BNP on Sunday announced programmes to observe the Martyred Intellectuals Day and celebrate the Victory Day with due respect. BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the programmes at a virtual press briefing. To mark the Martyred Intellectuals Day, he said the leaders and activists of BNP will pay homage to martyred intellectuals at Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in the morning on December 14. Police foil BNP’s human chain in Barishal The party will keep the national flag at half-mast and hoist black flags atop its all the offices, including the Nayapaltan central one, on the occasion. Besides, the BNP will arrange a discussion in the capital with the participation of the intellectuals on the occasion. The schedule and the name of the venue for the programme will be announced later, he said. To celebrate the Victory Day, Rizvi said the BNP will hoist national and party flags atop the party offices in the morning on December 16. Party leaders and activists BNP’s two Dhaka city units and local one will place wreaths at the National Mausoleum at Savar on the day. Bangladesh is number one in the world in terms of human rights violation: BNP Later, they will place wreaths and offer fateha at the grave of late BNP founder Ziaur Rahman at Sher-e-Banglanagar in the capital, marking the Victory Day. BNP will also hold a discussion highlighting the significance of the Victory Day. The schedule and the name of the venue for the programme will be announced later. The party’s different units and associate bodies will also mark the day with various programmes across the country. BNP forms human chain in front of JPC on Human Rights Day  

Police foiled BNP's human chain in Barishal city marking International Human Rights Day on Sunday morning. The incident took place in front of Ashwini Kumar Hall in the city around 11am when the leaders and activists of BNP reached the spot with a procession marking the human rights day.  BNP alleged that four of its leaders and activists were injured as police dispersed them from the spot.  Bangladesh is number one in the world in terms of human rights violation: BNP However, Anwar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Barisal Kotwali Model Police Station has denied allegations of using force against BNP leaders and activists.  “BNP leaders and activists were trying to gather there without prior permission. Upon our request, they later moved away from the spot. There was no use of force by the police, and no untoward incident occurred during that period,” said OC Anwar Hossain.   Later, the district north and south BNP formed a human chain in front of Barisal Reporters Unity protesting police action.  BNP forms human chain in front of JPC on Human Rights Day BNP leaders and activists led by central member Mezbah Uddin Farhad staged a human chain in front of the party office on Sadar Road when police dispersed them on the grounds of gathering without prior permission.   According to witnesses, the leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum Barishal district committee brought out a procession to join the human chain which was also foiled by police.  The leaders and activists of Jatiyabadi Ainjibi Forum alleged that police snatched their banners and dispersed them. BNP leaders face extreme human rights violation in jails: Rizvi    

Stating that Bangladesh is number one in the world in terms of human rights violation, BNP senior leader Selima Rahman on Sunday urged the country’s people not to cooperate with the Awami League government. Speaking at a human chain programme on the International Human Rights Day, she also said their party will remain on the streets until the fall of the current Awami League government.  “The people of the country are now united against the present fascist government. Bangladesh is now number one in terms of human rights violations. We are on the streets and we’ll be there until the fall of this regime,” she said. Selima, also a BNP Standing Committee member, alleged that the government has been carrying out a steamroller of torture by attacking the BNP leaders and activists and implicating them in different ‘false’ cases over the last 15 years. "There is no other place in the world where there is such oppression (on opposition) is going on. Many of our brothers and sisters can’t sleep at their homes due to police raids. If they (police) do not find the fathers, they take their sons, and if they don’t find the sons they take their fathers, mothers, brother and sister,” she said In such a situation, the BNP leader said they will continue their street agitation as they will not accept the lopsided election. “You (people) say no to this regime from wherever you can. Don’t take part in anything of the government. Even, those who are shop workers, keep your shops shut, stop travelling abroad and cut short your wedding parties, she said. Selima also urged people from all walks of life to take to the streets and put up a strong resistance against the government’s muscle men and helmet forces who are She claimed that over 20,000 BNP leaders and activists were arrested just in the last one month following the BNP’s October 28 grand rally at Nayapaltan which was foiled amid the clashes between the BNP leaders and workers and police. The BNP leader claimed that the government deliberately attacked the BNP’s grand rally to foil the programme and create a ground to suppress the opposition. She also claimed that the government has shut many offices of BNP, including the party's Nayapaltan central office. She alleged that the jailed BNP leaders and activists are being deprived of their justified rights as prisoners since the judiciary of the country has been run by the orders of one person. “Nowhere in the world are human rights being violated as widely as in Bangladesh.” BNP leaders and activists along with the family members of the victims of enforced disappearance and political killings under the banner of the party’s south and north city units formed the human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the capital, marking the International Human Rights Day and demanding the release of the party’s jailed leaders and workers. The programme began formally with the recitation from the holy Quran around 10:55am. Over a thousand BNP leaders and activists gathered in the area since morning to attend the programme amid the heavy presence of law enforcers. As part of the party’s countrywide programme, BNP’s all district units also observed a similar programme in observance of Human Rights Day. After enforcing countrywide blockades in 10 phases and hartal in three phases for the last one and a half months since October 29, BNP came up with a different programme like the human chain. Some BNP central leaders, Zainal Abedin Farooq, Mostafizur Rahman Babul, Nazim Uddin Alam, Kaiser Kamal, Taiful Islam Islam Tipu, Afroza Abbas, Shirin Sultana, Mir Nawaz Ali, Sultana Ahmed, Rehana Akhtar Ranu and Syeda Asifa Ashrafi Papia joined the human chain programme coming out of their hideouts.  Alongside the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, Ganatantra Mancha, 12-party alliance, Jatiyatabadi Samomona Jote, the Liberal Democratic Party, Gonoforum and People’s Party, Labour Party, two factions of Gono Odhikar Parishad and Gonotantrik Bam Oikya also formed human chain programmes in the city’s different areas, marking the Human Rights Day. The International Human Rights Day was observed in the country on Sunday as elsewhere across the world.          

BNP leaders and activists along with the family members of the victims of enforced disappearance and political killings formed a human chain in the capital, marking the international Human Rights Day on Sunday. The programme began formally with the recitation from the holy Quran around 10:55am in front of the Jatiya Press Club with BNP standing committee member Selima Rahman in the chair. Several hundred BNP leaders and activists gathered in the area since morning to attend the programme amid the heavy presence of law enforcers.  Read: BNP leaders face extreme human rights violation in jails: Rizvi  Besides, all district units of the opposition party are also set to observe a similar programme on the same day to highlight the issue of human rights violations in Bangladesh, said the party. Speaking at a press briefing on Saturday, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said they want to observe the programme successfully as a symbol of protest against injustice.  ‘Mayer Dak’, a platform of the families of the victims of enforced disappearance allegedly by government agencies, organised a rally together with the other family members of the victims of enforced disappearance in front of the Jatiya Press Club on Saturday Read: Awami League not worried about any sanctions: Quader  The International Human Rights Day is being observed in the country on Sunday as elsewhere across the globe.

BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, who was undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital, has been shifted to the hospital's Intensive Care Unit as his condition deteriorated. He was taken to the ICU from his cabin on Friday night, BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan told UNB. Read: Families of victims of ‘enforced disappearance’ demand justice at Dhaka rally The senior BNP leader was admitted to Evercare Hospital in Dhaka’s Bashundhara Residential Area on December 5. His family members asked the nation to pray for him. BNP Vice-Chairman Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain is keeping an eye on his overall physical condition. Dr.  Zahid Hossain also went to see the body of Barrister Mainul Hosein, who died around 6 pm at Evercare Hospital.

BNP Senior leaders Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday alleged that their party's leaders and activists are being repressed and deprived of all facilities as prisoners, extremely violating their human rights. "The current IG Prison has verbally directed all jail authorities to deprive all the prisoners belonging to BNP of all general facilities to appease Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” he said. Speaking at a virtual press briefing, the BNP leader also said the IG Prison has turned the jails across the country into Hitler's gas chamber and concentration camps by resorting to torture and seriously violating the rights of jailed BNP leaders and workers. “BNP leaders and workers in jails are in distress now due to persecution,” he alleged. Read: Level playing field essential for credible elections: AB Party tells EU Mission Rizvi claimed that jailed BNP leaders and activists are not being allowed to go out of cells inside the prisons. “Even, the relatives have been barred from visiting the inmates and giving clothes for them and talking to them over the phone.” The BNP leader said the prisons are no longer places of real social criminals as those are now filled with BNP leaders and workers since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came to power. “So, she is applying there all methods of oppression of fascism. In the prisons, she (Hasina) has appointed officers who are inspired by her ideology.” He said Sheikh Hasina wants BNP leaders and workers to be harassed, persecuted and tortured in jails as they are persecuted outside before their arrest. “A terrible persecution continues inside the prisons. This persecution is unprecedented. This oppression cannot be expressed in words. Overenthusiastic officers declared a sort of war against our party prisoners,” Rizvi said. He strongly condemned and protested against this kind of torture on prisoners and strongly urged the authorities concerned to ensure the justified rights of the prisoners. Read: Conspiracy to destabilize the country ahead of Human Rights Day exposed: Hasan Mahmud The BNP leader also slammed the government for driving away the family members of the victims of enforced disappearance from Shahbagh and obstructing them from holding a rally in front of the   National Museum on the eve of the International Human Rights Day. "The victims of enforced disappearances and human rights violations cannot speak for themselves. A government of terrible enforced disappearances and crossfire and human rights abuses wants to maintain state power in such a way that no one can say anything against its crimes,” he observed. Rizvi claimed that the police have arrested more than 175 BNP leaders and activists in the last 24 hours of 5pm on Saturday. He also said their party’s 20,665 leaders and activists have been arrested since the last week of October this year.

BNP has taken preparations to form human chains across the country, including in the capital, on December 10, together with the family members of victims of enforced disappearance and political killings, marking the international Human Rights Day. Speaking at a virtual press briefing on Friday, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi talked about the party’s preparation for making the programme a success on Sunday. In the capital, he said they will form a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club at 11am. “BNP’s Dhaka city units - North and South - have taken all necessary preparations in this regard,” claimed Rizvi. Besides, the BNP leader said that all of their party’s district units are going to replicate the programme on the same day at the same time to highlight the issue of human rights violations in Bangladesh. Read: Picketers from BNP leader Rizvi’s rally against polls schedule throw brick chips at vehicles He warned if the government tries to create obstacles in holding the programme, their party's leaders and workers will have no choice but to put up resistance. Rizvi said they want to observe the programme successfully as a symbol of protest against injustice. He called upon the leaders and activists of BNP at all levels and the family members of those who were subjected to enforced disappearance and political and extrajudicial killings to spontaneously take part in the human chains across the country, including in Dhaka. He thanked opposition leaders and workers for observing their 48-hour blocked programme that ended at 6am on Friday to realise their demand for holding the 12th parliamentary election under a nonparty caretaker government. Read: Govt inviting danger for RMG sector only to retain power: Rizvi BNP observed blockades in 10 phases and hartals in three phases since the party’s October 28 grand rally at Nayapaltan in the capital was foiled by police.  Rizvi said humanity and human rights have no value to the ‘authoritarian’ Awami League government.  “The Awami government has now turned into a despotic regime to retain power…They want the country’s people to forget the truth and they want to remove the truth from the society. They're also trying to eliminate justice from the country,” he said The BNP leader also said the government has created a situation where speaking the truth and talking about human rights or a peaceful inclusive election are considered the greatest crimes. Read: AL govt to be ousted through mass uprising like Ershad : Rizvi He said the government is trying to suppress the opposition leaders and activists, as well as civil society in general, by resorting to brutal repression, creating an awful situation in the country. Rizvi claimed that the police have arrested more than 215 BNP leaders and activists in the last 24 hours of 5pm on Friday. He also said till now some 20,490 leaders and activists of their party have been arrested or detained, since October 28.

On the second day of the latest blockade yesterday, picketers from a sudden rally led by BNP’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi in Dhaka were seen throwing brick chips at buses and other vehicles on the street. According to video reports, around 30 picketers led by Rizvi can be seen marching on the street. They were shouting slogans against the announced schedule of the upcoming national election, slated for January 7, 2024. 29 BNP leaders, activists jailed in separate sabotage cases At one stage, the picketers sat on the street but vehicles including buses, cars and CNG-run auto-rickshaws kept moving in a sign of defiance to the blockade. The picketers were then seen bringing a tyre and setting it on fire on the street, apparently to stop vehicular movement. 48-hr blockade: 4 leaders of BNP’s associate bodies arrested in Sylhet But as vehicles continued to move on the other side of the street, they were seen throwing brick chips at them. The incident widely reported by TV channels and media outlets stands in contrast with Rizvi’s denial of BNP’s involvement in any attack during the ongoing blockades, political observers say. Just a day before, the BNP leader told media that AL could be carrying out acts of sabotage to divert public attention. BNP urges those who field candidates to stay away from Jan-7 polls Since October 28, the country has witnessed a spree of violence including arson attacks on streets and vandalisms, combined with attacks on police. A number of rights activists and minority community leaders expressed concern when BNP’s acting chief Tarique Rahman, from London, called his party cadres to decide the fate of the country “on the streets”. Minority leaders likened the call “an instigation for violence.”

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Friday said his party is not worried about any sanctions. “We are moving towards a free, fair and peaceful election under the independent Election Commission as per the constitution. Why should there be a ban here, " asked Quader. He said If any sanction comes, it should be on the BNP. They are the ones doing sabotage, they are attacking. These are obstacles to a fair election. If the US wants to impose sanctions, only the BNP and its allies deserve to be sanctioned." Also read: Russia against illegal actions like sanctions from US, other western countries: Ambassador Quader was speaking at a press briefing at the political office of  AL president at Dhanmondi in the capital on Friday. He said there is an interest among some to use the garment workers for their own benefit both in the country and abroad. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said, has increased the wages of the workers for the sake of the RMG sector. The present government is sincere about the interests of the workers in this sector. "If our party comes to power, it will take steps to enact new labour laws in parliament. There is no need to muddy the water about it,” said the AL leader. Also read: Momen hardly bothered by talk of new sanctions Regarding seat sharing with the AL alliance, Quader said, which will happen before the 17th. Then this problem will no longer exist. Awami League has no independent candidate in 32 seats, he said. In this context he said, “There is no pressure from Awami League to cancel the nomination here. The Election Commission is taking action according to its code of conduct. The country's judicial system is also independent. Awami League will not obstruct the final decision. Voter turnout will be better this time.” “No obstruction, threat, sabotage, arson terrorism will be able to obstruct the holding of this election," he declared. Also read: No more sanctions ahead of national polls, says Shahriar Alam He said election-oriented voters will resist those who come to obstruct the election. BNP and its allies are not taking part in the election. Still, there is no shortage of enthusiasm about the election. People are preparing to vote spontaneously, he added. AL Presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Organizing Secretaries BM Mozammel Haque and Sujit Roy Nandi, Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua, among others, were present at the press briefing.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Thursday alleged that the government is inviting danger for the country’s garment industry with its move to retain power by holding a lopsided national election on January 7. Speaking at a virtual press briefing, he also accused the Awami League government of repressing the BNP leaders and workers in police remand to leave the party. “The country’s people believe that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wants a guarantee to stay in power illegally by handing over the readymade garment business to other countries,” Rizvi said. The BNP leader said their party has repeatedly warned the government that a one-sided election will deepen the country's political crisis and push the country towards danger. “The government has already put Bangladesh’s (RMG) market undet a threat. The upcoming one-sided election is not just a renewal of Sheikh Hasina's power, but a licence to destroy Bangladesh," he said. Rizvi urged the country’s people not only to boycott the stage-managed election but also to put up a mass resistance to ensure a credible and inclusive election by ousting the current regime from power. Ignoring the opinions of buyers, he said the government has taken the country’s biggest export-oriented industry to the brink of destruction in the interest of a neighbouring country by taking a stand in favour of an exploitative policy of the pro-government opportunistic quarter and imprudently resorting to killing and repression to suppress justified demands of workers. The BNP leader said the garment factory owners fear that sanctions on Bangladesh's garment industry are almost certain after the United States announced a new labour policy to protect labour rights. He said the RMG sector has already lost 40 to 45 percent of the business. “Amid the uncertainty of garment industry, bizarre Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen showed his stupidity by saying nothing will happen if there are any sanctions.” Rizvi also slammed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her comment that if the United States imposed sanctions, Bangladesh will also do the same against that country, saying her government is inviting danger for the garment industry, the sole source of bread and butter for millions of poor people. Stating that 82 percent of the country's total garment exports are to the US and European countries, he said the RMG sector will be ruined if exports to these countries are hampered. The BNP leader claimed that the arrested BNP leaders and activists have been subjected to serious torture in the name of police remand. “The torture on our arrested leaders and workers outshined the story of torture in the German concentration camps.” He said they came to know that the BNP leaders and workers were tortured in police remand in a disgraceful manner only to take their consent to change their party. Rizvi claimed that over 415 BNP leaders and workers have been arrested across the country in the last 24 hours as of 5 pm on Thursday.