AL
Rizvi says ‘India out’ campaign people’s protest against the country’s influence in Bangladesh’s political landscape
In a fervent critique of the ruling Awami League (AL), BNP's Senior Joint Secretary General, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, charged the government with sacrificing the nation's independence and dignity in exchange for support from the Indian government. Rizvi’s allegations were made during a press briefing at the BNP’s central office in Nayapaltan on Wednesday (March 20, 2024).
Rizvi claimed that AL does not seek the mandate of the Bangladeshi people, instead “clinging to power through the backing of the Modi government and entering into bonds of subjugation.”
He further accused the AL of perceiving Bangladesh as a “dummy state,” alleging that the real power behind the AL is not the people of Bangladesh but India. By supporting the Awami League, India is exercising control over Bangladesh, infringing upon the rights of its citizens,” Rizvi added.
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Highlighting concerns over foreign influence, Rizvi said, “It is believed that India dictates the appointments of crucial positions like the chief of Bangladesh Police and BGB, undermining our sovereignty.”
Rizvi also pointed to statements made by Indian foreign ministry officials expressing support for the Awami League ahead of the January 7 national election. “The notion of our sovereignty is being compromised under the guise of stability under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership,” he stated.
The BNP leader criticized the Awami League’s acceptance of India’s alleged dominance, declaring that “people of Bangladesh will never accept the supremacy of India, even if the AL leaders have.” He clarified that the BNP's dispute lies not with the people of India but with the Indian government’s policies towards Bangladesh.
Rizvi also said the “India out” campaign is gaining momentum in Bangladesh, saying that it is people’s protest against the country’s influence.
Addressing the Awami League’s reaction to the campaign, Rizvi mentioned that AL leader Obaidul Quader found the social media movement “not expedient,” implying discomfort within the ruling party regarding the public’s dissent towards India’s role in Bangladesh’s political landscape.
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AL business syndicates out to make money hiking commodity prices: BNP
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday alleged that the ruling party's business syndicates have become more desperate to indulge in looting by increasing commodity prices after the January 7 election.
Speaking at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, he said the country’s people are going through a serious ordeal to cope with the skyrocketing prices of essential items.
BNP announces six-day fresh programme beginning Tuesday
“The syndicates of the ruling party have become more reckless to plunder public money. The prices of daily necessities such as rice, pulses, oil, sugar, vegetables, fish and meat are increasing at an alarming rate,” the BNP leader said.
He also said that no vegetables are now available below Tk 80 to 100 per kg in this peak season for winter vegetables.
The BNP leader also bemoaned that fish and meat have gone beyond the purchasing capacity of the poor and ordinary people.
AL has to pay for Jan 7 election: Farroque
the rising commodity prices, the poor people are now buying pieces of sliced Pangasius fish from the market keeping meat and other fish out of their menu. “I have given an example of what terrible situation the low-income people and middle class are facing now…people are also buying chicken skin and legs to eat.”Rizvi said the government has increased the tariffs on gas, electricity and water several times illegally without considering the public interest.
He said the landlords are increasing the rents of their houses at a geometric rate, leaving the middle class and working people in the lurch.
India wants to see weak democracy in Bangladesh: Rizvi
BNP leader said their party’s one-point movement demanding the resignation of the current government and an election under a non-party neutral government will continue.“The one-point movement is marching towards victory by ensuring the fall of the usurper Awami League government with the unity, determination and heroism of the people. Sheikh Hasina won’t be able to suppress the political awakening that has been created. The victory of the people is certain.”
The Jan 7 election ensured democracy and people's right to vote: PM Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said the absolute win of Awami League in the January 7 election was the victory of Bangladesh, its people, and continuation of democracy and development.
The prime minister was addressing several hundred expatriate Awami League leaders from across the globe gathered at her official residence Ganabhaban to congratulate her on her party's fourth consecutive win in the parliamentary election
Hasina, who is also the chief of ruling Awami League, said that her government has been able to ensure people's right to vote in this month's election.
“We have ensured the constitutional right of the people,” she said.
She also said that the election was highly competitive as Awami League has opened the contest to all.
Read: Don’t allow the ‘looters’ to come to power: PM Hasina tells Bangladeshi expatriates in South Africa
“We have given our electoral symbol boat to our candidates and asked others from the party to participate in the election whoever were interested,” she said.
Talking about BNP which did not participate in the election, she questioned how will they come to the election.
“In 2008 election BNP with their 20 party alliance got 30 seats only while AL alone bagged 233 seats,” she added. That election was held under a neutral caretaker government.
In this connection, she mentioned that many people thought in 2008 that BNP is equal to Awami League considering the organisational strength.
“But it was proved wrong in 2008 election,” she said.
Read: 1.49 crore Bangladeshi expatriates work in 176 countries
After that, she said, BNP never wanted election. They insread unleashed arson attacks killing people and set fire to trains to foil the elections.
“The more they (BNP) unleash the arson attack the more people will reject them. They know that they were rejected by the people,” she said.
The prime minister said that's why BNP does not want to participate in the election.
“Rather they wanted to spoil the election and looked to the illegal way to be in the power,” she said.
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Election 2024: List of winners from Chattogram division
The Awami League won a comfortable two-thirds majority for a fourth election in a row on Sunday (January 07, 2024), in 299 out of 300 constituencies, and a strong showing by independent candidates as predicted.
Ruling party candidates won in 222 seats in Sunday’s election, while independent candidates — most of them belonging to AL — won 62 seats.
Here’s the list of candidates from Chattogram division who won in the National Election 2024:
Read more: Wait to know who will be the opposition: Anisul Huq
Election 2024: List of winners from Dhaka division
The Awami League won a comfortable two-thirds majority for a fourth election in a row on Sunday (January 07, 2024), in 299 out of 300 constituencies, and a strong showing by independent candidates as predicted.
Ruling party candidates won in 222 seats in Sunday’s election, while independent candidates — most of them belonging to AL — won 62 seats.
Read more: Election 2024: List of winners from Khulna division
Here’s the list of candidates from Dhaka division who won in the National Election 2024:
Oath-taking ceremony of members of the 12th Parliament to be held tomorrow
The oath-taking ceremony of the elected members of the 12th Parliament will be held tomorrow (January 10, 2024).
According to sources at the Speaker's office, the Parliament Secretariat is making preparations for the oath-taking ceremony.
Read more: Envoys of Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, UAE and others congratulate PM Hasina
Awami League (AL)-backed candidates won 222 seats in Sunday's general election, while independent candidates -- most also belonging to AL -- won 62 seats.
Jatiya Party candidates were victorious in 11 seats and three single candidates each from three parties -- Bangladesh Workers’ Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasod and Bangladesh Kalyan Party -- secured victory in their respective constituencies.
Read more: Wait to know who will be the opposition: Anisul Huq
Election 2024: Awami League secures 16 out of 20 Dhaka seats
Though Awami League (AL) was determined to retain all 20 seats in Dhaka, it lost three seats to independent candidates, who did not get party nomination, and shared a seat with their alliance earlier.
In Dhaka-4, 5 and 19, the AL’s nominees were defeated by independent candidates. Among them, State Minister for Disaster and Relief Dr. Md. Enamur Rahman contested from Dhaka-19 constituency.
In Dhaka-4, independent candidate Awlad Hossain bagged 24,775 votes with truck symbol and defeated AL nominee Sanjida Khanam who got 22,577 votes in the election held at 77 centres.
In Dhaka-5, independent candidate Mashiur Rahman Mollah secured victory by bagging 50,631 votes with the truck symbol. He defeated AL candidate Harunur Rashid (Munna) by a margin of only 297 votes.
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In Dhaka-19, with the truck symbol, independent candidate Saiful Islam got 84,412 votes while his nearest rival AL candidate Md. Enamur Rahman got 56,361 votes. Another independent candidate Talukder Md. Touhid Jung (Murad) secured 76, 202 votes.
The seats AL retained
In Dhaka-1, AL’s heavyweight candidate Salman F Rahman defeated Jatiya Party’s Salma Islam by a huge margin of 115,075 votes. He bagged 150,005 votes.
In Dhaka-2, AL's Quamrul Islam bagged 1,54,448 votes by crushing his nearest independent competitor Habibur Rahman who got 10,635 votes.
In Dhaka-3, the ruling AL’s heavyweight nominee Nasrul Hamid defeated JaPa’s Md Monir Sarkar by a huge difference of 129,864 votes.
Hamid bagged 132,732 votes while Monir got only 2,868 votes.
Read more: No pressure on voters to vote, but leaflets from ‘a party’ asking not to go, says FS quoting CEC
In Dhaka-6, Dhaka South City Corporation’s former mayor and AL candidate Sayeed Khokan earned a landslide victory against his rival Md Rabiul Alam Majumdar.
Khokan got 61,703 votes while Rabiul only 1,109 votes.
In Dhaka-7, JaPa’s Mohammad Saifuddin Ahmmed Milon was defeated by current lawmaker Haji Selim’s son Solaiman Selim. AL nominee Selim got 63,817 votes while Milon with plough symbol bagged 7,308 votes.
Dhaka-8 AL candidate AFM Bahauddin Nasim secured a landslide victory by a huge margin. He secured 46,610 votes while JaPa’s Md. Juber Alam Khan got only 880 votes.
In Dhaka-9, Saber Hossain Chowdhury from the AL secured 90,396 votes. His nearest rival Md Abul Kalam Azad of JaPa bagged 6,999 votes.
In Dhaka-10, popular actor Ferdous Ahmed, as a debutant candidate from the AL, got 65,898 votes while JaPa candidate Haji Md Shahjahan got only 2,257 votes.
In Dhaka-11, AL candidate Md Wakil Uddin won by defeating JaPa’s Shamim Ahmed. Wakil earned 83,885 votes while his rival bagged 2,747 votes.
In Dhaka-12, AL heavyweight candidate and current Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal got 94,689 votes while his rival Khorshed Alam bagged only 2,219 votes.
In Dhaka-13, AL leader Jahangir Kabir Nanak won from the seat with the boat symbol.
In Dhaka-14, AL's Mainul Hossain Khan won by achieving 53,540 votes while independent candidate Lutfar Rahman with got 17,914 votes.
In Dhaka-15, AL’s Kamal Ahmed Majumdar clinched victory by securing 39,632 votes while his rival from the JaPa, Shamsul Huq, got 2,044 votes.
In Dhaka-16, Ilias Ali Mollah from the AL won by defeating independent candidate Salauddin Rabin. Ilias got 65,631 votes while Rabin got 6,314 votes with the truck symbol.
In Dhaka-17, Prof Mohammad A Arafat was elected unofficially by bagging 48,059 votes with the boat symbol. His nearest rival from Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, Ainul Haque, got 1,380 votes.
In Dhaka-18, though the AL shared the seat with JaPa, its candidate, GM Quaders’ wife Sherifa Quader, was defeated.
Independent candidate Md Khosru Chowdhury was unofficially elected by 79,085 votes while nearest rival Md Tofazzal Hossain bagged 44,909 votes with the truck symbol. Sherifa Quader got only 6,429 votes.
Dhaka-20 AL candidate Benazir Ahmed was unofficially elected with 83,709 votes. His nearest rival, independent candidate Md Atiqur Rahman bagged 6,413 votes with the scissors symbol.
Read more: Salman F Rahman wins again
Even if action can’t be taken now, strong measures will be taken after election: Quader on those whose wealth saw abnormal increase
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said that action will be taken after the election against those whose wealth increased abnormally.
“Even if action cannot be taken at the moment as the government is only conducting routine work, strong measures will be taken after the election,” Quader said in response to a question referring to Transparency International Bangladesh’s (TIB) allegation of discrepancies in the affidavits submitted by the aspirants for the upcoming 12th parliamentary election.
Read: AL Pledges to Expand Modern Urban Facilities to Every Village in Smart Bangladesh
The Awami League general secretary made the remarks at a press conference on contemporary issues at the party’s central office in Dhanmondi this afternoon (December 28, 2023).
In its report, TIB questioned the authenticity of candidates’ income, wealth, loans, and debt disclosed to the Election Commission.
The Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) accused a minister, who remains unnamed, of owning “undisclosed overseas companies” engaged in real estate business abroad, with total assets valued at around Tk 2,312 crore.
Commenting on BNP's movement, Quader said the party has lost the support of the people.
“If there was public support [for BNP’s movement], no party would have to carry out sneak attacks to oust the government,” said the AL general secretary.
Read: In Smart Bangladesh Awami League pledges more safeguards for minorities, end of intolerance
Calling the incidents of violence in different constituencies “isolated,” Obaidul Quader said, "It is normal. No candidate will boycott the election.”
The candidates want to bring voters to the polling centres by convincing them, he said.
AL Pledges to Expand Modern Urban Facilities to Every Village in Smart Bangladesh
Ahead of the upcoming 12th National Parliamentary Election, the ruling Awami League has announced its election manifesto, committing to extend modern urban amenities to every village.
The manifesto, with the slogan “Smart Bangladesh: Visible Development, Increased Employment,” was announced by Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (December 27, 2023) at the Pan Pacific Hotel Sonargaon in Dhaka.
The manifesto promises to enhance the quality of life in villages by providing improved roadways, communication, clean drinking water, modern healthcare and medical treatment, quality education, advanced sanitation and waste management, increased electricity and fuel supply, computer and high-speed internet facilities, and expanded markets. These initiatives aim to bring all the comforts of modern cities to every village.
In Smart Bangladesh Awami League seeks more safeguards for minorities, end of intolerance
To ensure a reliable fuel supply, the party plans to continue encouraging and supporting the installation of biogas plants and solar panels on a group basis. The establishment of agricultural machinery service centers and workshops in villages will expand rural mechanization services, including machinery repair. This initiative will also provide training for rural youth and agricultural entrepreneurs, promoting productive employment.
The manifesto includes plans for private sector investment and loan support for small and marginal entrepreneurs manufacturing and marketing light machinery. In line with the economic development of villages, cultural, sports, and entertainment programs will be expanded. This approach is expected to reduce the urban migration trend among rural youth by creating self-employment opportunities within villages. The government will fully support young people's involvement in agriculture, industry, and business.
AL Manifesto on Significant Steps to Foster Women Entrepreneurs
Awami League says that during its previous tenure, roads in every upazila were improved and expanded, connecting each village to upazila headquarters and linking upazilas to district headquarters and national highways. Every village has been ensured electricity supply. Drinking water and sanitation facilities have been enhanced and will be further improved. The government has taken over the expenses of primary and secondary schools, and financial support is being provided for teachers' salaries in private schools. Hospitals with 50 beds in upazilas are being upgraded to 100-bed facilities. Community clinics are bringing healthcare services to the doorstep of rural residents. Every union now has computer and internet service centers, providing employment opportunities to rural youth and facilitating communication nationally and internationally.
Awami League’s Manifesto: Mega Projects for Accelerating Economic Momentum
The expansion of communication, electricity, and internet services has accelerated rural production and market systems. Agricultural inputs have become more accessible, and the market for agricultural products has expanded. The extension of agricultural technology and the development of cottage and small industries are being expedited. Activities in both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors have multiplied significantly in rural areas.
Bangladesh’s strong position in int’l arena due to AL’s successful foreign policy: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said if her party Awami League is re-elected, Bangladesh's development cooperation with all the countries will continue.
“Bangladesh has occupied a strong and prestigious place in the international arena due to the success of Awami League’s foreign policy, following the principle of ‘friendship to all, malice towards none’ as directed by the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” she said today while announcing AL’s manifesto for the 12th National Parliamentary Election.
The AL President said cooperation with neighboring countries will continue in various areas, including cross-border communication, transit, energy partnership, and equitable water-sharing.
Read: Come to polling centres early, cast votes for Boat: PM Hasina at Pirganj rally
She said Bangladesh is firmly determined to prevent the presence of militants, international terrorists, and separatist groups on its territory.
The Awami League government will play an important role in forming the South Asia Task Force to combat terrorism and militancy and eliminate them from the entire region, Hasina said.
“We believe in peace, not war,” she said, adding that to enhance the defense capability of the armed forces to protect the security, sovereignty, and integrity of the country, the formulation and implementation of ‘Forces Goal-2030’ is ongoing in light of the ‘Defense Policy, 1974’ formulated by the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
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She said the efficiency and discipline of the defense forces will continue to improve, and management will continue to develop in light of Forces Goal 2030.
Hasina said necessary measures will continue to be taken to increase the professional skills of the officers and soldiers of the armed forces and their job opportunities according to the country's capability.
“To ensure the security of the country and the people, the capacity building of the defense system will continue. New welfare-oriented schemes and programs will be taken up for all ranks of the armed forces,” PM Hasina said.
Read more: In Smart Bangladesh Awami League pledges more safeguards for minorities, end of intolerance