The Election Commission (EC) has rejected the candidatures of BNP leader Amanullah Aman and Krishak Sramik Janata League President Kader Siddique for contesting the upcoming general election.
The commission came up with the decision today after holding hearing on their appeals challenging the rejection of nomination papers by the returning officers during scrutiny, reports our staff correspondent from the spot.
BNP leader Aman filed appeal to the EC to contest the election from Dhaka-2 while Kader Siddiqui for Tangail-4 and Tangail-8 constituencies.
It also rejected a petition filed by Workers Party of Bangladesh chief Rashed Khan Menen challenging the legality of the candidacy of Mirza Abbas from Dhaka-8 constituency. However, there is no legal bar for Abbas to contest the national election.
The commission also declared the candidacy of Bangladesh National Alliance (BNA) chief Nazmul Huda as valid to contest the upcoming general election. Huda filed the appeal to vie the election from Dhaka-17 constituency.
Besides, the commission granted the appeal of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal President Afroza Abbas for Dhaka-9. Yesterday, the EC kept pending hearings of Afroza's appeal.
The EC today started hearing of the remaining 233 petitions, filed against the decisions of returning officers over the rejection and acceptance of nomination papers.
To know more about the fate of the 233 appeals, take a look at the table below:
Constituency
Valid
Rejected
Party
Feni-1
Khaleda Zia
BNP
Bogura-6
Khaleda Zia
BNP
Bogura-7
Khaleda Zia
BNP
Chattogram-5
Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin
BNP
Rajshahi-5
Nadim Mostafa
BNP
Chattogram-8
M Morshed Khan
BNP
Dhaka-2
Amanullah Aman
BNP
Dhaka-8
Mirza Abbas
BNP
Dhaka-9
Afroza Abbas
BNP
Dhaka-17
Nazmul Huda
Bangladesh National Alliance (BNA)
Tangail-4
Kader Siddique
Krishak Sramik Janata League
Tangail-8
Kader Siddique
Krishak Sramik Janata League
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The families of two teenagers killed in Mohammadpur during a clash of Awami League factions ahead of the general election have been robbed of justice.
The family members of one of the victims said police submitted the final report in the case without talking to them. The report mentioned no clash even though it was widely covered by the media at that time. It termed the incident an “accident”.
Councillor Tarequzzaman Rajib of ward-33 also threatened the father of one of the victims not to file a murder case, they said.
A case was filed after the November 10, 2018, incident and the father of one of the teens was made the plaintiff.
The father maintains he did not file the case and that the signature on the case document could not be his since he is illiterate. He said Councillor Rajib put a gun to his head and told him to do as he said after the incident.
The families opened up to this paper only after Rajib was arrested this week.
On the morning of November 10, 2018, a procession of vehicles, largely comprised of flatbeds, with supporters of AL leader Sadek Khan was going towards the AL Dhanmondi office to buy nomination paper for Sadek’s candidacy in the polls.
Mohammad Sujon, 19, and Arif Hossain, 14, were on one of the pickup trucks when the procession was attacked allegedly by the men of rival AL leader and then lawmaker Jahangir Kabir Nanak.
During the melee Sujon and Arif fell off the vehicle and the driver, trying to avoid the brick chunks being hurled at the pickup, reversed and ran the two over, according to case documents, news reports, witness accounts, and statements of the families.
Sujan and Arif died in hospital.
Arif’s father Faruk Hossain was taken to a community centre in Mohammadpur when he was on his way to the hospital. He was confined there for 12 hours by Rajib’s men, Faruk told The Daily Star.
Late at night, Rajib, reportedly Nanak’s ally, at the community centre told Faruk to go to the police station to talk about getting the body of his son.
Faruk then went to the police station, gave his details, and told the officials there what he knew about the incident. He had no idea that police were filing a case making him the plaintiff. The police officials there asked him to identify the body at the Suhrawardy hospital, Faruk said.
On his way to the hospital from the police station, two men stopped him near Shia Masjid and took him to Rajib’s home.
Rajib told him at gunpoint to do as he said regarding the matter, Faruk told The Daily Star.
“You wouldn’t get anything if you file a murder case. Instead, you will be harassed and face the same consequences as your son. You are from Lalmonhon of Bhola and so am I. Do what I say. You will get a good compensation,” Faruk quoted Rajib as saying.
Faruk eventually identified his son’s body the next day.
Faruk said, “After the incident, I thought it was police who were the plaintiff in the case.
“This is my NID, sir. See, I can’t sign,” Faruk showed his NID to this correspondent which had his thumb print.
Faruk said not a single police officer talked to him about the investigation since then.
Sujon’s uncle Md Riaz told The Daily Star last night that the police never talked to them either.
He said councillor Rajib had promised them compensation and jobs for family members but he never delivered.
Sujon’s family did not know that the final report was submitted. They heard it first from The Daily Star correspondent.
After “investigating” the case for 11 months, police submitted the final report terming the incident an “accident”.
Police had arrested convener of Jubo League’s Adabar Thana unit Arifur Rahman Tuhin in connection with leading the attack but in the final report police said they found no evidence of Tuhin’s involvement.
Rajib, on behalf of then MP Nanak, had given Arif’s family Tk 30,000 and Sujon’s family Tk 25,000 as burial cost.
After the incident, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader said the prime minister directed the authorities concerned to submit a probe report over the incident within two days.
Whoever is found involved would be given exemplary punishment, he had said, adding that the prime minister wanted to know “who destroyed the peaceful election environment”.
Sub-Inspector Mukul Ranjan of Mohammadpur police station, investigation officer (IO) of the case, said they submitted the final report of the case in the first week of this month as they could not find any evidence or witnesses.
Police also could not identify the pickup truck and its driver.
In the final report, police said the two factions of the ruling party came “face to face” near Mohammadi Homes Ltd on November 10 when the unidentified driver reversed in a hurry and could not see what was behind him. This led to the two getting run over.
The SI in his investigation found no evidence of the clash. He only said the two faction came “face to face”. The media, however, had extensive coverage of the incident.
They reported that the attackers, armed with hammers, sharp weapons and brick chunks, swooped on the procession of vehicles.
The IO said said Faruk did not know what had actually happened and had “filed the case” based on hearsay.
Taking to this newspaper, the SI claimed that he did not find anything in CCTV footage and no local wanted to be a witness.
Asked why the IO never contacted Faruk, the IO first claimed that he had contacted him but later said they could not reach him.
The IO claimed that Faruk had indeed filed the case.
At one stage of the conversation with this correspondent, the IO said he had written the final report with direction from a superior officer of Tejgaon Division Police.
Anisur Rahman, deputy commissioner (Tejgaon division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told The Daily Star that he had no knowledge about the development of the case as he joined the division only a few months ago.
“I will have to see the documents,” he added.
In November last year, Nanak said he had nothing to do with the attack on the procession.
Sadek had said that he did not want to blame anyone and demanded a proper investigation.
The Daily Star could not reach Nanak and Sadek for comments over the last few days.
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BNP leader Mirza Abbas today reportedly came under attack when he was electioneering near Shegunbagicha area of Dhaka today.
Talking to journalists, the BNP standing committee member claimed that at least seventy to eighty of his supporters were injured in the attack this afternoon.
Around 100 people launched the attack on the BNP candidate when he along with his supporters were campaigning near Shegunbagicha kitchen market area.
Mirza Abbas is contesting from Dhaka-8 constituency.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE SITUATION SINCE ELECTIONEERING STARTED?
Since electoral campaign began on Monday, law enforcers arrested at least 136 leaders of the BNP-led 20-party alliance and Jatiya Oikyafront, including BNP Organising Secretary Ruhul Kabir Talukder Dulu and the party's candidate for Gazipur-2 Fazlul Haque Milon.
Earlier, two Jubo League and Awami League leaders were killed in Noakhali and Faridpur on the second day of the election campaign.
HOW MANY BNP MEN WERE ATTACKED SO FAR?
Besides, at least 10 other candidates of the alliance were attacked across the country allegedly by the ruling party men during their electoral campaigns.
They are Afroza Abbas, BNP candidate for Dhaka-9; Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary general of BNP; Fariduzzaman, Jatiya Oikyafront candidate for Narail-2; Golam Mohammad Siraj, BNP candidate for Bogura-5; Sharifuzzaman, BNP candidate for Chuadanga-1; Manjurul Alam Bimol, 20-party candidate for Natore-1; Professor Abu Sayeed, Jatiya Oikyafront candidate for Pabna-1; Jeba Amin, BNP candidate for Jhalakathi-2; and Azharul Islam Manna, BNP candidate for Narayanganj-3.
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Photo: Sheikh Mehedi Morshed, Orchid Chakma, Prabir Das, Amran Hossain, Sk Enamul Haq
A presiding officer brings out the ballot papers for a voter who uses a wheelchair at Dania College centre in the capital's Jatrabari. Many people with disabilities faced difficulties casting votes as most of the centres were not disabled-friendly.
A police team outside a voting centre in Narayanganj.
Shamim Osman, AL's candidate for Narayanganj-4, sips a cup of tea while exchanging greetings with voters outside a polling centre in Dharmaganj area.
Two first-time voters show off their ink covered thumbs after voting at Avoy Bonodini High School in the capital's Rajarbagh.
Urdu-speaking voters make their way to a voting centre at Dhaka Residential Model College in the capital.
A crowd gathers outside the polling centre at Madhubagh Madrasa in the capital after the Awami League men shut the gate and refused to let anyone in.
Voters checking their phones for their voter numbers at Ali Ahmed Majumder School and College in Dhaka's Goran. Many were turned away after failing to find the number.
The 3G and 4G service have been resumed at 10:00am, a spokesperson with the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) told The Daily Star this morning.
Most of the private telecommunications operators also confirmed about it.
The services were switched off at 9:00pm on December 30 (election day) three hours after restoring the mobile internet.
During the period, people were not able to use the internet on their phones, stream or upload pictures or videos.
This the third time the telecom regulator shut down the 3G and 4G services in last two days.
According to the BTRC, there were 8.78 crore active internet connections in the country as of June this year and mobile phone connections accounted for 93.43 per cent.
As of November of 2018, over 6 crore people are currently using the 3G and 4G mobile internet.
According to BTRC data, there were 57.35 lakh broadband connections in November.
On December 26, the BTRC in a meeting with the International Internet Gateway representatives said social media sites, especially Facebook, would be blocked if needed.
BTRC in the night of the following day slowed down mobile internet by shutting down 3G and 4G services. However, the service was restored on Friday morning 10 hours into its suspension.
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The Awami League-led Grand Alliance will win the upcoming general election with a two-third majority, the party's General Secretary Obaidul Quader said today.
The ruling party leader and contesting for Noakhali-5 constituency said this during an electioneering programme at Bashurhat HSC Govt High School ground in Companiganj upazila this noon.
“Sheikh Hasina is being praised by the entire world today. The mass public support generated in favour of ‘boat’ symbol from Sunamganj to the Sundarbans and from Tentulia to Kutubdia, it is apparent that the Grand Alliance, led by Sheikh Hasina, will defeat the evil, communal forces and win the December 30 polls with a two-third majority,” Quader said.
Expressing concern that the “evil, communal forces” may launch attacks at the polling centres, he said they would have to be resisted from the beginning of voting till the end of vote counting on the polls day.
“Oikyafront will try different tricks and instigations to thwart the polls. Beware of their trap and work on for the next three days for holding the election with patience,” Quader called upon the leaders and activists of his party.
Mentioning that Sheikh Hasina has given respect to the women, he said “Women have risen in support of Awami League. Youths have raised their voice in digital Bangladesh.”
“Women and youth will be the driving force for the victory of Awami League,” Quader added.