[🇧🇩] Monitoring the political activities of BNP

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/bnp-wants-reinstate-caretaker-govt-system-3693156

BNP wants to reinstate caretaker govt system
Says Tarique

File photo of Tarique Rahman

BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman yesterday said their party is willing to bring back the caretaker government system for elections to ensure the restoration of the people's voting rights.

"We want to reinstate the caretaker government system in the constitution to restore the people's right to vote," he said while exchanging views with BNP grassroots leaders and activists of Khulna division.

Stating that Bangladesh belongs to its citizens, the BNP leader said it is the people's justified democratic right to elect their representatives through the independent exercise of their voting rights.

He said the BNP introduced the caretaker government system in the constitution in 1996, replacing a partisan government, to safeguard the people's right to vote and ensure free and fair elections in the country.

"But in order to hang onto power, autocratic [Sheikh] Hasina removed it from the constitution and deprived the people of voting rights in three national elections," Tarique mentioned.

The BNP leader outlined the main objectives of their party's politics as ensuring security of the people, upholding freedom of speech, protecting the right to do business and trade peacefully, providing employment for youth, safeguarding the dignity and security of women, guaranteeing equal rights for all citizens regardless of religion, caste, or creed, whether they live on plains or hills, and establishing the rule of law throughout the country.

Tarique said the BNP's priorities also include ensuring a balance of power between the judiciary and executive branches, providing universal healthcare facilities, ensuring fair prices for agricultural products, and, above all, protecting the country's independence and sovereignty.

The BNP leader warned that their party will not tolerate any imprudent actions by a few wayward individuals within the party, regardless of who they are.

Tarique asked his party leaders to identify and resist those who dent the image of the party by not only expelling them from the party but also taking legal action against them.​

 

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BNP slams govt for failure to arrest AL cadres involved in student shootings

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has expressed grave concerns over the government's failure to arrest the 'cadres' of the Awami League and its associate bodies, who were involved in shooting students during mass protests against Sheikh Hasina's regime

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BNP slams govt for failure to arrest AL cadres involved in student shootings

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. File photo

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has expressed grave concerns over the government's failure to arrest the 'cadres' of the Awami League and its associate bodies, who were involved in shooting students during mass protests against Sheikh Hasina's regime.

"Why have the Chhatra League and Jubo League cadres and activists, who shot at students, still not been arrested?" he questioned the interim government today.

Talking to reporters at the BNP founder Ziaur Rahman's grave, the BNP leader said it is incomprehensible why the government is unable to track down those responsible for the deaths of Abu Sayed, Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho and many other innocent students.

The BNP leader warned that if the culprits involved in the mass killings during the student-led uprising are not brought to justice, they may resort to even more destructive acts of sabotage.

Rizvi, accompanied by MA Malek, the president of the UK chapter of the BNP, who returned home after a long time, visited Zia's grave and placed a wreath there, paying homage to the BNP founder.

Rizvi noted that many influential AL leaders crossed into India after the mass uprising without facing any challenges or barriers at the border.

"India did not check their passports. They didn't even need visas. But the ordinary people of Bangladesh need passports and visas when they go to India," he observed.

The BNP leader recalled that BNP leader Salauddin Ahmed was illegally dropped by the Rab and Police on Indian territory after making him disappear for nearly two months.

"He (Salahuddin) had to face the case there and had to go to jail."

He questioned whether India, as a close neighbour and a democratic nation, sees Bangladesh through a biased lens.

"They ignore the people of Bangladesh and its independence and sovereignty, choosing instead to accept the world's most repressive and murderous politician, Sheikh Hasina, as a guest," said the BNP leader.

Rizvi said the celebration of the Hindu Community's largest religious festival Durga Puja ended smoothly in such a beautiful calm manner as the government was sincere and democratic parties, especially BNP, guarded the puja mandaps day and night.

"But the Indian media was spreading false propaganda in various forms, though to no avail. Bangladesh has been an exceptionally peaceful country with a long history of communal harmony. It's only Sheikh Hasina who has tarnished the nation's image by repeatedly attacking temples through her agents," he alleged.

The BNP leader said Indian policymakers often echo the rhetoric of the AL, giving an impression that they do not need the friendship of the people of Bangladesh. "They rely on the friendship of Sheikh Hasina and Obaidul Quader to maintain their dominance over Bangladesh. Now let the people of India see how the people of Bangladesh peace-loving democracy are.

MA Malek, president of the UK BNP and advisor to the party chairperson, returned home today after 19 years.​

 

[Saif]

BNP must get its house in order

Persistence of unruly activities by party members is alarming

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BNP must get its house in order
Persistence of unruly activities by party members is alarming

VISUAL: STAR

After having weathered a difficult 15 years in the opposition camp, it is natural that there would be chaos in a big party like BNP as it goes about reorganising its house with an eye on the next election. But after over two months since the fall of Awami League, BNP still seems nowhere close to establishing internal discipline. Rather, reports of widespread extortion, infighting, and other illegal and unruly activities by party members are overshadowing its pro-people messages to become the dominant narrative surrounding the party. If morning shows the day, then critics are perhaps right to wonder if a BNP regime would be significantly different from the one it helped to oust.

This concern has again come to the fore after a report by Prothom Alo revealed how two BNP leaders, including the convener of BNP's recently-dissolved Dhaka North unit, have taken over extortion operations at key transportation hubs in Dhaka, including the Mohakhali bus terminal, where over a million taka is allegedly collected every day. After August 5, they took control of the Dhaka Road Transport Owners' Association. They also established control over local businesses and even mosques in areas previously controlled by Awami League's inner circle. At the terminals, extortion is taking place in various forms, such as charging fees for using illegally set facilities like toilets and showers, entry or exit fees for long-distance buses, etc. Clearly, little has changed in terms of abuse of power after the regime power.

This is despite what appears to have been a large-scale purge within the party. To date, according to another report by Prothom Alo, some 1,023 leaders have faced various disciplinary actions over the past two months—with 523 receiving show-cause notices, 437 expelled, 24 suspended, 35 warned, and four served notice for breaching party discipline. There have been even instances of dissolution of entire committees. Despite all such measures, the persistence of unruly activities by party members points to deep-seated structural issues within the BNP that need to be resolved first.

The time has come for a critical rethink by the BNP leadership. They must recognise that the stakes now are higher than ever. If BNP cannot get its house in order, it risks alienating not just the reformists within the party but the broader population who expect real change after decades of political instability and corruption in the country. So, besides ensuring sustained disciplinary actions, BNP must find out what's emboldening errant party members and undertake comprehensive reforms by placing ethical and democratic conduct at the heart of its operations.​

 

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Fix a specific date for election: BNP leader Farroque

BNP Chairperson’s Adviser Zainul Abedin Farroque today demanded the interim government fix a date to hold the next general election

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Fix a specific date for election: BNP leader Farroque

Zainul Abedin Farroque. File photo

BNP Chairperson's Adviser Zainul Abedin Farroque today demanded the interim government fix a date to hold the next general election.

"Time has not gone away. You have to fix a specific date for the election," he said while taking part in a discussion.

National Peoples' Party (NPP), one of the major ally of the like-minded Jatiyatabadi alliance, organised the discussion at Jatiya Press Club around this noon.Farroque, a senior BNP leader, said many individuals are making excuses regarding the election saying that the election will be held after making necessary reforms in various institutions.

"Election schedule has to be announced alongside bringing the reforms. You have to hold a fair election, in which the people's representatives will come to power and go to the parliament," he said.Farroque said the country would be run by experienced people and the constitution would be amended in the Jatiya Sangsad of elected representatives and that is the desire of the people.

Mentioning that the interim government had assumed office to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the people, he questioned, "Are the expectations being accomplished?" Farroque alerted that they have to take to the streets again if the ghosts of the Awami League will come to power again for taking time to make reforms.

"We don't want to siege the road again. We desire to ensure a peaceful environment for the people. We want to return democracy to the people.

"We don't want to see the cohorts of Sheikh Hasina in power again," he added.

"Why are you making delay in fixing the election date in the name of reforms? Reforms and arrests will go on simultaneously. You have to bring back Hasina," he said.

The BNP leader demanded immediate cancellation of the names of the organisations, which had been named after Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in the last 17 years.

"Rename the organisations after the names of the martyrs," he said.​

 

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BNP petitions SC to restore caretaker govt system

Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday filed a petition with the Appellate Division seeking a review of the court’s 2011 verdict that declared...

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BNP petitions SC to restore caretaker govt system
Staff Correspondent 16 October, 2024, 23:46

Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday filed a petition with the Appellate Division seeking a review of the court’s 2011 verdict that declared the non-party caretaker government system unconstitutional.

Justice Md Rezaul Haque of the Appellate Division granted Fakhrul permission to file the review petition, although Fakhrul was not a party to the original writ or appeal that led to the system’s abolition.

In his petition, Fakhrul called for the restoration of the caretaker government system, his lawyer, Shishir Manir, confirmed to New Age.

This action comes in the wake of the student-led uprising that ousted Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, leading to her flight to India and the subsequent formation of an interim government under professor Muhammad Yunus on August 8.

Shishir Manir further noted that five citizens—Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan) president M Hafizuddin Khan, Sujan secretary Badiul Alam Majumder, local government expert Tofail Ahmed, and citizens Md Jobirul Hoque and Zahrah Rahman—also filed similar petitions. These are set to be heard once the court reopens on October 20.

The Appellate Division, led by former Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque, had declared the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which introduced the non-party caretaker government system, unconstitutional in a landmark 2011 judgment.

However, the court allowed for two more general elections—of the 10th and 11th parliaments—to be held under the caretaker government framework, barring the involvement of a retired chief justice.

In the full text of his verdict, delivered after his retirement on September 16, 2012, Justice Khairul Haque retracted his earlier observation that two further elections could be held under the caretaker system.

The verdict cancelling the 13th Amendment came following a 1999 writ by Supreme Court lawyer M Salimullah challenging its legality.

The High Court initially dismissed the writ on August 4, 2004, but the verdict was challenged at the Appellate Division in 2005.

Fakhrul’s lawyer Shishir stated in the petition that the 2011 judgment significantly undermined the democratic and constitutional rights of citizens, resulting in flawed elections in 2014, 2018, and 2024, and depriving citizens of their right to free and fair elections.​

 

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Tarique urges interim govt to eliminate market syndicates

Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Friday urged the interim government to prioritise the elimination of market syndicates established during...

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Tarique urges interim govt to eliminate market syndicates
Staff Correspondent 19 October, 2024, 00:44

Tarique Rahman. | File photo

Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Friday urged the interim government to prioritise the elimination of market syndicates established during the Awami League regime.

The party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, on the other hand, said on the day that the government should bring deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina back to Bangladesh from India as a warrant for her arrest had been issued by a court in Dhaka.

The remarks from the two senior BNP leaders were made in separate programmes in Dhaka.

Joining a discussion organised by the Ziaur Rahman Foundation at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, to mark the organisation’s silver jubilee, Tarique also urged the government to take pragmatic steps as a priority to control the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities.

The BNP leader suggested an increase in the size of the advisory council, if necessary.

‘People, particularly those in low-income groups and operate small businesses, are enduring financial hardships due to the unusual price hike of essential commodities,’ he said.

‘It may be challenging to dismantle the business syndicates established during the previous regime, but it is not impossible if there is proper will and appropriate interventions,’ he said.

Tarique also warned that the aides of the deposed despotic regime were still conspiring to create difficulties for the government.

He also said that the government’s disarray had become evident and they had failed to establish a clear priority agenda.

The BNP leader said that the conflicting statements from different advisers regarding the next general election had caused confusion among the people.

BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, talking to reporters after placing a wreath at the grave of former president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman on Friday, said that Bangladesh had signed an extradition treaty with India and the interim government should take steps to bring Hasina back home through diplomatic efforts as a warrant for her arrest had been issued by a court in Dhaka.

‘The issue of her extradition can be resolved through diplomatic discussions. If that is not done, top terrorists will get opportunities to take shelter in India and other countries, he said.

Rizvi also alleged that India was supporting crimes and pampering killers by providing Sheikh Hasina with shelter.

‘Our neighbouring country yesterday (Thursday) clearly said that Sheikh Hasina was there. Their statement seems to be behaving like a “Big Brother”,’ he said.

Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal at a media briefing on Thursday told journalists that ‘former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina had come to India for safety reasons; she continues to be here (India).’

Criticising the demand for proportional representation, Rizvi also urged the government not to create complications over the issue of proportional representation and said that the system had failed in many countries.

Besides, BNP Chairperson’s advisory council member Zainul Abedin Farroque said that the prices of essentials would not increase if the Awami League government could bring the culprits to book during their rule.

He said this while addressing a symbolic sit-in programme organised by an organisation ‘Protibad’ demanding the withdrawal of all cases field against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman.​