Latest news with #BangladeshNationalistParty
NDTV
2 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Bangladesh Polls Announcement Likely In August, Yunus Calls For Unity
National elections in Bangladesh are likely to be announced in the first week of August by the country's interim government, according to media reports, with the announcement expected to coincide with the first anniversary of the protests that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government. Chief Adviser of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, is expected to make the announcement through a national address. Elections to install a government with a political mandate are likely to be held in February next year. Several political parties in Bangladesh have been pressing for elections, arguing that the interim government lacks a political mandate. Demands for elections by December, however, appear to have been ignored. Earlier on June 13, Bangladesh Nationalist Party's acting Chairman Tarique Rahman met with Chief Adviser Yunus in London during his official visit to the United Kingdom. In a joint statement following the meeting, Muhammad Yunus had said, "If necessary preparations are completed, the next national election could be held in the week before the beginning of Ramadan in 2026 (early February)." Notably, pressure has been mounting on Yunus to announce elections, as the country has been without an elected government since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. The BNP, which is the main political contender following the ban on the Awami League, remains optimistic about the announcement of an election date and timeline. Bangladesh daily Prothom Alo quoted BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir saying on Monday, "If the Chief Adviser announces the election date within a couple of days, we will be happy-because that's exactly what we have been demanding." However, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, a hardline Islamic outfit that has supported Yunus, is reportedly not in favour of announcing an election date at this stage. Critics argue that Yunus has remained in power with the backing of Jamaat-e-Islami. Following the fall of the Hasina government, the ban on Jamaat was lifted, and its registration with the Election Commission was restored, allowing it to contest future elections. However, Muhammad Yunus has not indicated anything about an election date announcement despite multiple calls to do so. After holding meetings with the political parties on Saturday, he had called for "unity to thwart attempts to disrupt the election." "If all the forces of the uprising cannot come together to conduct a fair election, this great opportunity will slip through our hands," the Chief Adviser said during a discussion with top leaders of various political parties. Expressing hope for the cooperation of all political parties to organise a fair election, Muhammad Yunus said, "Whenever we move forward with election preparations, various conspiracies come to light. But the reality is that no conspiracy can obstruct the democratic journey. Because the unity of all democratic forces on the issue of fascism is clear." Notably, Sheikh Hasina was toppled in a student-led revolution in August 2024 and was charged with crimes against humanity, including incitement, conspiracy, and issuing orders that led to mass killings.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Bangladesh's BNP functionary lived in Bengal for 30 years, wife held: Police
Kolkata: A functionary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was living in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district for the past 30 years as an enrolled voter, police said on Sunday, a day after his wife — who claims to be an Indian national — was arrested. At least 300 Bangladeshis have been apprehended from various districts of West Bengal since December last year. (Representative photo) 'Sherful Mondal, a resident of the district's Bagdah area, said that she married Rezaul Mondal around 30 years ago but came to know later that he was a BNP leader and had entered India illegally,' a police officer, requesting anonymity, said. Sherful said that Rezaul returned to Bangladesh months before a mass uprising forced Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina to resign as Prime Minister and leave the country in July last year. 'Rezaul came under scanner after police started looking for his son, Firoz, for allegedly eloping with a minor girl three months ago. A case was registered against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The probe indicated that Firoz is a Bangladeshi national,' the officer said. Also Read: Bengal launch helpline amid migrant worker harassment row; BJP floats counter helpline The officer said that Rezaul presented Sherful's mother, Cherbanu Mondal, as his mother while procuring an Elector's Photo Identity Card (EPIC). 'Sherful was arrested for helping an illegal immigrant,' the officer added. Prasun Pramaik, the block development officer (BDO) of Bagdah, said that Rezaul's nationality was exposed when Election Commission officials were doing field work. 'EC officials went to the area to update the electoral roll when the man and his son could not be found,' the BDO said. Also Read: '52 migrant workers detained in Gurugram': Bengal CM raps govt North 24 Parganas is one of the districts in West Bengal that share an international border with Bangladesh. The Border Security Force (BSF) and other agencies have intensified vigil along the border since 2024 in view of the political unrest in Bangladesh. At least 300 Bangladeshis have been apprehended from various districts of West Bengal since December last year.
United News of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
BNP leader says no real reform possible without representatives and a proper democratic structure through polls
Dhaka, July 26 (UNI) Bangladesh Nationalist Party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that no real reform is possible without involving representatives of the people and establishing a proper democratic structure through a national election, adding that no government can be run by just a few individuals from abroad. Speaking at a discussion today, titled 'July Uprising: Expectation and Achievement at the Jatiya Press Club,' marking the first anniversary of the July Uprising that led to the fall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government, he criticised those who think reforms can happen overnight or just through a few meetings. "Reform must be carried out through a process. It is a continuous process," he said, calling the expectation of an overnight reform 'unrealistic', reports Daily Star. The BNP leader lambasted the existing bureaucracy for holding back the country's development. "Our bureaucracy is a major obstacle to development. It is a negative bureaucracy and must be turned into a positive one. To do that, we mainly need to involve the people in the process." He further slammed the current state of politics and said 'The country is now in a complete mess. Some political parties are talking about proportional representation in elections through PR systems, which has nothing to do with the people of Bangladesh. "Ordinary people don't even understand what proportional representation is. Ask them, and they won't be able to answer. People only know that their party will nominate a candidate, and they will vote for that person." Stating that the nation is going through a critical time, he added "We are waiting for a democratic transition that will ensure political and economic welfare for the people." The BNP leader said political parties should focus on returning to the people, learning about their needs and reflecting those needs in running the country. Referring to the criticism BNP faces for demanding elections, he stated "As soon as we started talking about the election, they began saying BNP only wants polls. But has anyone thought about why do we want the election?" He explained that without elections, true public representatives cannot be chosen. "And without representatives, how can they go to Parliament? And if there is no elected Parliament, how can people's rule be established?" "You cannot just hire a few people from home and abroad to run a country. It's not possible," concluding his remarks. UNI ANV GNK
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Wife of BNP man who lived illegally in India for 30 yrs held
Bagdah (N 24 Parganas): A BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) worker's wife was arrested on Saturday at Bagdah in North 24 Parganas for allegedly aiding and harbouring her Bangladeshi husband, who had been living illegally in India for nearly 30 years using forged documents. Police sources said BNP worker Rezaul Mondal had illegally entered India three decades ago and married Sherful Mondal of Bagi village in Bagdah. To obtain Indian identity documents, he allegedly showed his mother-in-law as his mother. There are also allegations that Rezaul cast votes in India. Police sources said Rezaul was from Jhinaidah village in Bangladesh. Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina govt, Rezaul returned to Bangladesh a few months ago, police said. "The matter came to light during an investigation after Rezaul's son Firoz eloped with a girl. Police found both Rezaul and his son were Bangladeshi nationals," said a senior officer of Bongaon District Police. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata A local court sent Sherful to five days of police custody on Saturday.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Yahoo
Clip of truck hitting teen in Indonesia misrepresented as 'Bangladeshi driver resisting extortion'
A graphic video of a person being run over by a truck was filmed in Indonesia, contrary to posts claiming it showed the driver resisting an extortion attempt in Bangladesh. According to Indonesian news reports from July 2021, the teenager had been attempting a dangerous TikTok challenge and died from his injuries. "I salute this patriotic and brave driver for killing even one extortionist. I appeal to all the drivers of the country to raze the extortionists in this way." reads part of the Bengali-language caption of a graphic Facebook video posted on July 4, 2025. Viewed more than 740,000 times, the video appears to show a person standing in the middle of the road attempting to stop an oncoming truck with their hands. The truck, however, does not stop and runs over the individual. The same clip was also shared in similar Facebook posts in Bangladesh, where -- according to a task force formed by the interim government -- extortion is deeply entrenched (archived link). There were nationwide protests on July 11 following the murder of a local scrap trader, reportedly because he refused to pay extortion money (archived link). The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, seen as the election frontrunner in polls scheduled for April 2026, has also started taking steps to weed out members allegedly involved in crimes ranging from extortion to rape and murder (archived here and here). The video circulating online, however, was not filmed in Bangladesh. A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to an Indonesian-language news report that included a still from the clip (archived link). The report by local media organisation Warta Kota, published on July 13, 2021, said the incident involved a teenager who sustained serious injuries and it occurred on RE Martadinata Street, in the North Cikarang district of Bekasi Regency (archived link). A subsequent report by the Pos Kota newspaper on July 14, which also contained a screenshot from the video, said the teenager succumbed to his injuries (archived link). According to news outlet Tempo, the group of teens were doing a TikTok challenge dubbed "the grim reaper prank" (archived link). The report said the group had earlier filmed several similar videos before the deadly incident. Elements visible in the falsely shared video, including lamp posts and roadside plant pots, also correspond to Google Street View imagery of RE Martadinata Street (archived link). AFP has debunked other posts that falsely presented clips as having been filmed in Bangladesh here and here.
