BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday warned that the ongoing movement cannot be suppressed by threatening to send the party’s chairperson Khaleda Zia back in jail. He made this remark at the chairperson's office in Gulshan in a response to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's statement that Khaleda Zia will be sent back to jail again if BNP does excesses in the name of movement. Fakhrul said, “At a time when the country is going through extreme mismanagement, extreme economic and political crisis, she (the Prime Minister) is making such a threat - if she thinks it will disrupt or suppress the movement of democracy, then she is not living in the right place." No one will be able to suppress this movement of the people. People are fighting for their rights, he added. “Such threats will do nothing to this movement.” "Her (Prime Minister's) statement has proved that they are vengeful and they do not believe in democracy and independence of the judiciary." It is because of political vendetta that PM Hasina made such statements and in such a situation, he added. Read more: BNP’s ideology stands poles apart from Jamaat, it sees India as a special friend, says Mirza Fakhrul in an exclusive interview with UNB Govt is crossing limits Fakhrul said it is the Awami League government which is crossing their limits. “They are the ones who destroyed the democracy today by creating state terror and they are completely using their terrorists to obstruct us from holding rallies, our constitutional right.” “Have you seen in any civilized country that the government goes on strike?” Fakhrul said, adding that the transport movement had been stopped five days before our rally in Barishal. The launch and speedboat services from Patuakhali to Barishal has stopped. “How do you explain it?” he asked. The AL govt is trying to come back to power by holding a fake election again, he added. The BNP secretary general said, 'People have woken up now, people will not allow all these fraudulent activities to happen. They are determined to bring back democracy at any cost.” People will actually form their government and parliament through an impartial caretaker government, said Fakhrul. “For that, the first condition we have given is that the Prime Minister should resign along with his government.” "The government is afraid of the people.  As the people are waking up, there will be mass movement. I believe they (Awami League) have to go away through the mass movement.” Allegations of remittance smuggling The crises that have arisen in Bangladesh are entirely due to their (AL) corruption, Fakhrul said. Read more: ‘I can see a confrontational situation ahead’: Mirza Fakhrul “Even today, it has come out in the newspaper, one-third of those who have migrated to Canada in the last 10 years are Bangladeshis. You will get evidence of these like the falling remittances.” Remittances are decreasing but the number of the migrated workers has increased again, he added. “So where is the remittance going? I said the other day that these remittances are being smuggled from abroad to abroad. Those who are involved with the ruling party are smuggling it. That is why the crisis  has arisen in the country." The last divisional rally to be held in Dhaka Mirza Fakhrul said the last divisional rally will be held in Dhaka on December 10. “We have announced that we will hold the rally in each division. After that, the responsibility is on the government what they do or not." “We will continue our protest at any cost  to restore democracy along with the people,” Fakhrul added. As part of its move to continue the pace of its ongoing movement, the BNP on September 27 announced programmes of a series of public rallies in 10 divisional cities. The organisers said the rallies are meant to denounce the price hike of daily essentials and fuels, the death of five party men in previous police action in Bhola, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, and Jashore, and to ensure the freedom of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. The BNP has long been demanding that the next general election be held under a caretaker government, not under any political government. The government rejects the demand as unconstitutional. The rally in Barishal will be the 5th one by the BNP at the divisional level  on Saturday as four others were held in Chattogram, Mymensingh, Khulna and Rangpur.               

The election to Rangpur City Corporation will be held on December 27. The election schedule was finalised at a meeting of the Election Commission (EC) with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal in the chair at the Election Commission Secretariat on Thursday. Read more:Govt to support Election Commission in holding fair election: Law Minister EC Secretary Md Jahangir Alam announced the schedule after the meeting. He said the Commission has also decided to use electronic voting machines (EVMs) and CCTV cameras  in the election.  The balloting will start at 8.30 am and continue till 4.30 pm without any break. The election to the city corporation was held on December 21, 2017. The first meeting was held on February 19, 2017. The tenure will end after five years of the first meeting.The meeting also held an elaborate discussion on different local government elections and by-elections in vacant posts. Read more:EC directed to fix new date for Noakhali Zila Parishad election It also decided to hold elections to five municipalities and a number of union parishads on December 29. The five municipalities are—Bagha, Rajshahi, Birol, Dinajpur, Boda, Panchagarh, Alfadanga, Faridpur and Banpara, Natore.

Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader said on Thursday that declaring ‘Jail killing Day’ as a national day of mourning is a matter of a decision from the government’s high-ups. The ruling party is commemorating the Jail Killing Day on Thursday (November 3) to pay tribute to four national leaders and close aides of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who were killed inside Dhaka Central Jail in the old part of the city on the day in 1975. Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, M Mansur Ali and AHM Quamruzzaman were murdered on the day while in state custody. Following the military coup on August 15 in 1975, when Bangbandhu along with most of his family members were killed, a series of politically motivated killings took place amid a tumultuous political scenario. On Thursday, Quader paid tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahmam at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the capital as part of the commemoration of the day. Read more: Jail Killing Day to be observed Wednesday About the demand from the assassinated leaders’ families to declare the day as a national mourning day, Quader said such a decision is a matter to handle from the government’s high-ups. The ruling Bangladesh Awami League began the day by hoisting the national flag and party flag at half-mast at its central and district offices across the country at dawn. Party leaders placed wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the capital at 7:00am to mark the day. Wreaths were also placed at the graves of Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, Mansur Ali at Banani graveyard around 7:30am while fateha, milad-mahfil and munajat were offered there. Read more: Aug 15, jail killings prove conspiracy against independence, people: PM Floral wreaths were also placed at the grave of AHM Qamruzzaman in Rajshahi where prayer sessions, offering fateha and milad mahfil were held, marking the day. The ruling Awami League will hold a discussion at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the capital at 3:00pm when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will speak.    

The ruling Awami League has no problem with BNP’s on going anti-government programmes, unless it turns violent. “They (BNP) are holding processions, rallies and meetings in different parts of the country, we do not have any objection to that. But if they do any violent activities in the name of movement it will be tackled with iron hands,” Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque told reporters quoting the AL president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He held the briefimg emerging from Awami League Parliamentary Party (ALPP) meeting held at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban with its president and leader of the House in the chair on Wednesday night. Read more: PM to address the media on UK, US visit Thursday He also said that the party will take punitive measurers against those who worked against the party nominated candidates in the local government elections.  Deputy Minister for Education Ministry Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury said the prime minister asked the party's MPs to publicise the government development activities and successes made in the last 13 years. “She also told us to counter the anti government propaganda instantly,” he said     

BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Wednesday said the government would not be able to suppress the ongoing movement for caretaker government by issuing arrest warrants. “The government has got scared seeing the huge gathering of people in our rallies as our movement is gaining momentum across the country under the leadership of our acting chairman Tarique Rahman,” he said. Speaking at a rally, the BNP leader said the warrants for the arrest of Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman were issued out of the government’s nervousness. “Can it suppress the movement? We’ll oust this regime through a street movement." BNP's Dhaka south and north city units organised the rally in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office in protest against the arrest warrants against Tarique and DR Zubaida. On Tuesday, a Dhaka court issued warrants for the arrest of Tarique and Zubaida in a graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Read more: Attackers on BNP’s programmes are being marked: Mosharraf Mosharraf, a BNP standing committee member, said the government has been trying to obstruct BNP’s divisional rallies in various ways, including enforcing transport strikes, out of fear of losing power. “But it has been failing to prevent the mass wave towards our rallies. Our all rallies will turn successful defying all barriers.” He also slammed the government for what he said indulging in widespread corruption and plundering in the name of mega projects.  “The country is facing a shortage of dollars because of siphoning off money abroad by the ruling party leaders. So, the country's economy is on the brink of collapse. This regime will be ousted by creating a mass uprising in the days to come,” the BNP leader said. He said the country’s common people are going through serious miseries due to unusual price hikes of daily essentials. Read more: BNP won’t join talks with current EC: Mosharraf "The poor people are now starving while the middle class is struggling to survive. Those who stole votes will never save this economy. Human rights will not be protected by the government which violates human rights. It is not possible to repair the economy of the country by looters,” Mosharraf said. Another BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas said it is not possible to suppress people’s voices by resorting to false cases and repressive acts. “This regime has become insane, and the country’s people won’t accept a crazy government,” he said.

Police with the help of local residents on Wednesday recovered the body of a local BNP leader from beside a road at Matlab Uttar upazila in Chandpur. The victim-- Salimullah Lavlu--was a general secretary of Fatehpur Paschim union unit BNP. He was 50 and a resident of Mandartali village under the upazila. The victim’s son Laviv and some relatives said that one schoolboy named Shipon hit the leg of Laviv after his school on Tuesday. A brawl broke out between Lavlu and Shipon after the incident. Later, Shipon along with his friends went to the house of Laviv and threatened them. Van driver Jahangir Alam spotted the body lying beside the road when he was crossing the area at Mandartali village during early hours on Wednesday. Read more: BNP rally: Juba Dal leader dies of ‘heart attack’ in Rangpur Mohammad Mohiuddin Mia, officer-in-charge of Motlab Uttar police station, said they rushed to the spot after hearing the news and recovered the body. The body was sent to Chandpur General Hospital for an autopsy, he said. The OC said they would wait for the autopsy report to know the reason behind the murder. No case was filed immediately, he said.  

Chief Election Commissioner ( CEC)  Kazi Habibul Awal said election environment in hundreds of local government elections should be maintained in the future as the Commission has not seen violence, vote rigging or received any complaints. "This is a good sign. If it can be maintained, it will work in the future. Now there is a voting environment. That is our purpose," he said. He was talking during a briefing on the monitoring of local government polls in different areas from the Election Commission headquarters. The CEC said that they have not seen violence, vote rigging or received any complaint while monitoring four municipalities from here. CCTV cameras were used only in four municipalities for monitoring from the headquarters. These are: Fatikcchari Municipality of Fatikcchari Upazila of Chattogram, Hazrabari Municipality of Hazrabari Upazila of Jamalpur, Parvatipur Municipality of Parvatipur Upazila of Dinajpur and Vishwanath Municipality of Vishwanath Upazila of Sylhet. Read more: No decision taken yet over suspended Gaibandha -5 polls: CEC He also said that many people stood in line and voted in an orderly manner. “It seems to me that the voters have exercised their rights with restraint and patience,” he said. He informed that the Commission will also monitor the Faridpur-2 seat polls to be held on November 5. The Election Commission conducted polls on Wednesday in local government bodies to elect representatives in upazilas, municipalities and union parishads across the country. Voting started at 8 am and continued till 4 pm. EC also conducted voting in three upazilas - Karnaphuli of Chattogram, Jagannathpur of Sunamganj and Osmaninagar of Sylhet. Besides, by-election was being held for the posts of chairman of Netrakona Sadar, Roumari and Chilmari of Kurigram and Khoksa upazila of Kushtia. The by-election to Khoksa Upazila Parishad of Kushtia started amid clashes between supporters of the rival candidates. As soon as voting started at 8 am, fight broke out at Kadirpur Government Primary School voting centre between supporters of the Awami League-backed candidate Babul Akhter and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) leader Motahar Hossain Khokon. Read more: Deal with any intimidation in next polls, CEC asks DCs, SPs The EC took votes in many Union Parishads (UP). The UPs are Baratara and Tulsi Ganga in Khototal Upazila of Joypurhat; Ziarthi and Kanchanpur of Kushtia Sadar, Chithlia and Dhubail of Mirpur; Adra and Phulmocha of Melandah in Jamalpur Upazila; Raipara, Mahmudpur and Sutarpara of Dohar Upazila of Dhaka; Perli and Panchgram of Kalia Upazila of Narail; West Jaflong, Goainghat, East Jaflong and Madhya Jaflong of Goainghat Upazila of Sylhet; Kharera of Kasba upazila of Brahmanbaria and Durlabpur of Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj. The EC  also conducted by-elections for a total of 60 member posts under 58 Union Parishads in 52 upazilas of 36 districts.    

Chief Elecion Commission (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Wednesday said that BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia must fit into the legal framework if she wants to participate in the next national election. Awal made the comments in response to questions from journalists on whether Khaleda, who has been convicted of corruption, can take part in the next polls due either in December next year or in January 2024. Read more: Govt won’t send Khaleda back to jail before election: Law Minister When asked about the CEC's opinion on Khaleda Zia's participation in the election, he said, “We have some legal framework.”  "What will be the position from that side, we don't know yet. We do not want to comment on this," he added. Asked what will happen if she submits the nomination papers, the CEC said that it will be verified according to the law. She filed nomination papers in the 11th National election too but it was rejected. When the matter was brought up by the journalists, the CEC said, "We have said that we will check it legally. If it is at all necessary, we will conduct legal investigations." Read more: Law to determine Khaleda Zia’s election eligibility: Law Minister In 2018 general election Khaleda filed nomination papers to contest from Feni-1, Bogra-6 and 7 constituencies. The returning officers rejected the nomination papers citing her conviction in graft cases.  Later, when an appeal was made against the decision of the returning officers, it was also rejected by the then KM Nurul Huda-led Commission. 

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said on Wednesday said that the Election Commission has not taken any decision yet about the suspended Gaibandha-5 by-election. "It is true that we have received the investigation report on the irregularities took place during the polls but we are yet to take any decision. We could not sit in a meeting. You will be informed about the investigation report in due time,” he said. Read more: EC doing its job, not under any pressure: CEC He said in a briefing during the monitoring of the election to local government bodies in different areas from Election Commission headquarters. The probe committee submitted its report on Sunday. Election Commission's Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath who headed the committee submitted the report to EC Secretary Humayun Kabir Khandaker. But the CEC did not share the details of the report in the briefing. The EC suspended the election because of “widespread malpractices” on the election day on October 12. It also extended the deadline for holding any fresh election to the Gaibandha-5 parliamentary seat by three months, or till January 20, 2023. Read more: Gaibandha-5 polls: Not a reckless decision, says CEC While there was no concrete decision over if a new election will be held, pending an investigation into malpractices on the election day, the Election Commission said that the deadline has been extended to follow the rule of 90 days in holding an election after a seat falls vacant. Following the death of Gaibandha-5 lawmaker and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Fazle Rabbi Miah on July 22, 2022, it became a constitutional obligation to hold election for the parliamentary seat by October 20, 2022.

Bangladesh Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said that government has no connection with arrest warrants issued for BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr. Zubaida Rahman. “Blaming the government for anything and everything is a regular practice and culture of BNP. The court issued arrest warrants for Tarique and Zubaida in a corruption case filed by the ACC.  This is a legal process; the government didn’t interfere,” he said, He came up with the remarks at a press briefing at Setu Bhaban in Dhaka on Wednesday, a day after BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged that the arrest warrants were issued as part of the government’s “political vengeance”. Read: Arrest warrants issued for Tarique and Zubaida Rahman in corruption case Speaking at a press conference at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, he also said the government has been using “false” cases as a political weapon to suppress the opposition, and creating a ground for depoliticization in the country. Quader said that the ACC is also filing cases against many from the ruling party and investigation is on against some of them, as the ACC is playing an independent role in this regard. In response to the BNP secretary general’s statement that the government is “nervous” about the Zia family, Quader said that everyone knows the history of misrule and corruption of Zia family. Read: Graft case against Tarique, Zubaida: HC asks trial court to dispose of case soon “A BNP leader is now in exile for corruption, looting and misdeeds. He doesn’t have the courage to come back to the country,” Quader said. Bangladesh Awami League does not believe in politics of revenge but BNP is the originator of the trend, he said, and cited August 15 massacre and grenade attack as examples.