The leaders and activists of BNP’s Dhaka North City unit  have started marching towards the capital's Mirpur from Gabtoli to press home their 10-point demand,  including holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government. BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain formally inaugurated the programme at Gabtoli SA Khalekque Paribahan Maidan around 3:20 pm on Tuesday. Read more: People know who fled the country after 1/11: Fakhrul It is the third such programme of BNP as the party’s Dhaka North City unit marched from Badda to Malibagh al on Saturday and the Dhaka South City unit marched from Jatrabari to Jurine on Monday. In a brief address prior to launching the march, Mosharraf said whenever BNP announces any programmes, the ‘usurper’ government try to mislead people by talking about violence. “But BNP held 10 rallies peacefully braving various obstacles.  We also held many other programmes peacefully. The fact is that the government gets scared of losing power whenever BNP comes up with any programme.” He said the government has ruined the country’s economy by indulging in widespread plundering and siphoning off huge money abroad, creating a famine-like situation in the country. The BNP leader said people have taken to the streets to ensure the fall of the current government. “The sooner this regime goes the better for the country.” He asked the party leaders and activists to hold the programme peacefully as they did all other previous programmes to prove once again BNP does not resort to violence and chaos. Another BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said people are going through a very tough time due to unusual price hikes in all essential items. He said the government is also raising the prices of utility services as it has taken a stance against the country’s people. “There’s no alternative to ousting this regime to save the country, and its people and restore democracy and people’s rights.” Read more: BNP’s 2nd march from Jatrabari to Jurain begins

Criticising the movement by the opposition BNP to topple the government of Bangladesh, Minister for Health and Family Planning Zahid Maleque on Saturday (January 28, 2023) said a party left without a leader has no chance of coming to power. “First get a leader and then come to politics,” he said. Maleque said this while addressing at the inaugural function of a newly-built building and prize giving ceremony of a sports competition at Jagir High School in Sadar upazila of Munshiganj, as the chief guest. Urging the BNP to join the next national election expected to be held early next year, he said there is no chance to come to power by the backdoor. Read more: 'Only way to oust government is through election' “Seek the vote of people joining the election, go to the power once people take you (BNP) to the power through voting, otherwise not,” he said.     Addressing the developments carried out by Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina, the health minister said that she must be brought to power again for the development of the country.   Advising students to study attentively, he said a good human being without education and dreams does not materialise. With the school governing committee president Md Shamim Miah in the chair, Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Abdul Latif and Municipality Mayor Md Ramjan Ali among others spoke at the event. Read More: 10-point Demand: BNP marches from Badda to Malibagh

When Jacinda Ardern announced this week she was stepping down as New Zealand's prime minister, speculation began almost immediately about what she might do for a second act. When she leaves, she will have accumulated 15 years experience as a lawmaker and five-and-a-half years as leader. She will also be just 42 years old. Observers say she has all sorts of career possibilities open to her. Ardern said she was leaving the job because she no longer has “enough in the tank to do it justice” and has no immediate plans for her own future other than to spend more time with her fiancé and 4-year-old daughter. Read more: New Zealand's Ardern, an icon to many, to step down “I’ll have to admit I slept well for the first time in a long time last night," Ardern told reporters Friday, adding that she felt both sadness and relief. Stephen Hoadley, an assistant professor of politics and international relations at the University of Auckland, said he couldn't imagine Ardern would remain at home over the long term, given her energy and skills. “She has the potential, she has the ability, she has the profile, she has the acceptability to do a whole lot of things," Hoadley said. “Give her a few weeks to rest up, and to refill the tank, to use her phrase. But I would imagine by the end of this year, she’ll be off and running on a whole new career line.” Hoadley pointed to the career path of Helen Clark, another former New Zealand prime minister who went on to become a top administrator at the U.N., leading the development program. “Jacinda could be tapped by any number of United Nations, or charitable, or philanthropical, or other kinds of organizations,” Hoadley said. “There are many, many possibilities, and her profile is so high that I think she would have her pick.” Climate Change Minister James Shaw, who first met Ardern in about 2007 and has remained friends, said he was in shock but also not wholly surprised when Ardern told him of her plans to resign. “It's been a really intense five years,” Shaw said. On top of a busy legislative program, Shaw said, Ardern had needed to steer the country through a series of crises, including a mass-shooting at two Christchurch mosques that left 51 people dead, a volcanic eruption that killed 22, and the coronavirus pandemic. On top of that, Ardern also bore the brunt of a growing number of threats, Shaw said, and a toxic, misogynistic online culture that had grown worse in recent years. Read more: New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern to leave office next month, sets October election “What I hope is that she can get some time at the beach with her family, uninterrupted, for a while,” Shaw said. He said he believes Ardern when she says she doesn’t yet have firm plans for the future. “I think she could do pretty much whatever she wants from this point,” Shaw said. “Jacinda is one of the most selfless, determined, publicly-minded people I have ever met," Shaw added. "So I would imagine that whatever it is, it will be in the public interest.”

BNP has vowed to make the ongoing anti-government movement for ‘restoring democracy’ a success on the 87th birth anniversary of its founder Ziaur Rahman. BNP leaders and activists took the oath after placing wreaths at the grave of former president and the party founder Ziaur Rahman on his 87th birth anniversary at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the city on Thursday. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the people of the country have woken up to thwart the plot of Awami League to reestablish one-party rule. Read more: Zia’s 87th birth anniversary Thursday “The entire nation has plunged into darkness. It has woken up to restore democracy and thwart conspiracy of Awami League to reestablish one-party rule,” he said while talking to reporters. “We hope that we’ll be able to organise people with a new pledge and win the movement of restoring democracy, protecting the multi-party democracy, protecting Bangladesh and saving independence and sovereignty of the country,” he said. The Liberation War started not only with the proclamation of independence by Ziaur Rahman, he also led the war against from the front side and after nine months the country became independent, said Fakhrul. “Ziaur Rahman within a short span of time united the divided nation and brought us from the darkness of one-party rule to the light of multi-party democracy,” he said. Read more: Zia's 87th birth anniversary: BNP chalks out elaborate programmes Earlier, around 11 am, BNP leaders including its senior leaders Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moin Khan, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, led by Mirza Fakhrul placed the wreaths at the grave of Zia and offered Munajat. Later, Fakhrul also inaugurated a free medical camp and a blood donation programme at BNP’s Nayapaltan Central office at noon. BNP also published posters of Ziaur Rahman on the day. They also kept the national flag at half-mast.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday alleged that the government has become "desperate" to suppress the opposition leaders and activists being afraid of the ongoing pro-democracy movement. “You (AL leaders) used to say a few days back that we didn’t have the ability to stand on the streets and our backs were broken. But now you have become so restive that you are oppressing people by using all might to stop our movement,” he said. Fakhrul made the remarks while speaking at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, condemning the attacks on BNP’s sit-in programme in Faridpur and Mymensingh and some other areas in the country by police and ruling party activists on Wednesday. Read more: Wake up more to restore voting rights, Fakhrul urges people He said the government has lost the ground beneath its feet. “The government has become so scared that they are carrying out attacks on our peaceful programmes.” The BNP leader also said the ruling party leaders are making various unguarded comments about the ongoing movement sensing their fall. He alleged that the armed ‘cadres’ of the ruling party attacked BNP’s programme in Faridpur and Mymensingh in presence of law enforcers.” The police not only played the role of a silent spectator there but also attacked the leaders and workers of BNP, lobbed teargas shells and charged batons on them.” The BNP leader claimed that the law enforcers also arrested over 100 BNP leaders and activists from the two divisions while over 250 others were injured during the attacks. Besides, he said police filed a case against BNP leaders and activists in Faridpur in connection with the clash. Sought his comments on Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader’s remark on the outcome of the simultaneous movement with small parties, Fakhrul said people do not care about what the ruling party leader says.  “Like me, people all over the country don't give any importance to his remarks.” Read more: BNP, like-minded parties announce countrywide rally, procession on Jan 16 No programme at district level on January 16: Fakhrul said their party will hold a rally and procession programme on January 16 in all cities and upazila headquarters to press home their 10-point demand and protest the government’s power price hike decision. “Yesterday (Wednesday) I said the programme will also be observed in all districts. But the programme will be observed only in all metropolitan cities and upazilas, not in districts.”

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday called upon the country’s people to wake up more to restore their voting rights by ousting the Awami League government. “The people of Bangladesh have woken up. We need to now wake up more to materialise the dreams of the Liberation War and build a truly people's Bangladesh for ensuring a beautiful future for our children,” he said. Speaking at a sit-in programme, the BNP leader also called upon people from all walks of life to join their ongoing simultaneous movement to force the present ‘autocratic’ government to quit, paving the way for establishing a pro-people government and parliament through an acceptable election. “Let us move towards that goal. We’ve to move forward uniting the people of Bangladesh to restore our voting rights and democracy. There’s a good sign that the noted citizens of the country are coming forward to this end,” he said. BNP arranged the sit-in programme in front of its Nayapaltan central office as part of the simultaneous movement against the current government. Other like-minded opposition parties, alliances and organisations also observed a similar programme in different areas of the capital and nine other divisions in the country to realise their 10-point demand including holding the next polls under a non-party neutral government. Read more: BNP announces countrywide rally, procession on Jan 16 BNP began the programme at Nayapaltan around 10:30am with the recitation of verses from the holy Quran. It was the second programme of the simultaneous movement after the mass procession by the 33 opposition parties on December 30. Earlier on December 30, BNP and 32 other like-minded opposition parties staged a mass procession programme in different parts of the capital as the first programme of the simultaneous movement. AL has become isolated from people Fakhrul said Awami League identifies itself as a political party. “We know that they are a very old familiar party. “But now they have completely lost their political existence.” He said Awami league has also got isolated from people. “That's why they have to depend on the police and bureaucrats now to stay in power by force." The BNP leader said all the opposition political parties have agreed to remove the current government for the restoration of democracy and people's right to vote. “They will make this movement successful by realising the 10-point demand.” He said the current government has destroyed all the state institutions. “That’s why we’re talking about 27 points to reform the state.” Referring to media reports on Wasa Managing Director Taqsem A Khan’s 14 houses in the USA, Fakhrul said an official of an autonomous organisation is building houses abroad by siphoning off hundreds of crores of taka abroad. Read more: BNP’s 27 points parts of anti-govt movement: Amir Khosru He alleged that people belonging to the ruling party are ruining the country’s economy by indulging in plundering and siphoning off huge money abroad. The BNP leader alleged that the ruling party leaders have established a reign of plundering by establishing their control on all institutions, including the banks. He said the current government’s main target is to restore one-party Baksal rule by snatching people’s all rights. “We won’t let the government do it. We’ll move forward together with people to ensure the fall of this regime.” Fakhrul said many leaders and activists of their party have still been languishing in jail enduring unbearable suffering. He demanded the government immediately release the party’s arrested central leaders, including Dhaka south city unit convener Abdus Salam, party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, joint secretary general Khairul Kabir Khokon and publicity affairs secretary Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anne. Fakhrul alleged that the ruling party activists and law enforcers attacked their peaceful sit-in programmes in Faridpur and Mymensingh. “We strongly condemn and protest it.” BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the government used to say BNP announces programmes to create chaos. “But we arranged 10 rallies and subsequent programmes peacefully.” He said they will also hold their all programmes in the days to come in the same way together with people to oust the government and implement their 27 points to reform the state. Read more: Implementing 10 points a key New Year’s challenge for BNP: Mosharraf He thanked the party leaders and activists for making the sit-in programme a success with their huge participation. BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas said this government must go as people have woken up against it. “We don’t want to remove this regime by pushing it down. We want to ensure its fall through a credible election under a caretaker government,” he said. Abbas said their party doesn’t want to resort to any violence as BNP believes in democracy and peaceful programmes. “The government is suffering from unnecessary panic. BNP does not want any chaos and unrest. We urge the government to refrain from provocative activities. If you do that then the consequences will not be good. The days of being in power by force are over.” He also called upon the government to accept their party’s 10-point demand and hand over power to a non-party neutral government for arranging a free and fair election. Thousands of leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies joined the sit-in programme, disrupting traffic movement in the area. Besides, Ganatantra Mancha observed a similar programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club while the 12-Party Alliance near Bijoy Nagar Water Tank, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote at Purana Paltan, LDP at FDC Crossing and Ganatantrik Bam Oikya in the east side of the Jatiya Press Club and Gonoforum (Montu) at Arambagh.

The ruling party Awami League  on Sunday distributed divisional duties among the joint-general secretaries and organising secretaries, said a press release. Among the joint-general secretaries, Mahbubul Alam Hanif was given charge of Sylhet and Chattogram divisions, Dipu Moni was made responsible for Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions, Hasan Mahmud got Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions, and AFM Bahauddin Nasim got Khulna and Barishal divisions. Among the organising secretaries, Ahmed Hossain was given Sylhet division division, BM Muzammel Haque given Khulna Division, Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud Swapan got Chattogram 1adivision, SM Kamal Hossain got Rajshahi division, Mirza Azam was given Dhaka division, advocate Afzal Hossain got Barishal and Sujit Roy Nandi got Rangpur division. The party chose prime minister Sheikh Hasina as the president of Bangladesh Awami League for the 10th consecutive term and road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader as general secretary for the third successive time at its 22nd national council on 24 December.

The Ganatantra Mancha on Friday brought out a mass procession in the capital as part of the simultaneous movement of the opposition parties and alliances to unseat the current government. The leaders and activists of the Ganatantra Mancha gathered in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the morning and brought out the procession around 11.30am. The other opposition parties and alliances will also bring out mass processions in the capital from different points. Read more: Simultaneous Movement: 33 opposition parties set to take out mass processions in city The BNP leaders and activists gathered in front of the party's Nayapaltan central office for carrying out their procession at 2pm. They started thronging the Nayapaltan area in the morning, carrying placards with photos of the party's top leaders. A large number of law enforcers have been deployed in the area. Also, as per the schedules, the 12-Party Alliance will bring out a procession from the Fakirapool Panir Tank area, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote from Purana Paltan Crossing, LDP from FDC Crossing and Jamaat-e-Islami from the north gate of Baitul Mukarram Mosque around 2:30pm. After the procession, the opposition parties and alliances are likely to announce fresh programmes to intensify their simultaneous movement.

A new political platform, “Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote” comprising 11 parties of the BNP-led 20-party alliance was formally launched on Wednesday to strengthen the simultaneous anti-government movement. Fariduzzaman Farhad, chairman of the National People's Party (NPP) and coordinator of the newly emerged alliance, came up with the announcement at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club. Read more: Cannot be 'pro-liberation' without believing in democracy: BNP "We (11 parties) have got united to form a nationalist like-minded alliance today (Wednesday). The name of this alliance is Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote,” said Farhad. He said they have formed the alliance to build a Bangladesh as per the aspiration of the mass people and resolve the country’s political crisis.  "We’ll be with the simultaneous movement by giving our support to the 10-point demands announced by the BNP and the 27 points of the party to repair the state structure of the country,” the NPP leader said. The parties in the new 11-party alliance are National People's Party-NPP, Jagpa (Khandkar Lutfur), Democratic League (DL), Bangladesh NAP, Bikalpa Dhara (Nurul Amin), Samyabadi Dal, Gano Dal, NAP-Bhasani, Islami Oikya Jote, People's League and Bangladesh Minority Janata Party. Read more: 12-party alliance formed to support BNP’s movement Earlier on December 22, a '12-party alliance' was launched with 12 parties of the 20-party alliance. The 12 parties include Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar), Kalyan Party, Labour Party, Jatiya Dal, Bangladesh LDP, Jatiya Democratic Party-JAGPA (Tasmia Pradhan), NDP, LDP (Salim), Muslim League, Jamiat-e-Ulamae Islam, Islami Oikya Jote, Islamic Party and Samyabadi Dal. Islami Oikyajot and Samyabadi Dal are there in the two new alliances.  Asked about the matter, Farhad, the coordinator of the nationalist like-minded alliance, said, "Samyabadi Dal and Islami Oikya Jote are with us.  They are now no longer in any other alliance.” However, no representatives of Islami Oikya Jote and People's League were present at the press conference. BNP Standing Committee Member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Chairperson’s Advisory Council Member Amanullah Aman were present at the press conference.   On April 18, 2012, the four-party alliance was expanded to a 20-party alliance.

The Awami League (AL) has invited the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to its 22nd National council at the Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital. Three members of BNP's standing committee – Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Abdul Moyeen Khan and Nazrul Islam Khan – were invited to join the council Saturday. A delegation led by AL Deputy Office Secretary Abu Sayem went to BNP central office in Nayapaltan Friday and invited them to join the council. "All of our leaders are in jail now. How can they join the council?" BNP Organising Secretary Syed Emran Saleh Prince, who is also the acting office secretary of the party, told the AL delegation after accepting the invitation. Read: 6 hurt in Awami League infighting during the party’s council in Chuadanga Sayem said: "This (imprisonment) is related to the government. We are here from the party. I hope a delegation (from your party) will attend the council." Prince said: "We will decide on joining the council after discussions with our party's high command."