Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s jail term suspension will have to be revoked first and she needs to go to jail again if she wants to go abroad for treatment. She said this during an interview with the Bangla service of Voice of America (VoA) aired on Saturday (September 30, 2023). The prime minister, now on a visit to the US, responded to a number of questions on US Visa sanction, human rights, Khaleda’s treatment abroad, caretaker government, the constitution and other issues. Khaleda Zia has been kept captive to remain in power: Fakhrul When asked about the possibility of reconsidering the decision to send Khaleda abroad for improved medical care, she said,  “My question is, which country in the world can send a convicted criminal abroad for better treatment? Will any country allow it?” “If they want to apply, they have to go to the court and take court permission. We have no authority over work of the judiciary," she stated. Khaleda Zia again moved to CCU from cabin at Evercare Hospital “But yes, we have suspended her jail term, given permission to stay at home. And she is taking treatment now in the most expensive hospital in Bangladesh. If they need to go abroad, the permission to stay at home would first need to be revoked, she will need to return to prison again, and court. Only after obtaining court permission could she travel abroad,” she said. Khaleda under close observation of medical board; no improvement, say doctors

The government has turned the country into ‘Hirak Rajar Desh’ and it will meet the same fate as Hirak Raja, said BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas on Tuesday. “Bangladesh did not become independent to establish anyone’s one-party rule. Bangladesh became independent to ensure democracy, freedom of speech and right to franchise. It’s not a kingdom of any king or queen and not to turn a ‘Hirak Rajar Desh’,” he said. The BNP leader came up with the remarks while addressing a road march programme of the party at Jhenaidah bus terminal. Rizvi calls on govt to take immediate action to save Khaleda Zia The BNP road march started at 11:45 am from Jhenaidah town and will end at Khulna via Jashore and Magura. He also urged the leaders and activists of BNP to get prepared to topple the government. Abbas also said that the health condition of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is critical. The BNP leader alleged that the government has made the country bankrupt through money laundering. “When we raise our voice, the law enforcement agencies arrest us and sent to jail. These will not be tolerated in an independent country,” he said. BNP postpones Aminbazar rally after denied permission Once the amount of Bangladesh’s defaulted loan Tk 21,000 crore and now it stands at Tk 109 thousand crore. “People want to know where this money has gone?” he added. Earlier on September 18, BNP announced a 15-day programme till October 3, including road marches, as part of their ongoing one point-movement demanding resignation of the government. US sanctions made govt lose its sanity: Fakhrul The programme was extended by two days till October 5 on Thursday.  

The Awami League issued a 36-day ultimatum to BNP to leave the path of negative politics on Monday. “Within 36 days, BNP should leave its arson terrorism, sabotage and conspiring against the democracy otherwise people will resist them,” AL general secretary Obaidul Quader said, while speaking at a 'peace and development rally' organised by the Dhaka Metropolitan North unit Awami League, held in the city’s Uttara. Issuing a warning, the Road Transport and Bridges Minister said “If BNP comes with arms then those hands must be broken and if they (BNP) come with fire, then those hands should be burnt." BNP has now ridden on the visa policy while Awami League depends on the power of people, he said. Obaidul Quader's ministry asked to investigate why the same contractors get jobs “Elections should not be held in Bangladesh under anyone's restrictions and we do not care about the US visa policy. We just care about the people of the country. We will hold our election as per the constitution,” said Obaidul. Noting that BNP failed to carry out movement for 36 minutes for the release of its chairperson, the Awami League leader said “We give you (BNP) 36-day, please get back on the right path.” He also urged the BNP to participate in the election. “There is only scope to participate in the election. If you (BNP) do not participate in the election you will be defeated before taking part in the game.” Conspirators getting ready before next election: Obaidul Quader Presided over by the Dhaka Metropolitan North Awami League President Sheikh Bazlur Rahman, Awami League joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, organizing secretary Mirza Azam, Dhaka Metropolitan North Awami League general secretary SM Mannan Kochi and leaders of central unit Awami League spoke at the rally.  UN expresses desire to see a fair, peaceful election in Bangladesh: Obaidul Quader 

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been shifted to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) from the cabin of the Evercare Hospital in the capital Friday on the advice of her medical board. Khaleda Zia's personal physician AZM Zahid Hossain said she was shifted at 11:30 am. BNP held special prayers for her at the metropolitan, district, upazila, municipality, union and ward levels across the country after Jum'a prayers. Khaleda Zia’s jail term suspension extended again by 6 months The 78-year-old former prime minister has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung, heart, and eye problems. Since her conditional release in 2020, the BNP chief has been receiving treatment at the hospital under a medical board headed by cardiologist Prof Shahabuddin Talukder. Khaleda under close observation, says her physician Khaleda was sent to the Old Dhaka Jail after a lower court sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018. Later, she was found guilty in another corruption case the same year. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with the condition that she stay in her Gulshan house and not leave the country. Khaleda Zia now taken back to cabin from CCU

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, who is now undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, was transferred to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) from a cabin in the early hours of Monday (September 18, 2023). "Khaleda Zia was transferred to the CCU at 1:30 am as per the recommendation of her medical board,” Shamsuddin Didar, a member of the BNP chairperson's media wing, confirmed to the media. Read: Court allows 3 foreigners to testify against Khaleda in Niko graft case The 78-year-old former prime minister has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung, heart, and eye problems. Since her conditional release in 2020, the BNP chief has been receiving treatment at the hospital under a medical board headed by cardiologist Prof Shahabuddin Talukder. Read: Govt ‘plotting to kill’ Khaleda restricting her treatment abroad: BNP Khaleda was sent to the Old Dhaka Jail after a lower court sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018. Later, she was found guilty in another corruption case the same year. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with the condition that she stay in her Gulshan house and not leave the country.

Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, Swechchasebak Dal, and Chhatra Dal under the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have jointly announced a road march programme on September 16 and 17. The protest aims to realise a one-point demand --removal of the current government and appointment of an election-time government, said Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal President Sultan Salahuddin Tuku during a press conference held at the BNP central office in Nayapaltan on Wednesday (September 13, 2023). German Embassy’s Chargé d'Affaires meets Mirza Fakhrul "Our primary objective is to assert our right to vote by challenging the current government. We are also committed to restoring democracy, a fundamental pillar of Bangladesh's independence,” he said. Tuku said they would organise the road march on September 16 in Rangpur to Dinajpur, and on September 17 from Bogura to Rajshahi. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will inaugurate the protest march as the chief guest while senior BNP leaders are also expected to join. BNP spreading lies about the country’s diplomatic achievements: Quader "Similar to previous demonstrations, we encourage everyone, including motorcycle riders, to join our road march programme,” Tuku said. “We hold great hope that the youths of our nation will come forward--peacefully and democratically--to take part in this movement. Our objective is to mobilise popular support and bring about a change in government leadership,” he said.  Govt is procuring 10 Airbus aircraft to get commission, alleges Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday (September 09, 2023) urged everyone to remain alert as the government is plotting to carry out violence and communal attacks to shift the blame onto opposition parties. "They (govt) are conspiring. It won’t work, no matter how much plot they hatch,” he told a rally at Nayapaltan after the party’s two mass processions. As part of that plot, the BNP leader said his ruling party counterpart Obaidul Quader talked about violence and communal attacks two days ago. “By making such attacks by Awami League, they (government) will try to put the blame on the opposition parties. That's why everyone should stay alert,” he warned. Read more: BNP, like-minded parties set to hold mass processions in Dhaka Saturday Fakhrul said the government has no strength to resist the people who took to the streets to ensure its fall. “We must take to the streets with more courage to defeat this demonic government,” he told the opposition leaders and workers. The BNP leader said people from all walks of life, including farmers, labourers and hardworking people, regardless of their party affiliation, have got united to unseat the Awami League government through a united movement. “You’re going through suffering in the rain. You have to endure more pains and suffering in the days to come to establish a people's government through a credible election under a truly neutral non-partisan government by defeating the current regime,” he said pointing at the opposition followers. Read more: Polls experts, politicians say political parties should resolve differences over next elections

Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) media cell affiliated magazine’s official twitter handle, tweets from which are retweeted by BNP supporters and activists, is running a “smear campaign” claiming the party boycotting Somoy TV talk shows has resulted in a decline in its viewership, says the TV authorities. Such claims are meant to “intimidate and prevent” the media from carrying out reportage ahead of the national election, analysts and senior journalists say. Read : BNP, like-minded parties set to hold mass processions in Dhaka Saturday With a graph purportedly showing a steep decline in the YouTube viewership of two TV channels — Somoy and Ekattor — in August, the tweet shared by BNP Media Cell’s magazine “The Road to Democracy” contains a “veiled threat” to mainstream media outlets, they say. “We call upon Bangladeshi media to take a strong, pro-democratic stance. In the end, a dictatorship takes down everyone. Your complicity will not save you,” reads the tweet. The tweet came after BNP leadership slapped an embargo on party leaders and activists from appearing in talk shows on the two leading television channels. For context, Somoy TV produced and aired a series of documentaries on convictions of the Zia family, including BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman. “The party has decided to temporarily boycott the talk shows of Ekattor TV and Somoy TV due to their biased approach. The decision has been made after consultations with senior BNP leaders who recently participated in these talk shows,” Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, BNP's publicity secretary and member secretary of BNP Media Cell, had said. Read : BNP wants to indulge in evil game of 1/11 with Dr Yunus at the helm: Quader The graph shared with the post showed Somoy and Ekattor lost significant viewership on YouTube right after BNP’s decision to boycott their talk shows. The graph claims the YouTube viewership for Somoy TV did not cross the 40,000 mark since the boycott till August 13. But Somoy TV authorities say this claim is untrue.  Between July 28 and August 22, the impression gained by Somoy TV marked a 15 percent spike despite BNP’s boycott, as the total number soared to 2.6 billion, said Salauddin Salim, Head of Broadcast & IT at Somoy TV. Moreover, the total number of viewership on a daily basis till the said period remained almost the same with no sign of decline since the boycott, suggesting that the claim of “dip” in viewership is not true, he added. On the other hand, the total number of subscribers on Somoy’s YouTube channel reached 20.4 million from 20.2 million in the said time frame. Read : BNP leaders to avoid Somoy TV and Ekattor TV talk shows Months earlier, BNP's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir lashed out at Somoy TV.  The Somoy TV report that had seemingly drawn the ire of the BNP leader highlights that both Tarique Rahman and Khaleda Zia were sentenced by courts.  "That report on our leaders – Tarique Rahman and Begum Zia – is like back-stabbing our democratic movement against the government. As we continue our movement to restore democracy, they should abstain from airing such reports," Fakhrul said about Somoy TV at a press conference. Media analysts say BNP’s call for “press freedom” rings hollow as such “intimidation tactics” clearly expose a “double standard”. Read more: Apathy of ‘unelected and irresponsible mayors, commissioners’ behind current dengue situation: BNP

Director of the South Asia Institute at Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. Michael Kugelman has said it may be more difficult for the US to make a “conclusive judgment” on the upcoming national election results in Bangladesh if opposition BNP boycotts it. “Because if the Awami League is running against itself, if it gets 98% of the vote, you can't say that those votes were taken away from the BNP. So it's all very unsettled,” he told UNB in an interview, noting that the Biden administration wants a free and fair election in Bangladesh and at the end of the day, the US wants to have a good relationship with Bangladesh. The government of Bangladesh keeps reiterating that it is committed to holding a “free, fair and peaceful” election in the country. The next national election is likely to be held in December this year or January next. EU expects next election in Bangladesh to be free, fair and free from violence: Gilmore in exclusive interview

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Friday said the Awami League government has already proved that it believes in deeds and not words by implementing metro rail and Padma bridge. “Due to the government's development programmes for the country, AL's public support has increased more than before,” he said this while visiting the old trade fair ground on the eve of the inauguration of the Kaola- Farmgate section of Dhaka Elevated Expressway. Read : BNP tries to shift blame of enforced disappearances, killings to government: Quader PM Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the expressway on Saturday. It will then be opened to commuters on Sunday, according to project officials. “AL government has proved through development activities that it keeps its words,” added Quader, also the General Secretary of the ruling party. Read : BNP’s 45th founding anniversary Friday "Far from toppling the government, the BNP is worried about its own existential crisis," the AL leader  said. “Awami League is on alert to protect the lives and property of the people against  terrorism or violence in the name of movement,” he said. Read : Conspirators getting ready before next election: Obaidul Quader BNP leaders and workers do not have faith in the party’s programmes. It is not possible to wage a movement with black flags, added Quader. "It becomes a mourining procession."