Election
BNP-Jamaat is an alliance of killers, don't vote for them: PM Hasina at London reception
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has once again urged the people not to vote for BNP-Jamaat nexus in Bangladesh's next general election as they will just ruin the country.
“They (BNP-Jamaat) will just destroy the country, nothing else. So, make it sure that BNP-Jamaat must not come to power again,” she said.
The prime minister made the call on Sunday (May 07, 2023) while addressing a civic reception accorded to her by Bangladeshi expatriates in the UK at London Marriott Hotel.
She said that BNP-Jamaat alliance is just a bunch of killers, thieves and corrupts.
Read More: Khulna city polls: Miscreants attack BNP leader Kaisar’s house, threaten not to join election
“So people should remain cautious and must not cast their votes for them,” she said.
Hasina, the chief of the ruling Awami League, expressed hope that people of the country will give their verdict in favour of Awami League in the next general election.
“Inshallah people will vote for us in the next election to setve them one more time,” she said.
She said that BNP-Jamaat nexus siphoned off money and put the country on the verge of destruction.
Read More: BNP leaders losing their mind over world's praise for Bangladesh: Hasan Mahmud
“How could people cast their votes for them,” she wondered.
She said that Tarique Rahman (BNP vice chairman) has been convicted of corruption and the government has been able to bring back some Tk 40 crore that was smuggled by Koko ( late son of BNP leader Khaleda Zia).
Reiterating her determination to build a developed and prosperous Bangladesh, Hasina said, “Bangladesh will be a smart Bangladesh by 2041. We have formulated Delta 2100 plan. We have to take the country forward.”
She said that there will be no homeless, landless people in the country.
Read More: BNP burning over PM's success on tours: Hasan Mahmud
“Awami League works for the welfare of people. No person in Bangladesh will remain without food," she said.
Criticising BNP leaders including Tarique , the PM said, "Today, where do you get the courage to call us vote thieves?"
She said that Tarique Zia was a vote thief, and his mother ( Khaleda Zia) too.
PM Hasina said that Awami League did not come to power by rigging the votes of the people.
Read More: BNP-Jamaat protesters refuse PM Hasina's invite to meet her in hotel: Official
“Awami League always fights for the rights of the people; Awami League has come to power after being elected by thecpeople. Awami League never grabbed or stole power,” she said.
Hasina asked the BNP leaders to reflect on how many parties participated in the February 15, 1996 election and how many votes were cast.
Awami League president said that the people of the country are now aware enough about their right to vote. "We have made the people aware.”
The prime minister said that no one has anything to say about the fairness of the 2008 election that was won by the Awami League-led alliance.
Read More: BNP, Ganatantra Mancha meeting held on future of anti-govt movement
“What is the result of that election? How many seats did BNP's 20-party alliance get? The 20-party coalition won 29 seats in the election and 1 in a by-election, totaling 30 seats. And the remaining seat is Awami League-led alliance. We got it all. Where is their position among the people that they jump so much?”
She briefly described various development programmes of the government that have been taken in the last 14 years.
Bangladesh's next general election will be fair, PM Hasina tells UK
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has once again said that her country's upcoming general election will be free and fair.
She made it clear after UK Foreign Minister James Cleverly during a meeting with her on Saturday (May 06, 2023) said that Britain wants to see a fair national election in Bangladesh in the coming days.
Bangladesh is likely to hold the next general election either end this year or early next year.
Cleverly called on Hasina at the Claridge Hotel where the visiting prime minister is staying on her official UK visit.
Read: US wants Bangladesh to set a strong example of free, fair election
Hasina urged cooperation from all to make the next polls free and fair, according to Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen who briefed the media after the meeting.
“We want a fair election to be held. My party has always maintained democracy in the country. We have given the country’s democracy a strong footing,” she said.
The PM further said that her government is committed to holding a fair election which requires participation of all.
"I want cooperation from all to hold a fair election,” Hasina said.
Read more: Awami League alone exercises democracy and holds fair polls in Bangladesh: PM Hasina
She stated that the AL government had done everything required to hold a fair election. She mentioned introduction of a voter list with photographs of voters and making ballot boxes transparent so that none can manipulate the vote.
“We have created a strong state of democracy in Bangladesh," she said.
On the contrary the BNP during its rule had prepared a voter list with 1.23 crore fake voters for rigging votes, she said.
“We have made the Election Commission (EC) as independent and powerful enough alongside bringing institutional frameworks to hold a fair election,” she said.
Read More: Election is Bangladesh’s internal affair, would refrain from commenting: Japanese Ambassador
The Prime Minister said they believe in Westminster like democracy following which Bangladesh has introduced a question-answer session in the Parliament.
During the talks, several bilateral issues like climate change, trade and commerce alongside the Rohingyas came up prominently, Momen said.
The UK foreign minister highly praised the humanitarian role of Bangladesh premier in sheltering a huge number of Rohingyas in Bangladesh.
“Britain will remain beside Bangladesh for quick repatriation of Rohingyas,” Cleverly said.
Read More: BNP not to join polls under AL: Fakhrul
Momen said the British government introduced a resolution before the UN Security Council on the Rohingya issue and played an effective role for its adoption.
Cleverly also expressed his gratitude towards Bangladesh premier for joining the coronation of King Charles III.
Khulna city polls: Miscreants attack BNP leader Kaisar’s house, threaten not to join election
Miscreants attacked the house of former ward councillor and local BNP leader Md Mahbub Kaisar last night.
They also reportedly verbally abused Kaisar’s family members and threatened that he should not join the upcoming Khulna city corporation election. Kaisar, elected from Ward 22 twice, was not home when the attack was carried out.
His family members and locals said the miscreants — on 14 to 15 motorbikes — came in front of the house around 11:30 pm and tried to break into the house in the Customs Ghat area of Khulna city.
They also hurled brickbats at the house, verbally abused Kaisar’s family members and threatened that Kaisar shouldn’t join the election, neighbours said, adding that the miscreants fled when locals started approaching the scene upon hearing the chaos.
Kaisar, expected to compete in the upcoming Khulna City Corporation election for the post of ward councillor despite BNP’s decision to boycott the polls, confirmed the incident. He is yet to buy nomination paper.
Read more: Khulna City Polls: 5 mayoral candidates collect nomination papers
KCC Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque and police have been informed about the incident, Kaisar said, adding that the mayor assured him of looking into the matter.
Hasan Al Mamun, officer-in-charge of Khulna Sadar police station, confirmed the incident, saying that legal action will be taken once a complaint is filed.
It is to be noted that candidates including councillors will be able to buy nomination papers till May 14 while the last date for submission of the papers has been set till May 16.
Turkey’s Erdogan faces tough election amid quake, inflation
Early in his political career, a devastating earthquake and economic troubles helped propel Recep Tayyip Erdogan to power in Turkey. Two decades later, similar circumstances are putting his leadership at risk.
The highly divisive and populist Erdogan is seeking a third consecutive term as president on May 14, after three stints as prime minister, which would extend his rule into a third decade. He already is Turkey’s longest-serving leader.
The presidential and parliamentary elections could be the most challenging yet for the 69-year-old Erdogan. Most opinion polls point to a slight lead by his opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who heads the secular, center-left Republican People’s Party, or CHP. The outcome of the presidential race could well be determined in a runoff vote May 28.
Erdogan is facing a tough test in this election because of public outrage over rising inflation and his handling of the Feb. 6 earthquake in southern Turkey that killed over 50,000 people, leveled cities and left millions without homes. His political adversaries say the government was slow to respond and that its failure to enforce building codes is to blame for the high death toll.
Some even point to government malfeasance after a 1999 earthquake in northwestern Turkey near the city of Izmit that killed about 18,000 people, saying that taxes imposed from that disaster were misspent and worsened the effects of this year's quake.
Also Read: Erdogan hints Turkey may ratify Finland's NATO membership
The political party founded by Erdogan in 2001 came to power amid an economic crisis and the Izmit quake. His Justice and Development Party, or AKP, capitalized on public anger over government mishandling of the disaster, and Erdogan became prime minister in 2003 and has never relinquished leadership of the country.
Still, even with resentment directed toward Erdogan over his handling of the February quake and the economy, analysts caution against underestimating him, pointing to his enduring appeal among working- and middle-class religious voters who had long felt alienated by Turkey's former secular and Western-leaning elites.
Erdogan's nationalist policies, often confrontational stance against the West and moves that have raised Islam's profile in the country continue to resonate among conservative supporters. They point to an economic boom in the first half of his rule that lifted many people out of poverty, adding that his past successes are proof of his ability to turn things around.
“There is an economic crisis in Turkey, we can’t deny it. And yes, this economic crisis has had a huge impact on us,” said Sabit Celik, a 38-year-old shop owner selling cleaning products in Istanbul. “But still, I don’t think anyone else (but Erdogan) can come and fix this.”
“I think our salvation is through the (ruling party) again,” he said.
Many also point to major infrastructure projects begun during his tenure — highways, bridges, airports, hospitals, and low-income housing.
Erdogan himself has conceded that there were shortcomings in the early days of the February earthquake but insisted the situation was quickly brought under control.
Since then, he has focused his reelection campaign on reconstructing quake-stricken areas, promising to build 319,000 homes within the year. At rally after rally, he has touted past projects as proof that only his government can restore the region.
Erdogan has announced a series of spending measures to bring temporary relief to those hardest-hit by inflation, including raising minimum wages and pensions, enacting measures to allow some people to take early retirement, and providing assistance to consumers for electricity and natural gas.
He also has focused on the defense sector, boosting production of drones and fighter jets and building an amphibious landing vessel that the government describes as “the world’s first drone carrier.”
“While we were a country that could not even produce pins, an unmanned aerial plane flew above our skies the other day,” said Mustafa Agaoglu, another Erdogan supporter in Istanbul. “We now have our warships, our aircraft carriers, our roads, our bridges, our city hospitals.”
Erdogan has timed a host of openings to coincide with the election campaign. Last month, he presided at a ceremony marking the delivery of natural gas from recently discovered Black Sea reserves, offering free gas to households for a month. This week, he announced the discovery of a new oil reserve in the country's southeast, with a capacity of 100,000 barrels per day.
When he suffered a brief intestinal illness that sidelined him for a few days, he took part via video in an event marking the delivery of fuel to Turkey’s first nuclear power plant.
Then, on Sunday, he said Turkey’s intelligence teams had killed the leader of the Islamic State group in a special operation in northern Syria — an announcement that seemed designed to bolster his image as a strong leader.
In the upcoming election, six parties have united behind his main opponent, Kilicdaroglu, despite their disparate political views. The coalition, known as the Nation Alliance, has vowed to reverse the democratic backsliding and crackdowns on free speech and dissent under Erdogan, seeking to scrap the powerful presidential system he introduced that concentrates vast authority in his hands.
As in previous years, Erdogan has waged a bitter campaign, lashing out at Kilicdaroglu and other opponents. He accused them of colluding with what he calls terrorists. This year, he has also tried to disparage the opposition by saying it supported “deviant” LGBTQ+ rights that he says threaten Turkey's “sacred family structure.”
On Monday, he portrayed the election as a “choice between two futures.”
“Either we will elect those who take care of the family institution, which is the main pillar of society, or those who have the support of deviant minds that are hostile to the family,” Erdogan said.
He has expanded his alliance with two nationalist parties to include two small Islamist parties that call for amendments to a law protecting women against violence, arguing it encourages divorce.
Opposition parties again are complaining of an uneven playing field during the campaign, accusing Erdogan of using state resources as well as his government's overwhelming control over the media.
Some also are questioning whether Erdogan would agree to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose. In 2019, Erdogan challenged the results of a local election in Istanbul after his ruling party lost the mayoral seat there, only to suffer an even more embarrassing defeat in a second balloting.
Election is Bangladesh’s internal affair, would refrain from commenting: Japanese Ambassador
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Iwama Kiminori has said he would prefer to refrain from commenting on Bangladesh’s upcoming election, calling it “an internal affair”.
“I would refrain from making any comments on this. It is an internal affair of Bangladesh,” he said when a journalist wanted to know Japan’s position on the subject after bilateral relationship was elevated to “strategic partnership” during PM Hasina’s recent official visit.
Also Read: US calls upcoming national election an 'internal' affair of Bangladesh
The ambassador was briefing media at the Japanese Embassy on Wednesday on the recent meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in Tokyo.
Iwama Kiminori made the remark when during the briefing, a journalist referred to the previous Japanese ambassador’s comment in November last year.
At the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, Sheikh Hasina made an official visit to Japan and had a summit meeting on April 26.
Read More: Bangladesh, Japan focusing on ‘comprehensive and targeted-oriented’ partnership: Ambassador
US doesn’t endorse one political party over another in Bangladesh: State Department
The United States has reiterated that it does not endorse one political party or candidate over another in Bangladesh.
"And as we have said, the US supports free and fair elections in Bangladesh as well as around the world, and we do not endorse one political party or candidate over another," Principal Deputy Spokesperson of US Department of State Vedant Patel said in a regular media briefing on May 2.
He also said, "Broadly what I will say is that the US doesn’t consider it interference to have honest dialogue with our friends and partners about concerns that we have and shared interests that we have that may or may [not] impact the bilateral relationship, that may – may or may [not] impact regional concerns and regional priorities.”
Also Read: US calls upcoming national election an 'internal' affair of Bangladesh
Patel said the US embassy in Dhaka acts as an envoy for bilateral relationship with Bangladesh as well as all US embassies around the world do.
"And what I will note – you heard me speak to this yesterday – Bangladesh is a country of great importance to us. It’s a country we are interested in deepening our relationships with," Patel said.
In 2022, the two countries celebrated 50 years of bilateral relationship, and they believe that there are a number of issues in which they can continue to deepen cooperation – not just with the Bangladeshi government, with the Bangladeshi people as well, he said.
Also Read: Stop targeting truth, truth-tellers: UN Chief on World Press Freedom Day
Patel mentioned addressing the threat of climate change, deepening economic ties, and security concerns as it relates to the Indo-Pacific.
Responding to a question, Patel said, "That’s our expectation for any country in the world, is that for elections to take place and for them to happen freely, fairly, and as you said, with neutrality as well, and for them to be conducted with neutrality, as I might add."
US calls upcoming national election an 'internal' affair of Bangladesh
The US does not want to comment on Bangladesh’s forthcoming national election, noting that it is an “internal, domestic election.”
“I don’t have anything else to get into that beyond as it’s an internal, domestic election,” Deputy Principal Spokesperson at US Department of State Vedant Patel has said.
He came up with the remarks when a journalist wanted to know how the US would navigate a situation where, in Bangladesh, another party refuses to participate in a national election and may later claim it to be an “unfair and unjust election.”
Read: Not endorsing one political party vs another in Bangladesh: US State Dept says
Patel, however, said, as it relates to elections, US want them to be free and fair and to be reflective of the will of the Bangladeshi people.
“I will say broadly, though, is that the US and Bangladesh last year celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations, and we look forward to continuing to deepen those relationships,” he said at a regular media briefing at the US Department of State on Monday.
Patel said that Dhaka and Washington have a number of areas where they have the possibility for immense cooperation and engagement – whether that be climate change, whether that be the economy, addressing the humanitarian crisis, and other things as well.
Read: US State Department ‘deeply concerned over use of Digital Security Act’
Why is Biden announcing his 2024 bid now, and what will change?
President Joe Biden has formally announced he's seeking reelection. But he's also still the president, with roughly 20 months left in his term regardless of whether he wins a second one on Election Day 2024.
With Tuesday's campaign video release, Biden is following through on months of saying he intended to seek reelection. Top Democrats have remained solidly unified behind the president, despite his low approval ratings and many Americans saying they'd rather not see the 80-year-old Biden try for four more years in the White House.
But all that has meant Biden faced relatively little pressure to make his 2024 bid official. Here's a look at why he announced now and how things will, and won't, change for him going forward:
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WHY NOW?
A formal reelection announcement means the president is now allowed to raise money directly for his campaign. It's a change from his speeches at donor events benefiting the Democratic National Committee or other outside political groups that he has given since entering the White House.
Also Read: Joe Biden announces 2024 reelection bid
Biden will spend campaign funds on salaries and logistics building out a 2024 staff and holding events outside his official presidential business. He plans to have dinner in Washington on Friday with leading Democratic donors and DNC leaders, paying special attention to those who write big checks to ensure his reelection campaign stays well funded.
Some party donors and organizers had begun grumbling about a lack of movement on the reelection front, and the announcement, followed by Friday's gathering, will allow the president to reassure them.
Another reason why Biden waited until April was that it allowed him to avoid releasing publicly how much his reelection campaign raised during the year's first quarter. That's when donors typically slow down their contributions — and some top Democratic givers wanted a break after a busy election season during last fall's midterms and before next year's presidential race kicks into high gear.
President Barack Obama waited to announce his 2012 reelection bid until early April of the previous year. Tuesday also marks the fourth anniversary of Biden's announcement of his 2020 presidential campaign.
Also Read: Biden to unveil new efforts to protect S. Korea from nukes
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, first filed for reelection on Jan. 20, 2017, the day of his inauguration, and held his first campaign rally in February 2017. But his second White House campaign didn't formally kick off until June 2019 with an Orlando, Florida, rally that fell roughly four years after he first entered the 2016 presidential race.
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WHAT ABOUT HIS AGE?
Biden is the oldest president in U.S. history and would be 86 by the end of a second term. He has acknowledged that age is a “legitimate" concern but scoffed at questions about whether he will have the stamina for another campaign, much less four more years in the White House. “Watch me," he has repeatedly declared.
Voters will now get the chance to do just that — but that is unlikely to make such questions go away.
Republicans have often highlighted Biden's age, and even some Democrats have questioned whether the president is living up to promises he made during the 2020 campaign to be a “bridge” to a new generation of leadership.
One Republican running for president, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, has called for mental competency testing for candidates over 75 — a category that would include both Biden and Trump, who announced his own 2024 campaign in November. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre brushed aside such testing, noting that Biden helped lead Democrats to a surprisingly strong midterm showing.
“Maybe they’re forgetting the wins the president got over the past few years, but I’m happy to remind them anytime,” Jean-Pierre said in February.
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WILL SEEKING REELECTION CHANGE HOW BIDEN HANDLES BEING PRESIDENT?
There won't be big changes, Biden aides insist, at least for now.
The president is still hosting South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the White House for a state dinner on Wednesday and planning overseas travel later this summer. As he has done in recent months, Biden also will continue to hit the road domestically to highlight legislation his administration helped push through Congress.
Biden has already visited many parts of the country, highlighting how a bipartisan public works package will help repair roads, highways, bridges, ports and train tunnels and how increased federal spending approved as part of other legislation will bolster U.S. manufacturing, lower prescription drug prices and improve broadband internet access in rural areas.
Such events often blur the line between official business and promoting the president and his party politically, and the distinction will only get murkier going forward.
Since the weeks leading up to the midterms, Biden has frequently denounced “extreme" Republicans loyal to Trump's “Make America Great Again” movement as posing a threat to America's core democracy. It's a message he will continue to champion as the 2024 race begins heating up.
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WILL BIDEN HAVE TO COMPETE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION?
Probably not much.
Self-help author Marianne Williamson and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are the only Democrats to challenge the president. Neither of them presents the type of primary opposition that wounded previous incumbents, such as Sen. Ted Kennedy's campaign against President Jimmy Carter in 1980 or Pat Buchanan's run against President George H.W. Bush in 1992.
The DNC is so fully committed to Biden this year that it is not planning to schedule primary debates, sparing the president from sharing a stage with Williamson, Kennedy or any other potential challenger.
Also benefiting Biden is the fact that South Carolina's primary is set to replace Iowa's caucuses in leading off the Democratic primary voting next year. Biden revived his 2020 campaign after losing the first three contests with a resounding South Carolina primary victory, and he personally directed that the state go first in 2024 — solidifying his popularity among Democrats there. That may counterbalance Democrats' deep ambivalence to Biden elsewhere.
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll last week found that only 26% of Americans — and only about half of Democrats — said they wanted to see Biden run again. But the poll found that 81% of Democrats said they would at least probably support the president in a general election.
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WHO WILL BIDEN'S REPUBLICAN OPPONENT BE?
Trump is the 2024 Republican presidential field's early leader, setting up a potential general election rematch with Biden.
Although Trump announced his bid back in November, the rest of the 2024 Republican primary field has been slow to form around him. The only other declared GOP candidates in the race include Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchison, businessman Perry Johnson, “Woke, Inc.” author Vivek Ramaswamy and radio host Larry Elder.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is widely expected to be a leading Trump alternative but is in no hurry to announce his campaign. Also expected to join the race but not officially in yet are former Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.
Biden's political team has for months been preparing to face Trump again. But even if an alternative like DeSantis wins the GOP nomination, Biden's aides argue, many of the same criticisms about adherence to MAGA extremism apply since so many top Republicans agree with Trump on key policy and social issues.
Joe Biden announces 2024 reelection bid
President Joe Biden on Tuesday formally announced that he is running for reelection in 2024, asking voters to give him more time to “finish the job” he began when he was sworn in to office and to set aside their concerns about extending the run of America’s oldest president for another four years.
Biden, who would be 86 at the end of a second term, is betting his first-term legislative achievements and more than 50 years of experience in Washington will count for more than concerns over his age. He faces a smooth path to winning his party’s nomination, with no serious Democratic rivals. But he’s still set for a hard-fought struggle to retain the presidency in a bitterly divided nation.
The announcement, in a three-minute video, comes on the four-year anniversary of when Biden declared for the White House in 2019, promising to heal the “soul of the nation” amid the turbulent presidency of Donald Trump — a goal that has remained elusive.
“I said we are in a battle for the soul of America, and we still are," Biden said. “The question we are facing is whether in the years ahead we have more freedom or less freedom. More rights or fewer.”
Also Read: Biden to unveil new efforts to protect S. Korea from nukes
While the question of seeking reelection has been a given for most modern presidents, that’s not always been the case for Biden, as a notable swath of Democratic voters have indicated they would prefer he not run, in part because of his age — concerns Biden has called “totally legitimate” but ones he did not address head-on in the launch video.
Yet few things have unified Democratic voters like the prospect of Trump returning to power. And Biden’s political standing within his party stabilized after Democrats notched a stronger-than-expected performance in last year’s midterm elections, as the president set out to run again on the same themes that buoyed his party last fall, particularly on preserving access to abortion.
Also Read: Biden says US embassy evacuation in Sudan has been completed
“Freedom. Personal freedom is fundamental to who we are as Americans. There’s nothing more important. Nothing more sacred,” Biden said in the launch video, which painted the Republican Party as extremists trying to roll back access to abortion, cut Social Security, limit voting rights and ban books they disagree with. “Around the country, MAGA extremists are lining up to take those bedrock freedoms away.”
“This is not a time to be complacent,” Biden added. “That’s why I’m running for reelection."
As the contours of the campaign begin to take shape, Biden plans to campaign on his record. He spent his first two years as president combating the coronavirus pandemic and pushing through major bills such as the bipartisan infrastructure package and legislation to promote high-tech manufacturing and climate measures. With Republicans now in control of the House, Biden has shifted his focus to implementing those massive laws and making sure voters credit him for the improvements, while sharpening the contrast with the GOP ahead of an expected showdown over raising the nation's borrowing limit that could have debilitating consequences for the country's economy.
Also Read: Biden 2024 splits Democrats, but most would back him in November: AP-NORC poll
But the president also has multiple policy goals and unmet promises from his first campaign that he’s pitching voters on giving him another chance to fulfill.
“Let’s finish this job. I know we can,” Biden said in the video, repeating a mantra he said a dozen times during his State of the Union address in February, listing everything from passing a ban on assault-style weapons and lowering the cost of prescription drugs to codifying a national right to abortion after the Supreme Court's ruling last year overturning Roe v. Wade.
Buoyed by the midterm results, Biden plans to continue to cast all Republicans as embracing what he calls “ultra-MAGA” politics — a reference to Trump’s “Make America Great Again" slogan — regardless of whether his predecessor ends up on the 2024 ballot. He’s spent the last several months road-testing campaign themes, including painting Republicans as fighting for tax cuts for businesses and the wealthy while trying to cut social safety net benefits relied on by everyday Americans and roll back access to abortion services.
Also Read: Biden aide, Saudi prince see ‘progress’ toward Yemen war end
Biden, speaking over brief video clips and photographs of key moments in his presidency, snapshots of diverse Americans and flashes of his outspoken Republican foes, including Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, exhorted supporters that “this is our moment” to “defend democracy. Stand up for our personal freedoms. Stand up for the right to vote and our civil rights.”
Biden also plans to point to his work over the past two years shoring up American alliances, leading a global coalition to support Ukraine’s defenses against Russia’s invasion and returning the U.S. to the Paris climate accord. But public support in the U.S. for Ukraine has softened in recent months, and some voters question the tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance flowing to Kyiv.
The president faces lingering criticism over his administration's chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan after nearly 20 years of war, which undercut the image of competence he aimed to portray to the world, and he finds himself the target of GOP attacks over his immigration and economic policies.
As a candidate in 2020, Biden pitched voters on his familiarity with the halls of power in Washington and his relationships around the world as he promised to return a sense of normalcy to the country amid Trump’s tumultuous presidency and the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
But even back then, Biden was acutely aware of voters’ concerns about his age.
Also Read: Biden review of chaotic Afghan withdrawal blames Trump
“Look, I view myself as a bridge, not as anything else,” Biden said in March 2020, as he campaigned in Michigan with younger Democrats, including now-Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “There’s an entire generation of leaders you saw stand behind me. They are the future of this country.”
Three years later, the president now 80, Biden allies say his time in office has demonstrated that he saw himself as more of a transformational than a transitional leader.
Still, many Democrats would prefer that Biden didn’t run again. A recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows just 47% of Democrats say they want him to seek a second term, up from 37% in February. And Biden’s verbal — and occasional physical — stumbles have become fodder among the GOP, which has sought to cast him as unfit for office.
Biden, on multiple occasions, has brushed back concerns about his age, saying simply, “Watch me.”
During a routine physical in February, his physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, declared him “healthy, vigorous” and “fit” to handle his White House responsibilities.
Aides acknowledge that while some in his party might prefer an alternative to Biden, there is anything but consensus within their diverse coalition on who that might be. And they insist that when Biden is compared with whomever the GOP nominates, Democrats and independents will rally around Biden.
For now, the 76-year-old Trump is the favorite to emerge as the Republican nominee, creating the potential of a historic sequel to the bitterly fought 2020 campaign. But Trump faces significant hurdles of his own, including the designation of being the first former president to face criminal charges. The remaining GOP field is volatile, with DeSantis emerging as an early alternative to Trump. DeSantis' stature is also in question, however, amid questions about his readiness to campaign outside of his increasingly Republican-leaning state.
To prevail again, Biden will need to revive the alliance of young voters and Black voters — particularly women — along with blue-collar Midwesterners, moderates and disaffected Republicans who helped him win in 2020. He'll have to again carry the so-called “blue wall” in the Upper Midwest, while protecting his position in Georgia and Arizona, longtime GOP strongholds that he narrowly won in his last campaign.
Biden’s reelection bid comes as the nation weathers uncertain economic crosscurrents. Inflation is ticking down after hitting the highest rate in a generation, driving up the price of goods and services, but unemployment is at a 50-year low, and the economy is showing signs of resilience despite Federal Reserve interest rate hikes.
Presidents typically try to delay their reelection announcements to maintain the advantages of incumbency and skate above the political fray for as long as possible while their rivals trade jabs. But the leg up offered by being in the White House can be rickety — three of the last seven presidents have lost reelection, most recently Trump in 2020.
Biden’s announcement is roughly consistent with the timeline followed by then-President Barack Obama, who waited until April 2011 to declare for a second term. Trump launched his reelection bid on the day he was sworn in in 2017.
Biden is not expected to dramatically alter his day-to-day schedule as a candidate — at least not immediately — with aides believing his strongest political asset is showing the American people that he is governing. And if he follows the Obama playbook, he may not hold any formal campaign rallies until well into 2024. Obama didn't hold a reelection rally until May 2012.
On Tuesday, Biden named White House adviser Julie Chávez Rodríguez to serve as campaign manager and Quentin Fulks, who ran Sen. Raphael Warnock's reelection campaign in Georgia last year, to serve as principal deputy campaign manager. Reps. Lisa Blunt-Rochester, Jim Clyburn and Veronica Escobar; Sens. Chris Coons and Tammy Duckworth; entertainment mogul and Democratic mega-donor Jeffrey Katzenberg; and Whitmer will serve as campaign co-chairs.
On the heels of the announcement Tuesday, Biden was set to deliver remarks to union members before hosting South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for a state visit at the White House. He plans to meet with party donors in Washington later this week.
Biden’s formal go-ahead comes after months of public incredulity that the president would seek another term despite plentiful signs that he was intent on doing so.
Ahead of the president’s announcement, first lady Jill Biden expressed disbelief at the persistent questions about her husband’s intent to run.
“How many times does he have to say it for you to believe it?” she told The Associated Press in late February. “He says he’s not done."
The entire world with Bangladesh for credible polls, human rights, press freedom: BNP
BNP senior leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has said the entire democratic world is now with Bangladesh for a creditable election, ensuring human rights and press freedom.
“It’s not only the United States, but also the entire world consciences are now with the people of Bangladesh. All the democracy-loving and freedom-loving countries are closely monitoring human rights, rule of law, media freedom, and the election,” he said.
Speaking at a discussion on Friday, the BNP leader also said US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken during his meeting with Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen in Washington recently gave a message that the entire world is looking to Bangladesh for a neutral, acceptable, and inclusive election.
“He (Momen) was also been given a message not to continue the repression on the media workers and to keep a close eye on the Digital Security Act through which freedom of expression is being disrupted,” he said.
Khosru, also a BNP standing committee member, said the US has also asked the Bangladesh government to respect human rights.
He questioned why the global community and democracy-loving countries are only looking to the Bangladesh election instead of that of other countries in the South Asian region, including India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. “It has manifested how we have got humiliated before the world.”
Earlier on Monday, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Mome met his US counterpart Antony J Blinken where they discussed a wide range of issues, including Bangladesh’s next election, the Digital Security Act, human rights, and the Rohingya crisis.
Sylhet Divisional Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Forum, in Dhaka, arranged the programme at Dhaka Reporters' Unity demanding the trace and safe return of former BNP organising secretary M Ilias Ali.
Former lawmaker Ilias Ali and his car driver Ansar Ali were reportedly been subjected to enforced disappearance at midnight on April 17 in 2012 from near Mohakhali railway crossing in the capital.
Khosrul said the current government will no longer be able to stay in power by creating a climate of fear by resorting to the politics of enforced disappearance, falsehood, and the politics of false and ghost cases.
“The people of Bangladesh have decided to defeat them (the AL regime) politically…the people of Bangladesh have also taken a decision to remove fascism,” he observed.