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Posts published in “Bangladesh”

BNP announces 48-hour blockade from Wednesday:

Report in Prothom Alo, Dec 05, 2023The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has announced another spell of 48-hour blockade from 6:00 am Wednesday to 6:00 am Friday. The party has also announced a human chain on 10 December. BNP assistant secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi made the announcement in a virtual meeting today, Monday. The BNP has been holding blockade and hartal (strike) in a regular-basis demanding the resignation of the government, elections under a neutral…

Election code breakers go unpunished:

By Tuhin Adhikary/Mohiuddin Alamgir in The Daily Star, Dec 5, 2023Election code violations are rampant ahead of the January 7 election, but the Election Commission has yet to take any punitive action against the rule breakers. Under section 18 of the electoral code of conduct, violation of election rules by aspiring candidates is punishable by six months’ jail or Tk 50,000 in fine or both. Under the section, the EC can also slap a fine…

Cash crunch lingers at crisis hit Islamic Banks

by Md Mehedi Hasan in The Daily Star, Dec 5, 2023Five Shariah-based banks are still experiencing liquidity crisis despite significant support from the central bank, which hit the overall surplus cash situation in the Islamic banking system in the July-September quarter, a Bangladesh Bank report said. The crisis-hit five banks are — Islami Bank Bangladesh, Social Islami Bank, First Security Islami Bank, Union Bank, and Global Islami Bank..At the end of September, Islami Bank Bangladesh’s…

Army gets unmanned combat aerial vehicles

report in The Daily Star, Dec 5, 2023In a first, the aviation unit of Bangladesh Army got unmanned combat aerial vehicles, also known as combat drone, said a press release of Inter-Services Public Relations yesterday. A programme was held on the occasion at the aviation forward base in Patenga, Chattogram. Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed joined the programme as the chief guest. These drones will make it possible to take instant decisions…

Awami League divided at grassroots

report in Prothom Alo, Dec 4, 2023In the Panchagarh-1 seat (covering Sadar, Tetulia, and Atowari), Awami League’s district branch vice-president Naimuzzman Bhuiyan (Mukta) has secured the party’s nomination. However, four other Awami League leaders, including the incumbent member of parliament Mazharul Haque Pradhan and District Awami League General Secretary Anwar Sadat, have submitted nomination papers as independent candidates for this seat. The situation has created confusion and disarray among the leaders and workers of Awami…

BNP plans to bring all opposition to one platform

by Selim Zahid in Prothom Alo, Dec 4, 2023Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has planned to bring all the opposition parties, which have been launching movements against the government, to one platform. Sources concerned said this strategy has been planned targeting the voting day on 7 January of the 12th parliamentary elections. At this stage of the simultaneous movement seeking the election under a neutral government, BNP policymakers think the pace of the movement will intensify…

Seat-sharing With AL: Uncertainty looms over Jatiya Party

by Rashidul Hasan in The Daily Star, Dec 4, 2023Jatiya Party leaders find themselves in an uncertain and uneasy situation ahead of the January 7 national election, as the party still hasn’t reached any consensus on seat sharing with Awami League. In the last few elections, AL didn’t nominate anyone from certain constituencies to facilitate easy victories for top JP leaders. However, the ruling party aspirants are on the field this time in almost every…

14-party waits AL’s decision on seat sharing

report in Prothom ALo, Dec 3, 2023The partners of the 14-party alliance led by the ruling Awami League have expressed dissatisfaction over the seat-sharing ahead of the 12th parliamentary election slated to be held on 7 January. Given this situation, alliance coordinator Amir Hossain Amu has initiated informal discussions on behalf of the Awami League regarding the distribution of seats after the process of submitting nomination papers is completed. On Saturday, some top leaders of…

Is Raushan’s political career coming to an end?

by Rashidul Hasan in The Daily Star, Dec 3, 2023With Raushan Ershad not participating in the January 7 parliamentary election, questions have arisen whether the 27-year political career of the Jatiya Party chief patron and opposition leader is coming to an end. The five-time MP welcomed the announcement of the election schedule and unequivocally said the Jatiya Party would participate in the election under the present government. However, amid a growing conflict with Jatiya Party…

EC cannot intervene in political disputes:

Report in The Daily Star, Nov 30, 2023Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal yesterday said the EC doesn’t have the scope to engage itself in any disputes or differences in the political arena. “We told the EU delegation that if there is any difference of opinion in the political arena, we can’t interfere in it. We can’t engage,” he told reporters after a meeting with a European Union delegation at the EC office in Dhaka.…

JP headed for yet another split?

By Rashidul Hasan in The Daily Star, Dec 01, 2023Jatiya Party, the main opposition in parliament, is facing another split centring the conflict between its Chairman GM Quader and Chief Patron Raushan Ershad over MP nominations, party insiders said. Raushan, also the leader of the opposition, on Wednesday night announced that she would not participate in the national election because tested leaders of the party were undermined. She was frustrated that she could not secure…