Friday, November 22, 2024

Opposition’s final-round stir over CG after Ramzan

The Opposition BNP-led 18-party alliance has threatened to launch its “final round of agitation” after Ramzan, to force the government to hold the general
election under a non-party poll-time administration.
Leaders of the 18-party alliance observed that the movement must be stepped up before Ramzan, as it would not be possible to launch an intense agitation during the month-long fasting, beginning in the second week of July. “This timeframe is very important for us. We want to utilise the time to bolster our organisational activities to force the government to hold the next general election under a non-party caretaker administration,” Lieutenant General (retd) Mahbubur Rahman told The Independent.
The Opposition’s campaign has not gathered momentum during the last four and half-year tenure of the Awami League-led grand alliance government due to wrong and misleading directions given by party higher-ups over several issues, including the Hefazat-e-Islami Bangladesh’s movement, he added. “The next parliamentary election is supposed to be held anytime between October this year and January 24 next year. We have no scope to look back under the circumstances,” he added.
“After the month of fasting, we will remain on the streets to fight and force the government to accept our demand and hold the next poll under a non-party caretaker government (CG),” Mahbub said. Indefinite hartal, blockades and laying of siege will be resorted, he added.
Besides, BNP policy makers will be asked to travel across the country and communicate with divisional, district and upazila level leaders during the month of Ramzan about the party strategy, he said.
Anwar, also a party standing committee member, said as the government is not keen on the CG issue, the Opposition has no alternative but to take to the streets. “Parliament has been turned into a place for needless debates and not for serious discussion on national issues. Therefore, discussing the CG restoration proposal in the House will be futile. We have to meet our demand through movement,” he added.
Responding to a question, he said talks will have to be held outside Parliament and all political parties must reach a consensus on the CG issue. “If it is done by the government, we will place the CG restoration proposal during the budget session,” he added.
The Opposition acting chief whip, Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee, said that doors to discuss the CG issue with the Opposition party cannot be closed. The ruling Awami League will be forced to place the CG bill in Parliament’s current budget session.
“Our adjournment motion on the CG restoration proposal to the charter has been withdrawn and that does not indicate that we are against the CG demand. We expected that the proposal would be placed in the House by the government side,” he said.
“We still hope that a dialogue on the issue will be held outside Parliament first and then the CG restoration bill will be placed before the House for its approval. Otherwise, we will launch a one-point movement after Ramzan till our demand is met. As part of our last-ditch effort, we will place the CG restoration proposal in the House during its current session. It is fine, if our demand is met; otherwise we have no alternative but to resort to a tougher movement,” he warned.
Talking to The Independent, the JAGPA chief, Shafiul Alam Prodhan, said the government is forcing the Opposition alliance to take to the streets. “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that the doors to discussion are already closed. I think this can never be done in a democratic country. If this happens, then the country becomes autocratic,” he said, expressing the hope that good sense will prevail upon the government.
“We, the 18-party alliance, will begin the final course of agitation after the month of fasting to force the government to accept our demand,” he said.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, another alliance leader said if the Opposition fails to force the government to accept its CG demand, the government will go for polls under its own management. He said if the anti-government movement is foiled, the 18-party alliance will have no other option but to boycott the polls. If that happens, not only the BNP-led coalition, but the entire country will suffer as one-party BKSAL rule will be introduced formally, he said.

-With The Independent input

Related News

Khaleda joins Armed Forces Day event after 12 years

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia on Thursday attended the Armed Forces Day reception programme at Senakunja after 12 years. Chief adviser to the interim government Muhammad Yunus exchanged greetings with Khaleda Zia at the reception programme at Dhaka Cantonment. Khaleda last attended the Armed Forces Day ... Read more

AMM Nasir Uddin made CEC

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Former secretary AMM Nasir Uddin has been appointed as the new chief election commissioner. President Muhammed Shahabuddin appointed him and other election commissioners on Thursday, a day after the EC search committee submitted the shortlist containing 10 names for those posts. Other members of the commission are former additional secretary Md ... Read more

JU student lost life after being hit by battery-run rickshaw on campus

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A first-year student of Jahangirnagar University died after she was hit by a battery-powered rickshaw on campus yesterday evening. Afsana Karim was a student of marketing and a resident of Begum Khaleda Zia Hall. Her parents live in Sherpur. In security camera footage, Afsana was seen walking near the arts building ... Read more

Education must foster creativity : Professor Yunus

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus said on Wednesday (20 November) that Bangladesh’s education system must foster creativity to create a generation of entrepreneurs. “We should reform the education system in a way that it creates a generation of entrepreneurs. We need education, which helps students become creative people. Our young people ... Read more

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims observed

News Desk : dhakamirror.com World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims was observed in Bangladesh on Sunday as elsewhere in the world. To mark the day, different government and non-government organisations held different programmes on the day. The day is commemorated on the third Sunday of November each year. Dhaka North City Corporation on ... Read more

Chief Adviser opens waiting lounge at Dhaka airport

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Dr. Muhammad Yunus has opened a new waiting lounge for expatriate workers and their families at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. The lounge was inaugurated after his return from the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. Dr. Yunus mentioned that he had previously opened a lounge for expatriate workers before ... Read more

Saudi Arabia opens doors to nurses from Bangladesh in landmark move

There are only a few dozen clinicians among nearly 30 lakh Bangladeshi expatriates in Saudi Arabia Kamran Siddiqui Highlights Saudi Arabia has begun recruiting Bangladeshi nurses, marking a significant milestone in overseas employment, as the Gulf nation traditionally employs lower-wage, less-skilled workers from the country. The recruitment process, targeting an initial intake of 500 nurses, ... Read more

DU changes admission test for Ijtema, ‘Ka’ unit exam to February 15

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The General Admission Committee of Dhaka University (DU) has rescheduled the “Ka” unit (science) admission test to February 15 due to the Biswa Ijtema. Previously, the exam was scheduled for February 1. “We decided to defer the ‘Ka’ unit test date as it coincides with Biswa Ijtema,” said Professor Mamun Ahmed, ... Read more

Yunus opens dedicated lounge for migrant workers at Dhaka airport

News Desk : dhakamirror.com In a heartfelt acknowledgment of their invaluable contributions, the country is set to honour its expatriate workers with a new lounge at the Dhaka airport designed to make their journeys more comfortable. Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Monday inaugurated a special lounge for the country’s migrant workers at Hazrat Shahjalal ... Read more

Khaleda’s 10-year jail term stayed by SC

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday stayed a 2018 High Court ruling that had extended Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia’s prison sentence from five years to 10 years in the Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Orphanage Trust case. A three-member Appellate Division bench led by Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam ... Read more

JnU students end protests after demands met

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Jagannath University students on Tuesday withdrew their movement, for the construction of the university’s second campus, after the interim government accepted their demands. AKM Rakib, an organiser of the movement, told reporters after a meeting held at the education ministry on the day that they were withdrawing the movement. ‘The government ... Read more

Applications for school admission begin

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Admission applications for grades one to nine in both public and private schools have started this morning. Students can start applying online from 11am. The application process will continue until 5pm on November 30, reports The Business Standard. After the application period ends, students will be chosen through a digital lottery, ... Read more

Grandchildren of deceased government employees now eligible to receive pensions, gratuity

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Government employees’ pensions and retirement benefits have been modified by the government, allowing their grandchildren to receive them in the event that no other eligible nominee is available. In this regard, a notification was released by the finance ministry today, November 10. The amendment comes amid a legal complication in this ... Read more

Entry exam for MBBS on January 17 and BDS on February 28

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The entrance exam for MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) 2024-2025 academic year will be held on January 17, while the BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery ) is scheduled for February 28. The dates were finalised at a meeting today at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at ... Read more

BMD Winter outlook: Winter going to be colder this year

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Eight to ten mild to moderate cold waves could hit the country in the upcoming winter, a Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) official stated yesterday. Two to three of those waves could turn into severe cold waves, with temperatures likely to drop as low as 4 degree Celsius, in the northwestern, northeastern, ... Read more

Govt made the decision to revoke Cyber Security Act

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh’s interim government advisory council, on Thursday, made a policy decision to repeal the controversial Cyber Security Act. This decision was made at a meeting held at the office of chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in Tejgaon, Dhaka. After the meeting, environment, forests and climate change adviser Syeda Rizwana Hassan confirmed ... Read more

Everyone must work together to save rivers: Rizwana

News Desk : dhakamirror.com “We must save rivers and stop pollution caused by mills and industries. However, the entire responsibility cannot be imposed on the government. Everyone must work together,” said Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan yesterday. “In a democracy, everyone has a stake. Preservation of the environment will only be successful when everybody participates,” ... Read more

Actress Shomi Kaiser arrested

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Actress Shomi Kaiser has been arrested from Uttara in the capital, said the police. Uttara West police station officer-in-charge Hafizur Rahman stated that she was arrested from a house in Sector 4 of Uttara at around 1:00 am on Wednesday. An on-duty officer at the Uttara (West) police station confirmed that ... Read more

Ijtema scheduled for two phases from January 31 to February 9: home adviser

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Bishwa Ijtema is set to take place in two phases from January 31 to February 9 next year, as announced today by Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury. The first phase will be held from January 31 to February 2, with the second phase from February 7 to ... Read more

Bangladesh sent 9.3 lakh workers abroad since Jan

BSS With sincere efforts by different stakeholders, especially the government, Bangladesh sent abroad 9.3 lakh workers with jobs from January to 2 November this year. “The trend of overseas employment is satisfactory so far and we are expecting to send more remittance senders with jobs this year,” Director of Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training ... Read more