (Chapainawabganj-3), Md Masud Parves (Chuadanga-1), Muhammad Azizur Rahman (Jashore-1), Shaikh Monzurul Haque Rahad (Bagerhat-2), Md Shafiqul Islam (Patuakhali-2), Md Rashedul Islam Rashed (Sherpur-1), Salah Uddin (Gazipur-4) and Mohammad Zahirul Islam (Chattogram-16). Shishir Manir said a similar decision was taken in 2001 to distribute district-level responsibilities among ministers, state ministers and whips. A writ petition challenging that decision was filed at the time, following which the High Court declared the decision unconstitutional, he said. “According to the Rules of Business, the Constitution of Bangladesh and judgements of the higher courts, such a decision is beyond legal authority and unlawful,” the lawyer said. The government issued a gazette notification on August 27, assigning 30 ministers, state ministers and whips district-wise responsibilities to oversee and coordinate government activities. According to the notification, they will supervise and coordinate district-level activities relating to law and order, prevention of corruption and drug abuse, good governance, transparency and accountability, as well as development and public welfare programmes. The government said it took the decision amid concerns over alleged misuse of development allocations in various districts through widespread corruption. It also expressed concern that proceeds from such activities have allegedly been siphoned abroad or used for activities linked to drug abuse, social degradation and threats to public and state security. The district-wise assignments are intended to strengthen supervision and coordination of government activities and ensure greater transparency, accountability and proper implementation of development programmes.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Dr Shafiqur Rahman has demanded that the government immediately rescue victims of enforced disappearance and return them to their families, and bring those responsible for such crimes against humanity to justice. In a statement issued on the eve of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, observed on August 30, he said the day has been observed worldwide since 2011 to remember victims of enforced disappearance and express solidarity with their families. “No one other than the affected families can fully understand the pain of losing a loved one. Even after years, countless families are suffering deep psychological trauma and humanitarian crises without knowing the fate of their loved ones, while many families have been completely devastated,” he said. Referring to enforced disappearances in Bangladesh and around the world, Shafiqur Rahman said people continue to disappear in different countries as victims of political persecution by authoritarian rulers. “Sadly, Bangladesh was no exception,” he said. Citing information from domestic and international human rights organisations, he claimed that more than 700 people from different professions and backgrounds, including leaders and activists of opposition political parties, had disappeared during the rule of Sheikh Hasina. He alleged that secret detention centres, including “Ainaghar”, were established to suppress dissent and that innocent people were subjected to severe torture there for years. “Keeping citizens in such conditions in an independent and sovereign country is not only a gross violation of basic human rights but also a clear violation of international law,” he said. Shafiqur Rahman criticised the government’s handling of legislation on enforced disappearances. He said the interim government had issued the Prevention and Remedies of Disappearances Ordinance, 2025 to prevent enforced disappearances and ensure punishment for those involved. However, he said the ordinance ceased to remain effective 30 days after the first session of the current Parliament began, as the newly formed government decided not to turn it into law, citing inconsistencies in some of its provisions. He said the government later amended the ordinance and prepared a new draft bill, but claimed that the draft undermined the main objective of the proposed law. Shafiqur Rahman expressed concern over provisions that would give police the authority to receive complaints and investigate enforced disappearance cases, saying such crimes had often involved law enforcement agencies. “Handing over investigations into allegations against law enforcement agencies to the same agencies is an unwise decision,” he said. He also questioned the decision to place the responsibility for maintaining a database on enforced disappearances with the government. He said there were concerns about the impartiality and accuracy of such a database if government agencies themselves were allegedly involved in disappearances. Shafiqur Rahman also criticised the exclusion of the National Human Rights Commission from investigations and inquiries into enforced disappearance cases. He said the responsibility for investigating such sensitive cases should instead be given to an independent and impartial institution such as the National Human Rights Commission. He further criticised proposed changes to the National Human Rights Commission Act, claiming that the amendments would weaken the commission and turn it into a “toothless tiger”. Shafiqur Rahman expressed hope that the government would give the humanitarian crisis caused by enforced disappearances top priority. He urged the government to take effective steps to rescue all missing and abducted citizens and return them safely to their families as soon as possible. He also called for exemplary punishment for those directly or indirectly involved in enforced disappearances and abductions, including those who ordered or masterminded such crimes. “We expect the government to move away from the practice of politicising institutions and focus on protecting the fundamental rights of the people,” he said. He also called for enforced disappearance to be recognised as a special crime and for a special, independent legal framework to ensure proper investigation, fair proceedings and speedy trials of those responsible.

An 11-party alliance on Saturday expressed solidarity with the National Committee for the Prevention of Enforced Disappearances’ programme to march towards Parliament and submit a memorandum to the Speaker. In a press release signed by alliance coordinator Dr AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, the alliance said the committee would organise the march and submit the memorandum on Sunday (August 30) to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. The march will begin in front of Rupayan Tower in Bangla Motor area of the capital at 3pm.The procession will proceed towards Parliament, where the organisers will submit the memorandum to the Speaker, the release said. The 11-party alliance expressed its full support for the programme and urged its leaders and activists at all levels, as well as people across the country, to join the programme spontaneously and make it a success.