Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has advised Bangladesh's ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan not to contest the upcoming 11th parliamentary election and to give full attention to cricket.

She asked Shakib to pay more attention to the matches as the cricket world cup will be held next year, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader quoted Sheikh Hasina as saying.  

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11th JS polls: AL starts sale of nomination papers

Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, was talking to reporters at AL party office at Dhanmondi today, Bangladesh daily Prothom Alo reports.  

WILL MASHRAFE RUN THE POLLS? 

However, popular cricketer Mashrafe Bin Mortaza will collect nomination form from the AL office today, the minister confirmed.

Md Abu Naser, senior information officer of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, yesterday said Mashrafe will contest the 11th parliamentary elections to be held on December 23 with Awami League ticket.

Although the party spokesman had informed Shakib Al Hasan's bid for elections, the all-rounder backtracked on his decision.

He informed Daily Prothom Alo late last night that he would not be buying nomination paper for the upcoming election.

WHEN DID THE SALE OF NOMINATION PAPERS START?

On Friday, the ruling Awami League started selling the party’s nomination papers for the 11th general election.

AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader inaugurated the sale of nomination forms at AL president’s Dhanmondi political office with the purchase of a nomination paper on behalf of the party President Sheikh Hasina.  

BNP today blamed the ruling quarter for carrying out propaganda against BNP and the party chief Khaleda Zia through social media ahead of the 11th parliamentary election scheduled for December 30.

“Social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have been flooded with false, fabricated and politically motivated campaign to thwart our movement for Khaleda’s release from jail. The government has already announced an ugly cyber war against the party with public money,” BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed said.

He was addressing a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka this afternoon.

“They (AL) has been spreading dangerous propaganda of various spiteful superimposed photos and fake audios and videos on the party on social media,” said Rizvi, also the spokesperson of BNP.

He said the ruling quarter is trying to divert people’s attention to different directions from their 10 years of indulgence in all-out corruption, killing, abduction, enforce disappearance and misdeeds by spreading the falsehood through the social media.

“The ruling Awami League men are using at least 50 online portals like Bangla Insider, Bangla News Post, Amader Rajniti, News for All, Chobir Moto Desh, Bangladeshi Viral Videos, Chairman Sab, Guerrilla-71, Cyber Force-71, Bangabandhu Cyber Force, Bangabandhu Digital Brigade, Aam Janata, Bhorer Pataa and Gujobe Kan Diben Na, in conducting the offensive campaign,” Rizvi said.

They are engaged in spreading out propaganda spending thousands of dollars from different fake Facebook IDs, he alleged.

He also warned that people would pay a befitting reply to Awami League for such false campaign through the ballot in the upcoming general election.

Jatiya Party, a key component of Awami League-led 14-Party Grand Alliance, will announce tomorrow whether they will remain as the opposition or be part of the government.

JP Secretary General Moshiur Rahman Ranga said this while addressing journalists after a joint meeting with the part’s presidium members and newly elected MPs in Dhaka this morning.

The meeting was attended by JP presidium members, newly-elected MPs, party insiders said.

Notably, JP, which played the role of opposition in the last parliament, yesterday expressed dissatisfaction over the outcome of the 11th parliamentary election held on Sunday.

Reflecting on it, Ranga said, “The party expected to win more than 22 seats in the election."

THE ELECTION RESULT

The Awami League-led Grand Alliance secured a landslide victory in the national election held on Sunday, December 30, winning in 288 out of 300 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad.

HOW WAS THE ELECTION?

Voting for the 11th parliamentary election ended peacefully in Dhaka; but was tainted with violence elsewhere across the country and cost the lives of at least 19 people.

Reports of casualties came in from Cumilla, Chattogram, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Rangamati, Cox’s Bazar, Bogura, Noakhali, Narsingdi and Gazipur.

Allegations of vote rigging, election clashes, intimidation and irregularities came in from several other constituencies and capital Dhaka city.

Also, the election saw opposition candidates boycotting elections in at least 43 constituencies; 42 of who were Jatiya Oikyafront runners.

Grassroots leaders of the BNP's Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions yesterday pledged to stay in the electoral race regardless of the situation and support the candidates to be nominated by the party.

They made the promise while being interviewed by the BNP nomination board comprising BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and the party's standing committee members.

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The board asked the aspirants to submit their nomination papers to the returning officers.

Through video conference, Tarique, who has been staying in London since 2008, interviewed 540 nomination seekers from 72 constituencies of 16 districts in the two divisions at the BNP chief's Gulshan office.

BNP's parliamentary board starts interviewing the party’s nomination-seekers for the 11th parliamentary election on Sunday, November 18, 2018. The photo shows that Popular singer Baby Nazneen in front of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office for the interview. Photo: Collected

Tarique was sentenced to 17 years in prison in two corruption cases and life imprisonment in the August 21 grenade attack.

The Awami League questioned his inclusion in the BNP nomination board and drew the Election Commission's attention to the issue. In response, the EC said it would look into the matter.

This correspondent talked to more than a dozen BNP nomination seekers who said the board asked them what role they had played for the party and the country in the last 12 years.

It also asked how many times they landed in jail and how many cases they are facing now.

The board told them that the party would finalise the names after scrutiny, and that they have to work together for the candidates to be nominated by the party.

“I was asked whether I will be in the electoral race even in an adverse situation. In reply, I promised to stay in the race till the end,” Khondker Ahad Ahmed, a nomination seeker from Gaibandha-2 constituency, told this newspaper.

The grassroots leader said he would abide by whatever decisions the party makes with regard to nomination.

“I told the board that I was in jail along with some 25 leaders when Khaleda Zia was sent to prison. Later, I was released on bail and also helped other party men secure bail,” he mentioned.

Apart from Ahad, four aspirants from Gaibandha-2 were interviewed by the board.

Farhad Hossain Azad, an aspirant from Panchagarh-2, said he was interviewed, along with three others from the constituency.

“We all said that nomination should be given to a party leader, not to anyone from the components of the BNP-led alliance.”

Tasmia Pradhan, daughter of former Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (Jagpa) president Shafiul Alam Pradhan, has expressed her willingness to contest from the constituency. Jagpa is a component of the BNP-led combine.

Azad further said, “The secretary general wanted to know why I want to contest the polls, and if someone else gets the party ticket, would I work for the candidate?”

Abdul Halim, an aspirant from Dinajpur-4, said Tarique wanted to know why the party should give him nomination.

“I said I have been working for the party for the last 25 years. And I have no dispute with any party men. If I get nomination, I will win the polls,” he said.

Zahidur Rahman Zahid, who is seeking nomination from Thakurgaon-3, said Tarique wanted to know why he should be given the party ticket as he lost the last election.

“In reply, I said I could not win the last polls due to intra-party conflicts. But I will win the election this time if party men support me,” he mentioned.

Eleven aspirants, including Zahid, from the constituency collected nomination forms.

Nadim Mostafa, a nomination seeker from Rajshahi-5, said he told the board that he would work for whoever gets the party ticket.

The BNP sold 4,580 nomination forms in five days till Friday. The last date for submission of the nomination papers is November 28.

Yesterday, the aspirants of each of the 72 constituencies were interviewed together. Later, they gave undertakings to the nomination board that they would work for the candidates to be nominated by the party.

In the afternoon, Fakhrul told reporters, “We directed all aspirants to make preparations for the polls and guard the polling stations on the election day.

“We also asked them to stay alert so that no one can occupy any polling station.”

BNP's parliamentary board starts interview of the party’s nomination-seekers for the 11th parliamentary election at party Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office on Sunday, November 18, 2018. Party acting Chairman Tarique Rahman is conducting the interviews through a video conference. Photo: Collected