Hasina alleged that BNP and its allies are aware of this ‘bitter truth’, and that is why they want to “foil the election,” slated for January 7, and “overthrow the government…reports Asian Lite News
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina slammed the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) over the violent incidents in the country and said that it can’t win elections by “arson attacks and killing people,” Dhaka Tribune reported.
She made the remarks at a discussion at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) organised by the ruling Awami League to mark Victory Day.
“They should know this and they should act accordingly,” Hasina added.
Sheikh Hasina, also the President of the Awami League, said the BNP does not want the welfare of the people; it rather wants a regime of “looting, money laundering and plundering public money.”
“They do not want to go for an election because they know very well that the people will not cast votes for arson terrorists and killers,” she added.
Hasina alleged that BNP and its allies are aware of this ‘bitter truth’, and that is why they want to “foil the election,” slated for January 7, and “overthrow the government,” Dhaka Tribune reported.
She mentioned that the Awami League was not born from an “illegal power grabber”; instead, the party is the “organisation of the land and the people of this country.”
“This party has grown through struggle against all odds and injustices. So the roots of this party are deep. They (BNP) cannot overthrow or suppress the Awami League like this,” she added.
Sheikh Hasina further urged the people to create resistance against criminals, arsonists, killers and saboteurs of rail lines.
“These kinds of destructive activities must not continue in this country,” Dhaka Tribune quoted her as saying.
The Bangladesh PM said at a time when the country is advancing by overcoming the problems caused by the COVID pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the BNP and its allies are engaged in “arson attacks, hartal and blockades to play with the fate of the people.”
Hasina added that Bangladesh has established voting rights and food security through movements and struggles. She also added that the Awami League has made electoral reforms and has given the people their voting rights.
“The people will decide whom they want to elect and who will form the government,” she said.
The prime minister said Bangladesh will never look back again, and ‘Bengalis’ will advance like they gained victory through a nine-month war in 1971, Dhaka Tribune reported. (ANI)
The Bangladeshi Government denies any implication that the ‘masked individuals’ on motorcycles are presumed to be supporters of the ruling party…reports Asian Lite News
Amid the ongoing political violence in the country, the Bangladesh government has issued a response to a press briefing note issued by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on October 31, and said that it rejects any insinuation suggesting that the ‘masked individuals’ riding on motorcycles are “thought to have been” the ruling party supporters.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, in a press release, has stated that the government is “deeply shocked” at the ongoing violence and public disorder in Dhaka.
“The Government of Bangladesh rejects any insinuation suggesting that the ‘masked individuals’ riding on motorcycles are “thought to have been” the ruling party supporters.
Widely circulated video footages show that the attacks on the journalists were made, and residence of the Chief Justice were vandalized from the BNP rally.
Media reports identified one person wearing protective vest and posing to be a law enforcement agent/press personnel and putting fire on vehicles as Robiul Islam Noyon, Member Secretary of Dhaka City South branch of Jubo Dal (the youth wing of the BNP).
#Bangladesh: We are deeply concerned by the series of violent incidents during ongoing protests. We urge Govt to observe the greatest restraint to curb political tensions at this critical time, & to ensure that human rights are fully upheld, before, during & after the elections.… pic.twitter.com/bifbi8FGXx
The injured journalists did not claim that they were attacked by ruling party members – masked or not. Moreover, the Bangladesh Federal Journalist Union (BFUJ), on a press release issued on 28 October 2023, condemned the attacks to BNP activists on the journalists,” the release read.
“The Government of Bangladesh is deeply shocked at the unprecedented show of violence and public disorder by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the name of its one-point unconstitutional demand of holding the next general elections under a non-party caretaker administration. As per BNP’s request, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) gave permission to hold its rally in front of its party office on 28 October 2023 under some specific conditions.
However, BNP activists took recourse to indiscriminate street violence, arson and other forms of attacks on persons and properties. The main targets of such rampant violence have been the apolitical law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, innocent civilians, state institutions and public properties,” it added.
Bangladesh’s Government ensured public order as its law enforcement forces showed utmost restraint and patience and applied minimal and optimal force. Moreover, the Foreign Ministry release stated that the government of Bangladesh is committed to ensuring people’s right to vote at any cost and to holding a free, fair, credible and peaceful election.
“The Government of Bangladesh is committed to ensuring people’s right to vote at any cost and to holding a free, fair, credible and peaceful election.
For the sake of democracy, which the people of Bangladesh achieved after countless sacrifices, the Government of Bangladesh will support the independent Election Commission to hold the next general election on time as per our constitution. The Election Commission – independent constitutional body – is regularly holding dialogue with registered political parties ahead of next general elections,” the release read.
According to the release, the country’s election commission has invited international election observers and foreign media to observe the upcoming 12th Parliamentary Elections of Bangladesh.
“The BNP also resorted to misinformation in order to misguide the international community and thus gain sympathy. In a press conference in BNP Headquarters, it introduced a fake ‘adviser to the US President’.
The motive of BNP behind terrorizing the nation and misguiding the people of Bangladesh and the international community is to disrupt the ensuing election and constitutional processes. Unfortunately, the OHCHR may have fallen for BNP’s misinformation campaign,” the release added.
The minority community leaders and political observers said, this is an open threat, evoking grim memories of a wave of attacks by the BNP-Jamaat men unleashed in the past….reports Sumi Khan
Bangladesh’s opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, has stated their intentions to remove Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from power.
He mentioned the party’s consideration of seizing power as an alternative to participating in elections and also made concerning remarks regarding the minority community.
He made the remarks in front of their central office in Naya Paltan area of Dhaka on Wednesday evening
Alamgir also said that the BNP is waiting to grab power in the final victory, led by party’s acting leader Tarique Rehman, in another programme organised by the Ziaur Rahman Foundation .
“Fight on the streets… we’re ready to face it…,” Alamgir chanted to hundreds of people vowing to upstage the Hasina led government.
“After Durga Puja, the biggest festival of Hindu community, on October 28 (the day of Laxmi Puja), we will gather at the capital and will wage our movement, none can stop us,” he said.
The rally ended with the slogan “Take Back Bangladesh”, indicating the intent of grabbing power without election and introduced by Tarique Rahman, from London. Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, has been convicted in a number of cases including money laundering and colluding with ULFA and Lashkar-e-Taiba militants, smuggling in arms and ammunition and the grenade attack to assassinate Hasina colluding with militants, to “punish India”.
The minority community leaders and political observers said, this is an open threat, evoking grim memories of a wave of attacks by the BNP-Jamaat men unleashed in the past.
Amid a series of these chilling threats, BNP leaders seem determined on a “sinister plot” to carry out large-scale violent attacks to derail the electoral process as Tareq announced.
Several thousand Jamaat-e-Islami activists, alongside members of a number of outlawed radical outfits, have already rushed into the capital from the grassroot area, a police official, seeking anonymity, told IANS.
He said that those hooligans are staying mainly on hotels and messes particularly in Uttara area to avoid detection of law enforcers and had ties with militants like Ruhul Kuddus Taulkder Dulu, Khairul Kabir Khokon, Abul Khaiyer Bhuiya, Sahabuddin Sabu, Shahid Uddin Anny assigned to oversee the operation, as per intelligence reports.
In recent times, Tarique Rahman’s threats spark concerns from minority community leaders and human rights activists who found the call a clear indication of resorting to violence instead of fighting the battle of ballots.
What worries most Bengali liberals is that the Jamaat-e-Islami has actually managed to strike a deal with the US through their Pakistani mentors who are now pushing for a united lslamist alliance that brings together all like-minded but often competing groups vying for a slice of the Islamist vote bank…writes Subir Bhaumik
As the countdown begins on Bangladesh’s parliament polls scheduled for Jan 2024, there seems to be a resurgence of Islamist radicalism with both major parties, ruling Awami League and main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), looking to cement alliances with smaller right-wing Islamic groups.
The country, born in 1971 of a bitter and bloody civil war in undivided Pakistan, was wedded to secular linguistic Bengali nationalism, so far upheld by the Awami League, which led the war of independence with Indian support. But anticipating a tough challenge in the upcoming election from the BNP-JAMAAT alliance, the Awami League is seeking an electoral understanding with an Islamist coalition named Liberal Islamic Alliance comprising six Islamic and like-minded political parties formed on September 1.
As the BNP -Jamaat-e-Islami coalition has been joined by leading Islamic parties in calling for a boycott of the upcoming polls unless they are held under a neutral caretaker dispensation (an administration that is non-party with eminent people not linked to any party whose job is to get the elections done), the Awami League is keen to get the Liberal Islamic Alliance ( LIA) to participate in the polls to be able to claim that the polls were inclusive.
The six Islamic parties, newly registered with the Election Commission, that make up the LIA are Bangladesh Supreme Party led by Syed Saifuddin Ahmed Maizbhandari, Bangladesh Islami Oikya Jote led by Misbahur Rahman Chowdhury, Krishak Sramik Party led by Farhanaz Haque, Aashiqeen-e-Awlia Oikya Parishad led by Alam Noori Sureshwari, Bangladesh Janodal and National Awami Party (NAP Bhashani).
The LIA’s formal launch will be made from a rally on October 21 at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, where the Islamist alliance plans to gather over 3 lakh people (300,000), said LIA insiders. But the LIA insiders also said the alliance is expecting a large number of leaders from Islamist groups like the Islami Andolon Bangladesh (IAB), Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Khilafat Andolan, Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam and Bangladesh Nezami Islami Party to come over to their fold and contest polls.
Pic credits IANS
At the moment, 44 political parties, 14 of them Islamist parties, are registered with the Election Commission, a mandatory condition for contesting in any election. The participation of some of these Islamist parties in the election will help the ruling party to portray the polls as participatory in the absence of opposition BNP and other major Islamist parties.
But top Bangladesh intelligence officials suspect even the Jamaat-e-Islami may part ways with the BNP, which is against joining polls without a caretaker-supervised poll, and field a large number of candidates under the LIA banner.
So far Jamaat’s infiltration has not been proven. “Till now we’re not aware of such an alliance. Last month leaders of ruling 14 party alliance had a meeting. They have decided not to expand the present structure,” says Shahriar Kabir, a top anti-fundamentalist leader whose group pushed and got going the 1971 War Crimes trials to punish Jamaat leaders who joined the Pakistan army in massacres.
The pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami, which backed the Pakistan army in its horrible atrocities, has been a marginal player even after it got backing from successive military regimes of General Ziaur Rahman and Hussain Mohammad Ershad. But the BNP led by Khaleda Zia valued it and struck an electoral deal with it to tap into its Islamist vote-bank, however small.
Sensing that it may get a huge political boost if it takes the field in the event of a BNP poll boycott which may swing BNP voters to its fold, the Jamaat has seriously considered contesting the parliament polls. But since it was deregistered as a political party a decade ago after the Supreme Court ruled its manifesto and party constitution as “incompatible with Bangladesh Constitution”, the Jamaat-e-Islami’s legal thrust for regaining Election Commission’s recognition has run into rough weather with a case filed to upturn Jamaat’s appeal. “Now that the verdict on the legal challenge to Jamaat’s appeal for regaining registration has run into rough weather and the matter is hanging in court, it may well suit its hardline Islamist leaders to field candidates in most seats under LIA banner, much as it would be welcomed by LIA leaders who are close to Awami League to fight the polls as a Jamaat front,” said Sukharanjan Dasgupta, veteran columnist and author of books on Bangladesh.
“It is a win-win for both Awami League and Jamaat-e-Islami. “If LIA as a Jamaat front emerges as the main Opposition with a substantial vote-share, it sets them up as a future contender for power with an Islamist agenda. For the Awami League, such a scenario helps it to claim a fair and inclusive election to silence Western nations and organisations who doubt Hasina’s intentions,” continues Dasgupta.
Many fear that Hasina, in an effort to neutralise her bête noire Khaleda Zia, may “actually invite a crocodile by excavating a canal” (a popular Bengali proverb), if the Awamis let the LIA get away with a good number of seats in a friendly fight.
“The Jamaat-e-Islami is the real enemy of all secular, liberal democratic forces in Bangladesh, the enemy of our independence. If they gain legitimacy from any exercise that may suit the short-term gains of Awami League, the future of Bangladesh as a moderate Muslim nation will be called to question,” said former intelligence official Benu Ghosh who has followed Bangladesh for years.
What worries most Bengali liberals is that the Jamaat-e-Islami has actually managed to strike a deal with the US through their Pakistani mentors who are now pushing for a united lslamist alliance that brings together all like-minded but often competing groups vying for a slice of the Islamist vote bank.
The Jamaat-e-Islami is playing it smartly. On the one hand, they are likely to field hundreds of candidates by hijacking the LIA which is led by a woman, but on the other hand, they plan to join the BNP and other Islamist Opposition groups in violent street protests to back the caretaker demand. If the Awamis ward off the agitation and return to power, they will still manage a substantial parliamentary presence under cover of LIA. If Hasina succumbs to street power, the Jamaat can hope to ride to power with BNP through the caretaker route.
Most Bengali liberals no longer feel the Awami League can defend the core national values of secularism, liberalism and participatory democracy because the “ soft Islam” adherents in the party have a powerful grip on the Hasina administration. ”The time has come to launch a broad-based pro-liberation platform, one that will fight to bring back the 1972 secular Constitution, launch an all-out war against corruption and price rise and restore the economy reeling under crony capitalist free run that has led to huge money laundering and bank defaults,” said a very senior Awami League leader, one of the organisers of the 1971 Liberation war. But he was unwilling to be identified because he feared retribution.
Another senior leader points to the rapacious Beximco group whose founder Salman F Rahman is PM Hasina’s private investment adviser. “In spite of huge bank defaults running into thousands of millions, Beximco has just got a loan of 22000 crore (220 billion) Taka. How is that possible without clearance from the very top?” he said. So powerful is Rahman that a TV channel during a recent interview asked him if he fancied himself as a “super minister”. “Rahman’s influence on Hasina is pernicious because his company is at the heart of corruption allegations the PM faces but also because he is pushing for a Pakistan-type puritanical version of Wahabi Islam in state policy that sits uneasy with the syncretic tradition of Bengali Islam,” said a minister of Hasina government, again on condition of strict anonymity.
Political activists labeled BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami as perpetrators of human rights violations, holding them responsible for the deaths of secular Bangladesh Army personnel during their time in power…reports Asian Lite News
A gathering of Bangladeshi political activists residing in Europe convened at the iconic ‘Broken Chair’ monument outside the United Nations in Geneva. Their purpose was to denounce the religious extremism and acts of terrorism associated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh.
They held a demonstration and banner campaign during the 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday here.
Organised by the Forum for Secular Bangladesh, the theme was ‘Zero tolerance against religious extremism and terrorism in Bangladesh’.
European Freedom Fighters Associations Bangladesh and Switzerland Chapter of Bangladesh also joined these activists and raised slogans accusing BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami as collaborators of terrorism.
They termed them as human rights violators who were responsible for killing secular Bangladesh Army personnel during their rule.
Nazrul Islam, president of Switzerland Awami League, said, “We are here to recognise the genocide of 1971 and we are demanding the United Nations and other international community to recognise the genocide in Bangladesh, and Pakistan’s brutal army have to apologise Bangladesh.”
Khalilur Rehman, a Bangladeshi human rights activist living in Switzerland, accused the West of backing Khalida Zia-led BNP party. He said, “We are observing in Bangladesh that the United States is backing Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP to destroy the country. We gained independence in 1971 by a revolution and we will not allow any such conspiracy.”
The demonstration was also joined by former Dutch MP, Harry Van Bommel. He addressed the protesters and said, “No matter the extremism and terrorism comes from groups like Jamaat-e-Islami and even backed by the Pakistan government. Pakistan has a bad track record when it comes to state terrorism as it was shown in 1971 by carrying genocide.” (ANI)
Graft case against BNP chief Khaleda again refixed on 26 Feb
As the election approaches, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is strategising to undermine the advancements in infrastructure and progress achieved under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina’s government. The BNP’s approach to politics is often characterised as destructive, and it has established links with extremist elements. During its rule from 2001 to 2006, Bangladesh witnessed widespread corruption, human rights violations, and political repression, leading to a culture of impunity. The BNP’s affiliations with radical Islamist groups like Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir contributed to religious tensions and violence against minority communities. Economic mismanagement and crony capitalism during its leadership hindered foreign investments, resulting in stagnation, increased poverty, and unemployment … writes Dr. Mohiyudhin Ishaq
Since its establishment in 1978, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has been one of the major political parties in Bangladesh, having held power several times and currently serving as the chief opposition party. However, what the BNP is most renowned for is not playing a constructive role as a party, but propagating its nefarious agenda and engaging in destructive politics, thereby unleashing the forces of violence, extremism, and instability in the country.
During the BNP’s rule in Bangladesh from 2001 to 2006, the nation witnessed a troubling escalation of its adverse activities, which had a profound and lasting impact on the country’s political landscape and societal fabric. This period was characterized by a series of disturbing developments, including widespread corruption, human rights abuses, and political repression, all of which culminated in a culture of impunity that allowed the BNP’s supporters to act without restraint or fear of punishment.
Sheikh Hasina addressing Women and Girls in Science Assembly UN
One of the most striking features of the BNP’s rule during this period was the pervasive corruption that permeated various levels of government. Corruption scandals involving high-ranking officials and politicians were commonplace, eroding public trust in the government and impeding the nation’s development. The embezzlement of public funds and the use of state resources for personal gain not only undermined economic growth but also exacerbated poverty and inequality.
The BNP’s tenure witnessed a distressing deterioration in human rights conditions in Bangladesh. Reports of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture of political dissidents and activists became disturbingly frequent. Freedom of speech and assembly were curtailed, leading to a stifling atmosphere of fear and intimidation. These actions not only violated the rights of Bangladeshi citizens but also tarnished the country’s international image.
The actions of the BNP have also had a detrimental impact on the social fabric of Bangladesh, as they have engaged in divisive politics that foster social and religious tensions within Bangladeshi society. A conspicuous example of this is the BNP’s alignment with radical Islamist groups, particularly Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir. These affiliations have been widely documented and scrutinised.
Jamaat-e-Islami, in particular, has a history of inciting violence against religious minorities, with reported incidents involving the vandalism of temples and the issuance of death threats to non-believers. A poignant illustration of this was the orchestrated anti[1]Hindu violence in Bangladesh in 2013, a harrowing episode that bore the hallmarks of Jamaat’s involvement. These extremist groups have actively pursued the persecution of religious minorities, including Hindus and Buddhists, and it is disconcerting to note that such actions have occurred with the tacit support of the BNP.
Jamaat’s student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, played a fundamental role in expanding its influence across educational and social institutions, with a mission to establish an Islamic way of life. This group maintains close ties with international Islamist organisations which support their subversive activities in the entire region.
BNP has been involved with various other extremist groups also such as the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI). These groups have been carrying out several terror attacks within Bangladesh such as the bombing of a local court in Ghazipur and an attack on a mosque in Khulna. BNP has also been propelling Hefazat-e-Islam, a radical Islamist movement in Bangladesh that is attempting a subversion of the Bangladeshi state. Moreover, propped by the BNP, groups like Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) have been providing Pakistan-based terrorist organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad a transit route through Bangladesh. JeI is also heavily funded by Pakistan’s notorious spy agency ISI to create disturbances and communal disharmony in Bangladesh.
The BNP’s adverse activities and destructive politics have had a significant negative impact on Bangladesh in various ways. Its divisive and violent politics have caused political instability in Bangladesh. The BNP has often resorted to protests, strikes and blockades, causing widespread disruption and chaos in the country. Its corrupt practices and mismanagement of funds and resources have hampered Bangladesh’s economy. The BNP’s practice of crony capitalism and favouritism impeded the inflow of foreign investments and economic growth. This has resulted in stagnant to negative growth, rising poverty and unemployment rates, especially during its reign.
The BNP’s policies of political repression, religious intolerance and active support to extremist and terror groups have resulted in widespread human rights violations in the country. The party has also gone on to suppress political opposition while it was in power from 2001 to 2006. Creating social tensions and destroying the pluralistic fabric of Bangladeshi society has been yet another agenda of the BNP. The rise in the number of communal violence, extremist groups, intolerance, and discrimination against minorities have largely been an outcome of the divisive politics followed by the BNP. The party’s utter disregard for democratic ethos, human rights, pluralistic values, secular fabric and the rule of law in fact also led to sanctions and condemnation from the international community.
There is a stark contrast of the BNP’s policies with those of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government. The rapid domestic development that Bangladesh is witnessing is attributed to the transformative leadership of the current government led by Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh, which was earlier considered an ‘international basket case’ because of its dependence on foreign aid and donations to survive in the post-liberation war era, is witnessing unprecedented growth under the present government.
Within a short span of over 14 years, since Sheikh Hasina has been in power, Bangladesh has upgraded to a lower middle-income country from a low-income country. When the BNP-Jamaat alliance left the government in 2006 after five years of misrule involving corruption, nepotism, plunder and radicalisation of the Bangladeshi society, the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of Bangladesh was a mere $570. As per the World Bank’s 2021 figures, Bangladesh’s GNI per capita stood at $2,570. This reflects an exponential growth of GNI per capita with a 351 per cent increase in a relatively short period of time.
With a 6.6 per cent average economic growth rate, Bangladesh has been able to pull millions of poor people out of poverty. As per the International Monetary Fund, Bangladesh is now the 43rd largest economy in the world in terms of nominal GDP, while it stands at the 32nd position in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP). Moreover, it is amongst the 10 fastest-growing economies globally.
While the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government is taking Bangladesh to unprecedented heights in terms of developmental parameters owing to its remarkable story of poverty reduction and development under the Awami League government, with Bangladesh being on track to graduate from the UN’s Least Developed Countries (LDC) list by 2026, the BNP, on the other hand, is far from playing the role of a legitimate political party.
The BNP is actively involved in furthering its nefarious design of creating a deep chasm in Bangladeshi society through divisive politics, social tensions, economic disruption, and the rupture of the secular fabric. For years, the members of the BNP – both local cadres and higher-ups – have already been mired in myriad criminal cases. The second-in-command of the BNP Tarique Rahman himself is a convict having committed serious criminal offences and in exile in the UK for over a decade.
The people of Bangladesh are well aware of the BNP’s abhorrent acts and divisive ways. They have realized that the BNP is a threat to the social, cultural, economic and political fabric of the country. It is time that even the international community call out the adverse and destructive activities of the BNP.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has left a legacy of destructive politics and affiliations with extremist groups. However, the nation has witnessed a remarkable transformation under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, who has been at the helm since 2009. During her tenure, Bangladesh has experienced unprecedented economic growth, poverty reduction, and international recognition. From transitioning to a lower middle-income country to ranking among the fastest-growing economies globally, Sheikh Hasina’s government has propelled Bangladesh to new heights. While the BNP continues its divisive politics and negative impact, the people of Bangladesh recognise Sheikh Hasina’s commitment to stability, progress, and inclusivity, heralding a bright future for the nation.
