BNP seeks Speaker's intervention

BNP MPs have sought the Speaker's intervention, claiming that the Leader of the Opposition is being kept

A BNP parliamentary party delegation has met Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury at her office on Thursday morning, handing her a memorandum.

Opposition chief whip Joynul Abdin Farroque read out its contents at a media briefing after their 10-minute meeting with the Speaker.

"We sought the Speaker's intervention. She has assured us that she will speak to the Home Ministry on the matter," he said.

He said that the Ninth Parliament was still in force and Khaleda Zia was still the Leader of the Opposition.

The BNP MP said that the nation wanted to know why Khaleda had been confined to her home and was not being allowed to meet party leaders while her 'protocols' had also been withdrawn.

BNP lawmakers have also sought an appointment with President Md Abdul Hamid to discuss the matter, Farroque told bdnews24.com just after the meeting with the Speaker.

He said that the Bangabhaban will inform them in the afternoon when the President will meet them.
The 18-party opposition alliance led by the BNP is enforcing a non-stop road, rail and waterways blockade from Jan 1 after failing to hold its 'march to Dhaka' and Naya Paltan rally on Sunday (Dec 29).

Khaleda was unable to leave her Gulshan residence for Naya Paltan, as the police had boxed her in.

The BNP says its Chairperson has been 'effectively under house arrest' though the government denies the allegation.

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Jatiya Party releases manifesto

The Jatiya Party has released its manifesto for the 10th parliamentary election ending speculation about the party’s participation in the general election.

For weeks, its leaders had issued conflicting statements creating smokescreen arourd the party’s real plans.

Presidium Member Anisul Islam Mahmud launched the document at Hotel Sonargaon on Thursday.

He said party Chairman HM Ershad had helped prepare the manifesto while his wife and senior Presidium Member Raushan Ershad had directed him to release it.

Presidium members Kazi Firoz Rashid, Tajul Islam and Nasim Osman were present at the function.

When asked why he, instead of the party chairman or the secretary general, released the manifesto, Anisul said the chairman was in the Combined Military Hospital, while the secretary general was busy campaigning.

Raushan Ershad could not attend the programme on health grounds, he said.

Anisul said the Jatiya Party was in the election and the nominated candidates would take part in it with party symbol, the ‘plough’.

On whether Ershad was informed about the release of the manifesto, he said: “Each word of the manifesto has been dictated by him.”

The party has eight pledges – the first being upholding of Islamic values.

Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad announced his boycott of the elections a day after the party candidates submitted their nominations.

The party leaders made various statements on joining the polls since then.

Ershad was admitted to the Combined Military Hospital amid the escort of RAB on Dec 12.

The ruling Awami League allotted 60 seats for the Jatiya Party while finalising seat distribution.

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Hasina to address the nation

Awami League chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will deliver her electoral speech on state radio, TV this evening.

Her press secretary Abul Kalam Azad said that the speech will be aired at 7pm on the state-owned BTV and Bangladesh Betar.

The speech is a part of the campaign in the run-up to Jan 5 polls through BTV for chiefs or representatives of the six political parties out of 12 going to polls.

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Bomb haul from dustbin

More than 40 handmade bombs have been found abandoned in a dustbin in Dhaka's Mohammadpur on Thursday.

RAB-2 Commander KM Azad said 43 handmade bombs were found in a bag lying in a dustbin at Bijli Moholla.

"The bombs, made with in glass bottles with sulphur and potassium with pebbles as splinters, seems to be powerful," he told bdnews24.com.

Local shopkeeper Matiur Rahman said that a boy found the bombs while searching the dustbin for scrap papers.

"He informed one person about what had seen. Later, the RAB recovered them."

Six to seven bombs exploded at the adjacent Ring Road when mediapersons gathered at the spot on being informed about the recovery.

One person has been detained in connection with the explosions.

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Mozena meets Shamsher Mobin

The US ambassador in Dhaka Dan W Mozena has met BNP Vice Chairman Shamser Mobin Chowdhury on Wednesday.

Mozena entered Chowdhury's Banani home at 11.30 am and left after an hour and half.

The BNP leader told bdnews24.com after the meeting: "The US ambassador just came to meet. We exchanged pleasantries."

He, however, did not clarify what else were the matters they discussed.

Mozena had gone to the BNP chief's Gulshan residence on Tuesday amid heavy police cordon. The meeting lasted for one and a half hour.

In a statement after the meeting the US envoy said that the political parties need to engage in “serious dialogue” and immediately find an “agreed” way to hold free, fair and credible elections.

He also conveyed the US government’s concern at the recent wave of arrests of senior political leaders.

On Monday, British High Commissioner Robert Gibson had met the Leader of the Opposition.

Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury was present in that meeting. Police had arrested him as soon as he emerged from Khaleda's house but released him hours later.

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‘Notebooks for students in future’

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has pledged to give Notebooks to all students in future so they can download books from the internet.

“We will give Notebooks (to students) that will have everything. Digital books will also be given in the future,” she said, while inaugurating a textbook festival at the Gana Bhaban on Wednesday.

She said there would not be any need to send books to remote areas; students would be able to download books from the Internet.

Hasina gave textbooks to some students at the festival.

She congratulated those involved in book production for completing their task in time despite the political violence in the country.

The Prime Minister said 38.6 million people in Bangladesh were now using the Internet.

She said they were planning to make youths skilled in outsourcing.

This year, 43,353,201 students will receive 317,725,526 textbooks and other education materials.

Schools across Bangladesh will hold textbook festivals on Thursday to distribute books among students.

The government has been distributing free textbooks to students since 2010.

As many as 1.24 billion books have been distributed in the past four years.

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Court rejects complaint against Khaleda

A Dhaka court has refused to admit a complaint lodged against Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia, accusing her of issuing threats during her altercation with police on Sunday

After a hearing on Wednesday, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Asaduzzaman Noor observed that it was not clear how the complainant, Bangladesh freedom-fighter Awami League founder Mojibur Rahman Molla, was defamed by Khaleda Zia’s comment.

Molla had filed the complaint on Wednesday morning accusing the BNP chief of issuing threats during an altercation with police on Sunday.

Angry over the police refusal to let her leave her house to attend a party rally, Khaleda warned a woman police official, apparently hailing from Gopalganj, of changing the district's name which happens to be Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's home district.

“Where do you hail from? Gopali? Will change the name of Gopalganj. It will not exist any longer,” she thundered.

The Opposition Leader was much criticised by Gopalganj residents as well by Awami League leaders for the comments.

In his complaint Molla, who is also a resident of Gopalganj, said that comment was defamatory and charged Khaleda for issuing threat and instigation.

On Tuesday, the same court had refused to admit a similar complaint against the BNP chief filed by one AB Siddique.

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