Month: January 2023

BNP has removed Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan, one of the party lawmakers who recently quit from the 11th parliament, from all posts for “violating party decisions and engaging in anti-party activities.”

“BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council Member Advocate Abdus Sattar has been expelled following his removal from all party posts, including the primary membership as per section 5(c) of the party constitution,” said a press release signed by BNP acting office secretary Sayed Emran Saleh Prince.

The decision will come into effect immediately, it said.

Party sources said the action against Sattar was taken as he bought a nomination paper to contest the by-polls to the Brahmanbaria-2 seat that fell vacant following his resignation as a BNP MP.

Sattar recently resigned from all the posts of the party, including the chairperson’s advisory council member, on personal grounds.

He was first elected MP as an independent candidate from Brahmanbaria-2 ( (Ashuganj and Sarail) in 1979, during BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s tenure, following his failure to secure a party ticket.

He was the founding vice-chairman of the party’s Brahmanbaria unit at that time and worked as the president of Brahmanbaria BNP for 28 years.

A lawyer by profession, Sattar won the parliamentary election to Brahmanbaria-2 four more times as a BNP candidate – in 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2018. He was also a state minister during the BNP-led government of 2001-06.

On December 11 last, he resigned from the parliament along with other BNP lawmakers as per the party’s decision.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Election Commission will investigate the slow progress in casting votes during the Rangpur City Corporation Election (RCC), said Election Commissioner Anisur Rahman on Sunday.

“Voting to the Rangpur City Corporation was held slowly and the voting ends at 8 pm. That’s why the EC will investigate and unearth the reason behind the slow progress in voting,” he said while talking to the reporters at Election Bhaban.

“We’ll sit in the next week to find out the reason behind slow progress. At a polling centre, we have seen that 30 people were standing in a queue to cast their votes around 7 pm which was not seen in the past,” he said.

Voting to Rangpur City Corporation (RCC) election was held on December 27.

Jatiya Party’s Mostafizar Rahman Mostafa reelected as the mayor of the city corporation.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Law Minister Anisul Huq on Sunday said the next general election will be held on time and properly.

“The tenure of the government is for five years and the election will be held in time as per the constitution. BNP is now on the field. The national elections in 2014 and 2018 were free and fair and we are not responsible for the political parties which had not participated in the election. I hope all parties will participate in the next general election,” he said.

The law minister exchanging greetings to the reporters on the occasion of New Year at the Secretariat.

“We are committed to the people of the country and legal action will be taken if anyone interferes with the right of the people to vote,” he added.

Replying to a question about any steps regarding banning Jamaat-e-Islami, Anisul said “No one will be allowed to create chaos, no matter which party it is. The law enforcing agencies will take legal steps to maintain law.”

Drawing his attention that different organisations are concerned about the human rights violation, the minister said in the tenure of the Sheikh-Hasina-led government, human rights has been established. “Those who are talking about the violation of human rights did not talk about what happened in the past. In that case, you can judge whose statement is reliable.”

Asking about the ongoing development work, Anisul said in this New Year, it is the main challenge to finish the ongoing development works.

Mentioning the Padma Bridge and Metro rail opening as the greatest success in 2022, the minister said all the ongoing development works in Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sylhet will be taken as a challenge and completed.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Election Commissioner Anisur Rahman has said the Election Commission has no legal obligation to convince any party which does not want to participate in the election otherwise.

He made this comment in response to the questions of journalists at the Election Building on Sunday..

“The Chief Election Commissioner also said last week that it is not our responsibility to bring anyone to the polls,” Anisur said.”It is not the responsibility of any party or anyone to get elected. We have called, hoping they will come.”

This commissioner also said that they will do whatever is necessary to create a suitable environment for the election, after that if no one comes there is no legal obligation to bring them.

“We will not do that. They will do their work. We will do our work. We will try to say that we want participatory elections. Hope that there will be participatory elections,” he said.

He said the BNP has not supported them since day one. “Let them take part in the polls and say that the election is not fair,”

“There is no such thing as an end in politics. We made Rangpur City elections fair during the party government. We have shown that fair elections are possible under the party government,” he added.

Anisur said that it is desirable that the party will join the election. “They have not even participated in an election under us. Let the participants say that the vote was not fair.”

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Communist Party of China (CPC) has extended its heartfelt congratulations to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her re-election as Awami League president in its 22nd national council.

In a message sent to Hasina, it states that China-Bangladesh strategic cooperative partnership has been going into greater depth in the recent years thanks to the personal care and guidance of CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping and AL President Sheikh Hasina.

“The Communist Party of China stands ready to work with the Awami League to follow the guidance of the important consensus reached between leaders of both countries, continuously deepen political mutual trust, and actively implement the MOU on Exchanges and Cooperation signed by our two parties, whereby experience on party and state governance could be shared and practical cooperation across the board promoted,” it said.

“By so doing, we can play a positive role in underpinning the sustained and steady development of our bilateral relations and bringing greater benefits to our two countries and peoples,” it added.

Liu, Minister of International Department of CPC Central Committee signed the message sent on December 28, said the PM’s press wing here.

“Delighted upon hearing Your Excellency’s re-election as President of the Bangladesh Awami League at its 22nd National Council, I wish to extend, on behalf of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and in my own name, my heartfelt congratulations to Your Excellency and the Awami League,” said Liu Jianchao in the message.

For over a decade, the Awami League, under your leadership, has made important contributions to the socioeconomic development of Bangladesh, enabling it to graduate from the Least Developed Countries and rank the first in South Asia in terms of per capita income, it reads.

“It is our belief that, under your leadership, the Awami League will make continued efforts to realise the dream of “Sonar Bangla” at an early date proposed by your late father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, thus delivering greater benefits to the Bangladeshi people,” said it.

Source: United News of Bangladesh