United News of Bangladesh

A case was filed against 193 people including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for arranging dummy elections in 2024  during the tenure of the Awami League government and vote rigging. Quamrul Hasan, 55, son of Mamtaz Uddin of Bhuapur upazila of Tangail district, filed the case with Tangail Judicial Magistrate court on Monday.  Anisul, 6 others shown arrested in more cases Former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former Agriculture Minister  Abdur Razzaque, Tangail-2 constituency MP Tanvir Hasan Chotot Moni, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Abdul Awal, former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun and Tangail former deputy commissioner Shahidul Islam were among the accused. According to the case statement,  Hasina in collusion with others organised a dummy election on January 7, 2024 as per the directives of India. Quamrul, the plaintiff, went to Bharoi High School in Aloa Union of the upazila to cast his vote but a group of Awami League and Chhatra League men physically assaulted him.  AL issues series of directives to activists on Sunday's planned rally in Dhaka Besides, the AL men with the help of police and presiding officers stuffed ballots after putting seal on AL ‘s boat symbol. Former general secretary of Tangail Bar Association Advocate Abu Raihan Khan, said the court took the case into cognizance and asked the officer-in-charge of Bhuapur Police Station to submit a report after investigation. The court also fixed August 13 for the next hearing. END/UNB/Corr/MAS/F  

A Dhaka court on Wednesday showed former ministers Anisul Huq, Amir Hossain Amu, Hasanul Haque Inu, Rashed Khan Menon, and three others arrested in seven separate cases over July movement. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Minhazur Rahman passed the order after hearing separate petitions.  Apex court declares appointment of administrator and board at Nagad illegal The rest of the accused shown arrested are former minister Shahjahan Khan, former state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak, and former MP Kazi Moniur Islam Monu.   Besides, former Home Affairs Secretary Jahangir Alam was placed on a two-day remand in a  murder case. Of them, Anisul was shown arrested in three cases, Amu, Menon, Inu, Zunaid in two cases, Monu in three cases, and Shahjahan in one case. All the cases were related to the murders and attempts to murder. Earlier, the prosecution appealed to show them arrested in the cases while the court set May 14 for hearing. On April 12, a petition for placing former home secretary on 5-day remand was submitted in Meherdi murder case while the court set May 14 for hearing. Though the defendant’s lawyer Farzana Yeasmin Rakhi appealed for bail, the court granted two-day remand rejecting the prayer. According to the case statement, victim Mehedi participated in a procession on August 5 last year and was shot in the National Burn Institute area. Later, he was taken to Sir Salimullah Medical College where physicians declared him dead. On September 5, a murder case was filed with Bangshal police station in this regard.  Court denies bail of ex-Krishak League leader Shamima Akter

Leaders and activists from various political parties, including the NCP, began gathering at the Fountain Square of Mintu Road near the residence of the Chief Adviser following Jumma' prayers on Friday. Earlier, protesters performed Jumma' prayers behind the stage set-up near Jamuna,  the CA’s residence. Soon after the prayers, a rally began at the same location, with demonstrators chanting slogans and demanding a political ban on the Awami League. Participants arrived in small processions, gradually swelling the crowd. To ease the discomfort of the sweltering heat, the North City Corporation deployed a water sprinkler truck at the venue, reportedly under government sponsorship. Govt considers ban on Awami League citing dictatorship, terror links Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser of the NCP’s southern zone, had called for mass participation earlier in the day, urging people from all walks of life to join the rally in front of the SAARC Fountain and Hotel Intercontinental. “There will be a sea of people,” said Hasnat, adding,  “People will see who truly wants to ban the AL.” Ilias Kanchan’s party expresses solidarity with NCP to ban AL Sarjis Alam, the NCP’s northern zone chief organiser, joined the demonstration in the morning after travelling from his hometown Panchagarh, where he had been on Thursday night when NCP-led students took position in front of Jamuna. Several other political groups, including Jamaat-e-Islami, Inquilab Mancha, Islamic Movement, and AB Party, have expressed solidarity with the protesters. The movement gained momentum after a group of students led by the NCP gathered in front of the CA’s residence on Wednesday night, pressing for a ban on the Awami League.  The sit-in formally began around 10 pm on Thursday under Hasnat’s leadership.

Activists of the Awami League (AL) staged a surprise procession in Khulna city on Sunday morning, the first such demonstration in the city since the party’s fall from power on August 5 last year. The procession began around 7:30am at Zero Point, under the jurisdiction of Horintana Police Station in Khulna Metropolitan Police. A video of the event, showing over 100 participants, quickly went viral on social media platforms. The procession was organised under the banner of the “Bangladesh Awami League, Khulna District Unit.” Senior leaders of the district unit declined to officially comment on the matter. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a leader from Dumuria upazila AL said, “We were instructed not to involve any well-known faces in the procession. That’s why we mobilised relatively unfamiliar leaders and activists from upazila and union levels.” Khairul Bashar, officer-in-charge of Horintana Police Station, said the AL supporters abruptly got off a vehicle and staged a brief procession before dispersing. “As it happened early in the morning, the roads were relatively empty,” the OC said, adding that police were working to identify and detain those involved.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Tuesday alleged that  the "defeated force" influenced The New York Times to publish a report by providing "false" information about Bangladesh. "The allies of fascism own thousands of crores of  illegal money. They are trying to stigmatize Bangladesh by using their illicit money," Rizvi said while talking to the media at the party's Nayapaltan central office in the city. The BNP leader claimed that extremism has not risen in Bangladesh, rather fascism has been curbed. He said people are freely practicing their religion and expressing their views. “They celebrated the Eid (festival) without fear, unlike in the past under Sheikh Hasina's rule. In the past, no one could celebrate Eid with comfort,” he said. Rizvi accused the ruling Awami League of spreading misinformation globally. Sheikh Hasina staged the so-called anti-militancy operations as a political strategy to cling to power, which was even mentioned  in the book of a former IGP, he said. Paints a troubling and one-sided view of Bangladesh, says CA's press secretary about NYT article on Islamic hard-liners “Awami League is not sitting idle, rather spending black money to tarnish the image of Bangladesh…. Awami League is doing subversive activities,” he said. Referring to the killings during the 2024 July mass uprising, the BNP leader said there is no sign of remorse in Sheikh Hasina's statements regarding the way Mugdhah Faiyazs were shot dead on her order. “Rather, Awami League leaders who have fled abroad are trying to destabilise the country,” he said. He said Awami League's allies are everwhere in the administration. He also criticised the certain advisers of the interim government saying that some advisers are conspiring against BNP. “An advisor had conspired against BNP in 2007 as well. He is doing it this time too,” he said. The BNP leader said a farmer committed suicide in Meherpur after failing to get the fair price of onion bit the advisers are silent on this issue. “Had the government broken the syndicate, farmers would have received fair prices for their products," he said. Noting that 20-25 people were killed in road accidents in the last two days, Rizvi said had the administration worked hard, many people would not have lost their lives on the roads. “It is essential to introduce a democratic system in the country. The government needs to be accountable. It is ill-intentioned that some advisers are defaming the BNP by ignoring their own works,” he said. The BNP senior joint secretary general urged the government to arrange the election by conducting necessary electoral reforms as soon as possible. Everyone must be part of resistance to extremism and terrorism: IGP “An electoral government is a legitimate government. Any delay in the election is not acceptable to common people. If the specific date of the elections is not clarified, it will create confusion,” said Rizvi. 

An activist of the local unit of Jubo League was shot dead allegedly by miscreants at Baghoil Rooppur intersection in Ishwardi upazila of Pabna district on Monday. The deceased was identified as Walif Hossain Manik, 35, an active member of Jubo League and son of Yunus Ali of the upazila. He was also a former vice-president of Pakshi union unit Chhatra League. Quoting family members of the deceased, Shahidul Islam, officer-in-charge of Ishwardi Police Station, said Manik was an accused of Chhatra League activist Tafsir Ahmed Mana killing case and he also served in jail in the case. Recently, Manik walked out of jail after securing bail in the case. On Monday morning, Manik went out from his home to appear before the court following the case. When he reached at Baghoil Rooppur intersection, 8-10 miscreants opened fire on him around 9 am and stabbed him indiscriminately, leaving Manik dead on the spot. Police sent the body to Pabna General Hospital morgue for autopsy. Chhatra League and Jubo League in the area had been at loggerheads over establishing supremacy for the past several days and the murder might have taken place over the issue.    

The Awami League has issued eight-point directives to party activists ahead of Sunday’s scheduled programme marking the Shaeed Noor Hossain Day in Dhaka’s Gulistan area. The party, ousted from power on August 5 in a mass movement, shared the instructions on its verified Facebook page on Sunday morning. It urged the activists to observe the programme peacefully avoiding any trap of sabotage. "If anyone is detained by the police, RAB, or the army, we will chant "Joy Bangla" in unison, and everyone nearby will go to rescue them. Under no circumstances should you keep any information (party related) on your mobile phone," according to the directives. It also said "Save the names of familiar associates after different names in your mobile phone. Stay in contact with each other and communicate using code words." The directives also include where gatherings are planned, movement in small groups. "If there is resistance, remind the police whose side they are on—those who have killed you (police) by hanging on the streets? And finally do not get locked into any arguments or debates with the army as they won’t obstruct processions or meetings," said the directives.

Deposed former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has since been accused in over 200 cases of murder in Bangladeshi courts, has congratulated US president-elect Donald Trump on his victory over Democrat rival Kamala Harris in Tuesday’s election. She stated that his “resounding election victory is a testament to his extraordinary leadership qualities and the immense trust bestowed on him by the American people”. This was notified in a press release circulated via the Awami League’s official, verified Facebook profile on Wednesday evening. The release is signed by AL Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua. Sheikh Hasina recalled with fondness her several meetings and interactions as Prime Minister with Donald J. Trump and Melania Trump during his first presidency, the release said, and that she (Hasina) hoped that under a second Trump presidency, bilateral relations between the friendly countries of Bangladesh and the United States of America “would be further strengthened”. She also expressed her commitment to working together “again”, to advance the bilateral and multilateral interests of their two countries. She wished the President-Elect and his family good health, long life, and happiness, and the friendly people of the United States of America continued peace, progress, and prosperity. It was not made clear in the release if the greetings were delivered via letter, phone, or any other medium. Sheikh Hasina is currently residing in the Delhi area of India, where she was forced to flee in the face of a massive popular uprising led by university students on August 5.

Jail Killing Day, commemorating November 3, 1975 when four national leaders and heroes of the country's Liberation War were gunned down inside Dhaka Central Jail, will be observed on Sunday (November 3) as it is the second disgraceful incident in the country after the brutal assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members on 15 August 1975. The four assassinated leaders were Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, Captain Mansur Ali and AHM Quamruzzaman. “The Awami League will observe this day with the utmost respect, as it has every year,” the party announced in a statement released on Friday. To commemorate the day on November 3, wreaths will be placed at the graves of Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, Mansur Ali at Banani graveyard. Additionally, AL will pay tribute at the grave of AHM Qamaruzzaman in Rajshahi. In remembrance of our four national leaders and all martyrs of the Liberation War and democratic movements, a special prayer will be offered. AL also urged all leaders, activists, and supporters and its allied organizations, as well as political, social, and cultural organizations across the nation, to participate in discussions and events highlighting the significance of this day. According to the statement, the four leaders sacrificed their lives without hesitation, providing us an inexhaustible source of inspiration in times of national crisis. Their selflessness remains a timeless and exemplary model of devotion to the ideals of the Liberation War and the principles of Bangabandhu. “Their martyrdom fuels our spirit to stand against any force that threatens these ideals,” it added.  

Bangladesh Awami League on Thursday alleged that the interim government is pursuing vendetta that lacks inclusivity and fuels cycle of violence and rights abuses centering July August trial process.  In a statement the AL said: “We would reiterate our commitment for a fair trial involving the July-August violence and bring to justice everyone involved in the violence irrespective of political affiliation.” The party of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also accused the interim government of downplaying communal violence by projecting affected minorities as supporters of Awami League and a lack of legal action against perpetrators. The statement came in a Facebook post of the party. It denounced Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus's recent branding of Awami League as a fascist party.  “We would like to remind countrymen that the statement came when hundreds of citizens associated with Awami League are subjected to systematic acts of rights violations including lynching, killing and physical torture......," the statement said. London-based The Financial Times this week carried an interview of Dr Yunus titled as “No place for Sheikh Hasina’s fascist party” where the interim chief asserted in short term there has been no place for the party. AL chief Hasina has been living in India since her downfall in the August 5 student-led mass upsurge.