United News of Bangladesh

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday said those who want to delay the election are certainly not pro-democratic or supporters of the July-August revolution. “People want an immediate election. We have said this many times before, and we are saying it again. Those who want to delay the election are surely not pro-democratic forces and not pro-July-August revolution forces,” he said. Speaking at a press conference at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, Fakhrul also said his party believes the country will move towards holding the election based on the discussions held between Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Tarique Rahman in London. He alleged that a vested quarter is carrying out a false campaign to malign BNP.  “A few individuals and groups are spreading false propaganda involving BNP to create a negative impression in public mind. But people are not responding to it,” the BNP leader said.  He said the people of the country know BNP very well and know that it has always been there and has played a leading role in achieving all the good things in Bangladesh. Fakhrul said it is important to understand that BNP is a tested liberal democratic political party, which wants to take charge of running the state through elections and people’s vote.  “We do not want to come to power through a revolution or any other means. No one can have any doubt about our intentions. We have fought for 15 years to restore democracy,” he said. Unfortunately, Fakhrul alleged, some sections of the media and certain individuals are spreading various claims about BNP's stance on reform, which are not accurate. “There is no room to question BNP’s commitment to reform because BNP is the very party that strongly spoke about reforms as early as 2016.” He said Begum Khaleda Zia herself first talked about reforms in 2016 through the Vision-2030 initiative. “After that, we announced a 27-point and later a 31-point reform proposal. As we are sincere about reforms, we have organised numerous programmes across the country to present these 31 points to the public and to civil society.”  Despite this, Fakhrul lamented, a certain group is deliberately trying to portray BNP as being against reforms. “This is part of a planned campaign to mislead people.” He said BNP has not only survived but has grown stronger and more popular through its continuous struggle against authoritarian rule for nearly one and a half decades. “The blood of hundreds of martyrs, the sacrifices of our fellow activists who faced enforced disappearances and killings, and the indescribable suffering of hundreds of thousands of leaders and workers have further strengthened BNP’s unity,” the BNP leader said. With this united strength, broad public support, and long experience in governing the country, he said BNP is firmly committed to fulfilling its historic responsibility of restoring democracy in Bangladesh. Fakhrul claimed that their party remains highly active in resisting the rise of authoritarianism and fascism. “Just as giving excessive power to an individual or institution leads to fascism, in the same way, stripping elected governments and parliaments of their authority weakens, fractures and renders the state ineffective.” He called upon all to rise above party interests and use this hard-earned opportunity for change—earned through the blood of thousands of martyrs—in a constructive way. China keen to deepen ties with Bangladesh’s next elected govt: Fakhrul “Let us not fail in our responsibility to build a discrimination-free, humane, and prosperous Bangladesh, inspired by the spirit of our Liberation War, the student-led mass uprising of 1990, and the student-worker-people’s movement of July–August 2024,” the BNP leader said. Regarding the July declaration, Fakhrul said their party has already given its opinions on the matter a long time ago. “We gave our feedback quite a while back. Then the government said they had taken responsibility for it and would handle it. But till now, they haven't brought anything forward.” He said BNP has always been open to discussions on any issue at any time, and they are willing to engage in talks on any matter. “We have no problem in this regard.” BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan said that since their party provided its feedback on the July Charter a long time ago, it is now the government’s responsibility to complete the task. “If those responsible are delaying for some reason, BNP will not take the blame. This is not BNP’s responsibility,” he said. Another BNP Standing Committee Member, Salahuddin Ahmed, said they compromised on many proposals of the Consensus Commission for the sake of progress in reform. "We hope that we will be able to reach a consensus. Discussions are ongoing, but prolonged talks are not desirable,” he said. On the issue of Proportional Representation (PR) voting, Nazrul Islam Khan said PR is a concept that is implemented differently in different countries. “But those who are now talking about PR aren't saying anything about how it would be implemented here. So, there’s a lack of clarity around the issue.” He recalled that the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) system was introduced just to change the method of casting a vote in the country. “How many years has it been? A massive campaign was undertaken to inform the public, those who would operate the machines were trained… Despite all that, even today the EVM system hasn’t been fully implemented.” He said the entire electoral system would be changed if the PR system is introduced. “Have you engaged with the public on this? Has anyone informed the people about it? Has there been any consultation with civil society, representative institutions, or even with political parties? No, these have not happened.” The BNP leader said the PR discussion is still at a very preliminary stage, as no formal discussions on this have even begun at the National Consensus Commission. "Yet some of our colleagues are saying this must happen, or there can be no election. What does that even mean?" he said. Opposing the PR system, Nazrul said that in this system, voters wouldn’t even know who their representative is. “Is that acceptable?”  "Even so, when the issue arises, we will discuss it. There is no barrier to discussion. Our representatives are already engaging in talks all day. They are listening to the viewpoints of representatives from other parties as well."

The government has published  a gazette listing the name of 834 martyrs of the July-August mass uprising. The Liberation War Affairs Ministry issued the gazette notification on Thursday. Besides the names, gazette numbers, medical case IDs, father's names, current addresses and permanent addresses were mentioned in the list. 13 universities renamed, dropping names of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Hasina The first-phase final list of those who were martyred or injured during the historic mass uprising of July and August 2024 was published on the official website, accessible at https://medical-info.dghs.gov.bd/public on January 1. Over 1000 people were killed and many injured in attacks by law enforcers and then ruling party men during the mass uprising which spanned from July 15 to August 5. Those who were affected during this period but were not included in the first-phase list are invited to submit their applications for consideration with necessary documents, said a Health Ministry handout. Interim Govt to hold all-party conference over July Proclamation Thursday On October 6, last year, the interim government published a preliminary list of people who died during the student-led mass upsurge in July and August. The government published a draft list of 708 names on the website of the Health Services Division under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on September 24, 2024.

In a gesture of solidarity and support for victims of the July-August uprising, Bangladesh Army has agreed to waive the venue charges for a charity concert organised by Dhaka University students. The event, scheduled for December 21, at the Army Stadium, aims to raise funds for the families of those killed and injured during the uprising, according to ISPR. The concert is being organised under the Spirit of July platform, which was founded to remember the victims and provide ongoing assistance to their families. Bangladesh, Indian armed forces unite to commemorate Victory Day All proceeds from the event will go to the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation, an organisation dedicated to supporting the martyrs' families and those affected. In addition, the army has made special arrangements to ease potential traffic congestion around the event. To ensure smooth access to Dhaka airport and minimize public suffering, vehicles carrying air passengers coming from Dhanmondi and Farmgate will be allowed to enter the Cantonment area through Jahangir Gate. These vehicles will be permitted to proceed to Dhaka airport via CMH and Zia Colony, subject to passengers showing their flight tickets. This special route will be available from 2:00 pm to 11:00 pm on December 21, 2024. Ambulances carrying patients will also be given priority to use this route during the same hours, added ISPR.

Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Sunday said they would formally approach India seeking former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's extradition after completing the required legal procedures. "Our government's position on the extradition of Sheikh Hasina is very clear. We want to bring Sheikh Hasina back to the country to face the law," he said during a media briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in the evening. Alam said Hasina was the key person who passed the order in the massacre that took place during her tenure, killing more than 1,500 people in July-August. "Since we have an extradition treaty with India, one can seek extradition after going through some legal procedures. After completing those procedures, we will formally approach India seeking her extradition," said the Press Secretary. Wahiduddin’s remarks on polls personal; no date from CA yet: Press Wing In September, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus said former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should be extradited and brought to justice if she committed crimes. "Why shouldn't she be? If she committed crimes, she should be extradited and brought to justice… She should be facing justice too," he said while responding to a question at "The New York Times Climate Forward Event." Referring to Hasina, Law Affairs Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul said Bangladesh will definitely seek extradition of any convicted person under the extradition treaty with India once trials begin. “We have an extradition treaty with India. As per the extradition treaty, if any convicted person stays in India, we can seek his or her extradition. We will soon let you know through the Law Ministry,” he said recently. Sheikh Hasina, who left the country on August 5, is facing a number of cases.