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The two major political parties continue to show off their strength through big gatherings as the national election nears, challenging and daring each other to take a popularity test through the polls. But for now, everyone’s attention — from the general public to political analysts and nervous businessmen — is focused on December, the month of victory.
Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has announced to organise a grand rally in Dhaka on December 10 but the ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL), which has been in power since 2009 and seeks to retain office, has vowed to thwart them on the streets in December.
BNP launched a movement and announced to hold 10 rallies at the divisional headquarters and major districts as part of a strategy to pile pressure on the government to accept the demand for holding next general election under a neutral caretaker government. It already held a number of rallies in Chattogram, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, and Faridpur. It was alleged that the ruling party-backed transport owners and workers enforced strikes ahead of the grand rallies so that people cannot easily join them.
But defying all odds and restrictions, thousands of leaders and activists gathered in the rallies along with general people. On the other hand, the ruling AL also held party councils and meetings at district levels. But one of the grand gatherings was held by the Bangladesh Jubo League, the youth wing of the ruling party in Shuhrawardi Uddyan in the city to celebrate its golden jubilee. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina personally participated in the programme and delivered a rousing speech. From their respective rallies, both the BNP and AL attacked each other with strong words.
Through the rallies, they wanted to show off their public support. When such activities are getting intensified, the American Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Afreen Akhter visited Bangladesh and held a series of meeting at different levels of the government also political parties as well as eminent citizens to understand the political scenario in Bangladesh and also conveyed messages from the United States.
Meet With US Official: AL, BNP Won’t Budge On Polls-time Govt
The AL spoke against caretaker government while the BNP said it won’t join polls under the incumbent government at a meeting with US Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Afreen Akhter. Akhter all along stressed the need for participatory, free and fair elections. The meeting was held at the residence of a US embassy official in the capital on November 8. At the meeting, AL International Affairs Secretary Shammi Ahmed said the caretaker government system was spoilt in the past. BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khashru Mahmud Chowdhury said his party would not join polls under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government. Jatiya Party chairman’s special envoy and adviser Masroor Mawla and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas were also present. Masroor said the two major political parties should find a middle ground ending enmity. Akhter told reporters that the US wants to see the participation of all political parties in the next national election, slated for January 2024.
Earlier in the day, she had a meeting with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen. “Free and fair elections must include a level playing field for all participants, including political parties,” the US embassy said referring to Akhter’s visit to Bangladesh.
Masroor Mawla said Akhter first wanted to know from Shammi about the next Jatiya Sangsad polls. The AL leader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was committed to holding free and credible elections. She also told the US official that the caretaker government system became highly controversial during the BNP’s rule and therefore, parliament revoked the system in 2011.
Akhter then wanted to know Amir Khasru’s thoughts. The BNP leader said the country made huge strides during the previous rule of his party, and that BNP founder late president Ziaur Rahman had taken the initiative to set up the readymade garment sector.
Migrant workers and the RMG sector were the main foreign currency earners for Bangladesh, but $7 billion were laundered each year from the country and that’s why the economy is under serious strain now, Masroor quoted Amir Khasru as saying.
The BNP leader said his party would join the next parliamentary polls only under a caretaker or interim government and it was because “elections under an AL government can never be free and fair”.
Masroor said he told Akhter that the incumbent Election Commission was not neutral. “For a fair election, the neutrality of the Election Commission is very important.” He said they learned a lesson that “fair elections are not possible when polling agents are ousted from the polling booths and ballot boxes are stuffed at midnight”.
US Ambassador Peter Haas said all political parties need to move forward positively for the betterment of the country.
“I said the enmity between the two major political parties should end. They need to sit and reach a compromise. Otherwise, whichever party would be in power in future would do the same thing and that cannot continue,” Masroor said.
Work To March Country Forward: PM Tells Jubo League Men
Thousands of leaders and activists thronged Suhrawardi Udyan at a grand rally on November 11 marking the 50th founding anniversary of Jubo League. Prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina called upon the leaders and activists of Jubo League to take the country forward for prosperity, being imbued with patriotism and dutifulness towards the country and its people.
“I urge the youth that it is their duty to march the country ahead toward development and prosperity… the people of the country are now getting hope afresh to live a beautiful and dignified life due to the massive development carried out by the Awami League government. To take the efforts forward further, the youths are the most important stakeholders and they can build the country,” she said.
Referring to the remarks made by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman that he would build the war-ravaged country using its soil and population, the prime minister said, “It can be done if there is patriotism and dutifulness toward the country and its people and we have proved it.” Taking part in person in the first formal rally since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, she asked the Jubo League leaders and activists to work in unison to materialise the dream of Bangabandhu to build the country as a developed and prosperous one and thus give the people an improved and beautiful life being imbued with his (Bangabandhu’s) ideal.
Sheikh Hasina said the world might be suffering from famine and food crisis as the entire world has been rattled by the economic meltdown stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war, sanctions and counter-sanctions. The PM asked the Jubo League men to go to their native villages and take measures to bring all the lands, including abandoned ones, under cultivation so that Bangladesh never has to face any famine.
She reminded all again not to leave a single inch of land uncultivated to cut dependency on imports as the prices of goods have increased manifold across the globe due to the war. She said her government has opened various organisations including banks, insurances, mobile phones, television channels and radios in the private sector aimed at generating employment jobs for the youths.
No More Games In The Name Of Election: Fakhrul at Faridpur Rally
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam has said Awami League will not be allowed to play games any more in the name of election. He said this while speaking at a huge rally on Komorpur Abdul Aziz Institution’s premises, around 6km away from Faridpur district town. Faridpur district unit BNP organised the programme as part of the party’s planned divisional rally. “You went to power by playing games in the name of elections last two times by deceiving people and telling them lies. But this time we have turned around and people too. This time there will be no election unless caretaker government is installed in the country,” he said. Thousands of leaders and followers of the BNP and its associate bodies from five districts — Faridpur, Rajbari, Shariatpur, Madaripur and Gopalganj — participated in the rally in Faridpur, known as a stronghold of ruling Awami League, overcoming various obstacles and a 38-hour bus strike that began in the morning on November 12.
The rally venue was almost filled with BNP leaders and activists on November 11 night as they gathered there in advance from the adjacent districts fearing obstacles by the ruling party men and police and hassles caused by the bus strike.
Though bus communication remained halted between Faridpur and the rest of the country since November 11 morning, the BNP leaders and activists came to the district town from different areas by train, launches, boats, trucks and small vehicles like human haulers, auto rickshaws, three-wheelers, motorbikes, and micro-buses. BNP leaders alleged that their activists were obstructed at different entry points and police check posts and C&B Ghat by law enforcers from joining the rally. However, BNP activists were seen coming to the rally venue in small processions chanting various anti-government slogans since early morning, braving all hurdles. The organisers said the rally was meant to denounce the price hike of daily essentials and fuels, the death of five party men in previous police action in Bhola, Narayanganj, Munshiganj and Jashore, and to ensure the freedom of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. The BNP has long been demanding that the next general election be held under a caretaker government, not under any political government–a demand sharply rejected by the ruling Awami League as the constitution does not allow it to happen. A similar strike was also enforced ahead of BNP’s divisional rallies in Barishal, Rangpur and Khulna, but thousands of party leaders, activists and supporters participated in the rallies overcoming the obstacles. BNP will conclude the divisional rallies through a mass gathering in Dhaka city on December 10.
BNP Vows To Take Movement To Final Stage
After paying tributes to party founder Ziaur Rahman on November 7, BNP vowed to take the party’s movement to the final stage for bringing back democracy, Fakhrul said.
“We’ll restore democracy, free our leader (Khaleda Zia) and bring our leader Tarique Rahman back to the country and free the people of Bangladesh from the misrule,” he told reporters after paying respect to Ziaur Rahman. He later vowed to establish a truly democratic state and democratic society, reports UNB. BNP leaders and activists marked the day as “National Revolution and Solidarity Day”. Fakhrul further mentioned that the patriotic soldiers and mass people brought back the freedom of Bangladesh by freeing Ziaur Rahman from captivity on November 7, 1975, through a revolution. “That’s why this day is significant for the people of Bangladesh. November 7 is not just a day, it was a day to consolidate the independence and sovereignty achieved by the people of Bangladesh through the Liberation War in 1971,” he added.
Swedish, Norwegian Envoys Talk Politics, Polls With Fakhrul
The ambassadors of Sweden and Norway to Bangladesh had a ‘closed-door’ meeting with Fakhrul on November 8 and discussed various issues relating to the next national election. Swedish Ambassador Alexandra Berg Von Linde and Norwegian envoy Espen Rikter-Svendsen sat in the meeting with Fakhrul at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office at 3:10pm and it continued until 4:30pm.
BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury was present at the meeting.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Khasru said the two envoys mainly discussed the latest political situation, recent political incidents, and the country’s electoral system.
He, however, declined to elaborate on what they talked about the next election and the political situation.
“I can’t go into detail about what was discussed inside. I can only say all the matters related to the current political context of Bangladesh have been discussed.”
Asked whether there was a discussion about the next election, Khasru said, “Of course, we talked about the election.
Because the election is now on everyone’s mind. The election is very important to everyone in the country and outside the country. “
He said the international community wants an elected government and an elected parliament to be in place in Bangladesh through a fair election. During the discussion, Khasru said the two ambassadors wanted to know what could be the future of Bangladesh’s politics and the situation of the country’s democracy and human rights rule of law, and public safety.
Quader Promises To Finish BNP’s Movement In Dec
Issuing a warning, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on November 7 said a game will be played in December against the misrule of BNP, vote thieves and arsonists.
“BNP failed to raise 13 minutes’ movement in 13 years and the BNP leaders failed to bring out a procession for their chairperson Khaleda Zia, now they are dreaming to topple the government. They are vowing that they will hold a victory march with Khaleda Zia on December 10. If we call, BNP would not find any path to escape,” he said while addressing the triennial conference of Tangail district unit Awami League at Tangail Stadium.
Talking about the BNP’s Barishal divisional anti-government rally, the minister said, “Dubai’s money flies in the sky and they (BNP) are involved in instigating people against the government. They have no mercy on common people, they need only peacock throne that’s why they are instigating people.”
He said Ziaur Rahman awarded the killer of Bangabandhu and enacted a law to stop all ways for the trial of the killers, but now the game will be played against those involved in awarding the killers and enacting the law.
“I have learned that the BNP is agitating to regain their power. Actually, they are doing so to bring back the ‘Hawa Bhaban’. The game will be played against the evil power of Tarique Rahman,” he said.
Pointing at his BNP counterpart, Obaidul said, “During the tenure of BNP we could not stay at our homes but they are sitting in air-conditioned rooms. Please wait! The people of the country will explain to you what is movement and how many types of movement and what are they?”
Referring to the new committee, the Awami League leader said there will be no trade over Awami League committee and the leaders will be picked as per the wish of the workers.
