Politics
Fakhrul barred from entering BNP’s Nayapaltan office
BNP Secretary General Mirza Faklhrul Islam Alamgir has been barred from entering BNP’s Nayapaltan Central Office this morning (December 08, 2022).
Police stopped Fakhrul when he reached the Bijoynagar intersection around 10:50 am, after he appeared before a Dhaka court today morning.
Police officers told the senior BNP leader that they will not allow anyone to go into the BNP office until their necessary work is done for security reasons, as they “recovered bombs” from there.
BNP central office remained vacant since last night (December 07, 2022) after the police raid, but a large number of law enforcers remained deployed in the area since this morning.
A tense situation is prevailing in the area in Dhaka where traffic movement has been disrupted since Wednesday night following the clash between BNP activists and police.
No one is being allowed to enter the area without ID, as police have set up barricades at the Nightingale intersection in Bijoynagar and Fakirapool. No vehicles were seen in front of the BNP office.
Most offices, shopping malls and shops in the area were closed till 10 am this morning.
Locals said that they are panicked as a huge number of policemen are taking position in the area. They were also facing difficulties in going to their respective destinations.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday claimed that two leaders of their party’s student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal were killed and over 100 others were injured in an attack by police when bullets were fired in front of their party’s Nayapaltan central office.
Besides, he said, around 600 BNP leaders and activists, including party’s senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Dhaka south city unit convener Abdus Salam and north city unit convener Amanullah Aman, were arrested from the party office.
The DMP commissioner, meanwhile, said BNP men exploded cocktails from their party office and for that the drive was carried out.
“We beefed up security by increasing the number of police. It was an official day, and they (BNP) didn’t take prior permission to hold the rally”, he said.
A new case was lodged today against 135 individuals, including ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in connection with the killing of Jatiotabadi Sramik Dal activist Riajul Talukder. The incident occurred in Dhaka’s Jatrabari area amid the recent anti-discrimination student movement.
Among the other high-profile figures accused in the case are Obaidul Quader, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Moshiur Rahman Mollah Sajal, Enamul Haque Shamim, Iqbal Hossain Opu, and Nahim Razzaq. Additionally, between 350 to 400 unidentified individuals have been implicated in the case.
The complaint was filed by Riajul’s brother, Rubel Talukder, with Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Saddam Hossain’s court. After hearing the complainant’s statement, the court directed Jatrabari Police Station to officially register the case as a First Information Report (FIR).
According to the case documents, on August 4 at around 5 PM, hundreds of students and supporters took part in a procession supporting the anti-discrimination student movement in front of Jatrabari Police Station. The case alleges that, under the direct orders of Sheikh Hasina, Awami League affiliates and police opened fire on the peaceful procession, during which Riajul was shot and later succumbed to his injuries.
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said that former prime minister Sheikh Hasina making political remarks from India is an “unfriendly gesture”, asserting that she must remain silent to prevent discomfort to both countries until Dhaka requests her extradition.
“If India wants to keep her until the time Bangladesh (government) wants her back, the condition would be that she has to keep quiet,” he said.
In an interview with the Press Trust of India at his official residence in Dhaka, Yunus, who was appointed the country’s Chief Adviser after Hasina’s ouster, stressed that while Bangladesh values strong ties with India, New Delhi must move “beyond the narrative that portrays every other political party except Awami League as Islamist and that the country will turn into Afghanistan without Sheikh Hasina.”
“No one is comfortable with her stance there in India because we want her back to try her. She is there in India and at times she is talking, which is problematic. Had she been quiet, we would have forgotten it; people would have also forgotten it as she would have been in her own world. But sitting in India, she is speaking and giving instructions. No one likes it,” he said.
Yunus was apparently referring to Hasina’s statement on August 13 in which she demanded “justice”, saying those involved in recent “terror acts”, killings and vandalism must be investigated, identified and punished.
“It is not good for us or for India. There is discomfort regarding it,” he told PTI.
Following unprecedented anti-government protests that peaked on August 5, Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled to India. Her presence in India for nearly four weeks has fuelled speculation in Bangladesh.
When asked whether Bangladesh has communicated its stance to India, Yunus said it has been conveyed verbally and quite firmly that she should keep quiet.
“Everyone understands it. We have said quite firmly that she should keep quiet. This is an unfriendly gesture towards us; she has been given shelter there and she is campaigning from there. It is not that she has gone there on a normal course. She has fled following a people’s uprising and public anger,” he said.
Yunus stated that the interim government is committed to ensuring justice for the people of Bangladesh against the atrocities, and justice requires that she be brought back to the country.
“Yes, she has to be brought back or else the people of Bangladesh won’t be at peace. The kind of atrocities she has committed, she has to be tried in front of everyone here,” he emphasised.
Discussing the future of the India-Bangladesh relationship, Yunus expressed a desire for good ties with India but insisted that New Delhi must abandon the narrative that only Hasina’s leadership ensures the country’s stability.
“The way forward is for India to come out of the narrative. The narrative is that everybody is Islamist, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is Islamist, and everyone else is Islamist and will make this country into Afghanistan. And Bangladesh is in safe hands with Sheikh Hasina at the helm only. India is captivated by this narrative. India has to come out of this narrative. Bangladesh, like any other nation, is another neighbour,” he said.
Referring to the recent incidents of alleged attacks on Hindu minorities in the country and India raising concerns about it, Yunus said this is just an excuse.
“The issue of trying to portray the conditions of minorities in such a big way is just an excuse,” he said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address on August 15, expressed hope that the situation in violence-hit Bangladesh would return to normal soon and stated that 1.4 billion Indians are concerned about the safety of Hindus and minorities in the neighbouring country.
Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel laureate emphasised the need for India and Bangladesh to work together to improve their currently strained relationship.
When asked about ways to improve the Indo-Bangla relations, Yunus said both the countries need to work together, and that it is at a low presently.
“We need to work together to improve this relationship, which is now at a low,” he said.
Speaking about the future of bilateral treaties with India, Yunus said there are demands for a relook at certain treaties such as transit and the Adani electricity deal.
“Everybody is saying that it is needed. We will see what is on paper and, second, what is actually happening on the ground. I can’t answer it specifically. If there is any need to review, we will then raise questions about it,” he said.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal, along with four other election commissioners, announced their resignation during a press conference today at the Election Commission (EC) building. The resignation follows growing speculation and pressure.
CEC Awal stated, “In this changed situation, I and other commissioners have decided to step down. We’re handing over our resignation letters to the EC Secretary to send it to the President.” After submitting the letters, the CEC and some commissioners quickly left the premises, with no clear explanation for the absence of two election commissioners.
The resignations come amid increasing unrest tied to the registration of political parties such as Nagarik Oikya and Gono Odhikar Parishad. Sources revealed the CEC felt unsafe due to aggressive behavior from activists, prompting the decision to step down.
Protesters outside the EC building hurled shoes at vehicles carrying Election Commissioners Rashida Sultana, Md Alamgir, and Anisur Rahman as they left. Meanwhile, preparations for their exit had already been underway, with the commissioners reportedly relocating personal belongings from their offices.
The commission, appointed in February 2022 for a five-year term, had previously expressed confusion over demands for their resignation, maintaining they had conducted fair elections. However, internal discussions led to the collective decision to resign earlier than expected.
