BANGLADESH NATIONALIST PARTY

Jun 7, 2011

Govt offer for talks a sham: Moudud

Maudud Ahmed

A senior BNP leader has said the government proposal to sit for discussion on caretaker government issue cannot be accepted.

"Since the special parliamentary committee has suggested scrapping the [caretaker] system, while the government, on the other hand, asks for discussion, it's contradictory," party's standing committee member Moudud Ahmed said on Tuesday.

"Such a proposal is not acceptable," he stressed and demanded to retain the system.

He was speaking at a discussion on "Democracy and Human Rights" at the National Press Club, organised by Nagorik Forum, a pro-BNP organisation.

Earlier in the day, party secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir blamed the prime minister for closing the doors of discussion by saying, "there is no way to retain the caretaker government system".

"There's no way for talks unless the government changes its decision to repeal the caretaker provision," Fakhrul added.

The former law minister also aleged that the special panel did not consider the suggestions given by former Supreme Court judges, legal experts, party representatives, newspaper editors and dignitaries.

"Those 27 meetings the special committee held were an eye-wash," he said adding, that it was why BNP did not join the talks.

Moudud said all the 51 recommendations made were done 'in line with the directions given by the prime minister'.

NO CONFIDENCE IN EC

Moudud also questioned the legality of the Election Commission calling for dialogues with political parties.

"Who gave the Election Commission the responsibility to hold dialogues only six to seven months before its term expires?"

About EC's dialogue with the BNP set for June 13, he said the decision would come from the party forum.

He demanded that the next EC take initiatives for such talks about polls.

EX-CJ NOT QUALIFIED AS CG HEAD

In his speech, Moudud also claimed that former chief justice A B M Khairul Haque was not fit to be the next caretaker government head.

Three points that the former cabinet member of the ousted military ruler H M Ershad cited to justify his claim were – Haque created constitutional crisis by dissecting it, he took Tk 1 million from the prime minister's relief fund and that he worked to implement the government's agenda.

Party chief Khaleda Zia and several other senior top leaders have also spoken against Haque becoming the next interim administration chief.

Source : bdnews24.com, June 07, 2011, Tuesday
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Jun 4, 2011

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia threatened of a tougher movement

Khaleda Zia

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Saturday threatened of a tougher movement if the government does not step down immediately and backtracks from its stance on caretaker government (CG).

“We will wage tougher movements if the government does not step down right now and gives up conspiracy to hold general polls itself,” the opposition leader said at a press briefing at her Gulshan office in the evening.

The briefing was convened to announce her party's stance regarding the constitutional amendment and cancellation of the caretaker government system.

The former prime minister said her party would boycott the next parliamentary election if it does not take place under a caretaker government.

“Neither the countrymen nor our party will allow any election held under Awami League government,” she said.

Khaleda reiterated her party’s call that the government should cease to continue and hold a mid-term parliamentary election.

Replying to the prime minister’s call for placing an alternative instead of the CG system, leader of the four-party alliance said an interim government could be installed after consulting with every quarters of the society for holding the polls.

She also demanded forming an “independent” and “stronger” Election Commission to hold the election.

“Only an interim, non-partisan government and an independent election commission could be able to create environment to hold a free and fair mid-term poll,” the BNP chief said.

On whether the main opposition party would consider retired chief justice ABM Khairul Haque as the head of the next CG, the BNP chief said: “We won’t accept Khairul heading the interim government as he proved that he is not neutral.”

“There are other options documented in the constitutional provision on who can be the chief of the caretaker government if the top contender falls out,” she said.

Source : The Daily Star, June 04, 2011, Saturday

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Jun 3, 2011

Tareq Rahman is not so Available to out

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The BNP and its ally called the daylong countrywide general strike

Source : Dainik Amder Somoy, June 03, 2011

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BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia is distributing clothes and food

Ziaur Rahman, Tareq Zia, Khaleda Zia

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia is distributing clothes and food among the poor on the occasion of party founder Ziaur Rahman's death anniversary.

She began the distribution programme from Banani Community Centre around 11.45pm on Tuesday.

The opposition observed the 30th death anniversary of late president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman on Monday.

Khaleda Zia is scheduled to distribute clothes and food among the destitute at 20 different places of the city, including Banani, Baridhara, Tejgaon, Badda, Mirpur and Kafrul.

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will also distribute aid materials in Uttara, Azampur and Kuril areas from 5pm, party leaders said.

The distribution programme began on Monday from Muhammadpur.

Ziaur Rahman was killed in a military coup in Chittagong Circuit House on May 30, 1981. BNP observes the day as his martyrdom day.

Source : bdnews24.com, May 31, 2011

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Jun 2, 2011

BNP warns govt against hartal hitch

Mirza Fakhrul Islam

BNP has asked the government not to thwart its planned countrywide shutdown on Sunday and warned of tough consequences should police and pro-government activists try to obstruct the programme.

Party's acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir gave the warning at a news briefing at the Naya Paltan headquarters on Thursday.

The briefing followed a two-hour meeting from 10:30am of the main opposition party with its associate bodies over the daylong lockdown.

Fakhrul criticised the government for the price hike of fertiliser.

The BNP and its ally Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Wednesday called the daylong countrywide general strike to protest the government move to discard the caretaker government provision for the next general elections in line with a court order.

It is the fifth general strike called by BNP since the current Awami League-led alliance came to power on Jan 6, 2009.

The opposition leader alleged that the ruling party leaders were threatening to foil the hartal.

"The home minister, law minister and Awami League joint general secretary threatened us over Sunday's hartal, but we want to say that the consequence will not be good if any obstruction is there to our peaceful hartal," he added.

All the BNP wants is to peacefully enforce the hartal to register its protest against the government move to scrap the caretaker government provision, Fakhrul said.

The main opposition party announced the programme a day after prime minister Sheikh Hasina said that there was no way to retain the provision after the Supreme Court order.

"The caretaker government is a resolved issue and it was never disputed," said the acting secretary general of BNP, which has already declared to boycott elections if not held under the interim government.

"The government wants to hide its failure in every sector and to cancel the widely accepted caretaker system to win the next elections under a partisan government," he claimed.

"Although the Supreme Court annulled the 13th amendment to the constitution that had introduced the caretaker government system, it said the next two national elections may be held under caretaker governments [if parliament wants]," Fakhrul pointed out.

"This Supreme Court verdict is a 'split verdict. (And so), the people and parliament are not bound to follow the order," he added.

FERTILISER PRICE HIKE

The opposition leader also expressed his concern over 'more than 50 percent hike' in fertiliser prices.

The government has not been able to do anything for the people of any profession—be they farmers or workers, claimed Fakhrul, also president of Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal, BNP's associate peasant body.

"They [government] were committed to providing the farmers with fertilisers free of cost, but urea is now selling for Tk 900 [per sack] which was Tk 300 during the tenure of the [BNP-led] four-party alliance government," said the former state minister for agriculture.

He called upon the government to reduce fertiliser prices.

JOINT MEETING

Fakhrul earlier held a two-hour meeting with the leaders of its associate organisations at the party headquarters over the upcoming lockdown.

BNP vice-president Abdullah AL Noman, joint secretaries general Amanullah Aman and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal president Moazzem Hossain Alal, Jatiyatabadi Tanti Dal president Humayun Islam Khan and Dhaka City BNP member secretary Abdus Salam, among others, attended the meeting.

Source : bdnews24.com, June 02, 2011

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May 31, 2011

Khaleda Zia will sit with the leaders of its allies

Khaleda Zia

BNP chief Khaleda Zia will sit with the leaders of its allies on Tuesday night.

The meeting was scheduled to be held around 8pm at the party chairperson's Gulshan office, her press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan told reporters on Tuesday.

Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Oikya Jote and Bangladesh Jatiya Party will attend the meeting.

Earlier, she sat with the party's standing committee members from 6:30pm to 7:10pm.

Committee members Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, R A Gani, Mahbubur Rahman, M K Anwar, A S M Hannan Shah, Rafiqul Islam Mia, Nazrul Islam Khan were present at the meeting.

Earlier in the day, prime minister Sheikh Hasina at a press conference said that there was no chance for retaining the caretaker government system since the top court has abolished it.

BNP has been saying that it would boycott the general election if a caretaker government was not in place to oversee it.

Source : bdnews24.com, May 31, 2011

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BNP will not participate in any election under political govt

Party flag of BNP

Main opposition BNP will not participate in parliamentary election under any political government.

“BNP will not take part in any general election under the Awami League government," said Nazrul Islam Khan, a standing committee member of BNP.

Earlier on the day, BNP claimed that US officials had informed its chairperson that the US is going to postpone sending money to Bangladesh for implementing Millennium Development Goals (MDG) until a respectful resolution of Muhammad Yunus issue.

Maruf Kamal Khan Sohel, BNP chairperson's press secretary, made the claim while addressing a press conference at party chairperson’s Gulshan office.

He said the US officials conveyed the information to Khaleda Zia during her recent visit to the country.

“Congressman Joseph Crowley (the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Bangladesh) also disclosed it before the press there,” Maruf Kamal said.

Terming the BNP chairperson’s recent US visit as highly successful, he claimed it has brought honour for her as well as the whole country.

On an allegation of extortion to raise fund for Khaleda’s UK and US tour, Shamsher Mobin, BNP Vice Chairman and Khaleda’s entourage during the visit, said “This is not true. Expatriate Bangladeshis provided the money.”

The MDGs were set by the United Nations, which also funds various programme to achieve the eight goals – end poverty and hunger, universal education, gender equality, child health, maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, environmental sustainability, and global partnership.

According to UN sources, the US makes significant contribution to the UN fund for achieving the MDGs. The USAID may contribute to some similar programmes, which the US government controls. The UN funds are controlled by the UN.

In other words, it is particularly not possible for the US to stop MDG funding for Bangladesh.

Source : The Daily Star, May 31. 2011

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May 30, 2011

Beloved Leaders of Bangladesh People

Bangladesh Nationalist Party

Ziaur Rahman
Ziaur Rahman was born in the village of Bagbari in the Bogra District of the northwest Bangladesh. His father, Mansur Rahman was a chemist working for a government department in Kolkata. Zia's childhood was divided between living in the village and the city. He was later enrolled into the Hare School in Kolkata. With the partition of the British-India in 1947, Mansur Rahman with his family returned to East Bengal, which became part of the new state of Pakistan. The family later moved to Karachi, the federal capital located in Sindh West Pakistan, where Mansur Rahman had been transferred to work for the Government of Pakistan. Zia was enrolled in the Academy School in Karachi.

Begum Khaleda Zia
Politician who served at three times as Prime Minister of Bangladesh. In 1960, she married Ziaur Rahman, at the age of 15, a leader in the fight for the independence of Bangladesh. Her husband became president of Bangladesh in 1977, and after his assassination in 1981 she became politically active. In 1984 she assumed the leadership of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Khaleda Zia is the widow of assassinated President of Bangladesh Ziaur Rahman, and leads his old party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Khaleda Zia was arrested repeatedly during the dictatorship of Hossain Mohammad Ershad in the 1980s, but in 1991 she led the opposition to victory and became the First woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been elected to five separate parliamentary constituencies in the general elections of 1991, 1996, and 2001, a feat unachieved by any other politician in Bangladeshi history.

Tareq Rahman
Tarique Rahman (also spelled as Tarek Rahman) is a Bangladeshi politician. He is the Senior Vice Chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). His nickname is Pino, which is less used by the public than the nickname, Coco, of his younger brother Arafat Rahman. He is also popularly known as Tareq Zia, the reminiscent of his father's main name.

Source : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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May 29, 2011

Begum Khaleda Zia returns home

Khaleda Zia

Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia returned home Sunday afternoon ending a 15-day visit to the US and the UK.

An Emirates flight carrying the former premier landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 5:14pm.

BNP leaders and activists accorded a grand reception to Khaleda at the airport.

Completing the second leg of her tour, she started from John F Kennedy International Airport around 12:00pm on Saturday.

The BNP chairperson was accompanied by her advisers Osman Farroque, Abdul Awal Mintoo, Sabihuddin Ahmed and Vice President of the party Shamser Mobin Chowdhury, journalist Shafik Rehman and some of her personal staff.

Khaleda left for the UK on May 14 and went to the US on May 21.

Source : The Daily Star, May 29, 2011
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May 28, 2011

BNP lawmakers form human chain

Human Chain

On the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises BNP policymakers on Saturday formed a human chain demanding declaration of May 30, the day BNP founder Ziaur Rahman was assassinated in 1981, as a public holiday.

Speaking during the programme, which lasted for 30 minutes from 10:00am, the opposition policymakers said that Ziaur Rahman had “proclaimed the country’s independence which has already been recognised at home and abroad.”

Zia was also a sector commander during the country’s Liberation War of 1971, they said.

The BNP policymakers who joined the human chain included Moudud Ahmed, Zainul Abdin Farroque, Jafrul Islam Chowdhury, Barkatullah Bulu, Nazrul Islam Manju, Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, Joynul Abdin, Mozahar Ali Prodhan, Mostafa Ali, Mezbahuddin Farhad, Golam Mostafa, Nazimuddin Ahmed, Rumana Mahmud, Hasina Ahmed and Nilufar Chowdhury Moni.

Source : The Daily Star, May 28, 2011

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BNP to boycott e-voting: Moudud Ahmed

Moudud Ahmed

A BNP lawmaker has said they will not take part in elections if the government introduces e-voting, as it will be 'a tool of vote rigging'.

"We won't accept e-voting and take part in elections. Elections must be held under the existing voting system," Moudud Ahmed said at a human chain programme at the South Plaza of the parliament building on Saturday morning.

The government plans to introduce e-voting to check irregularities and scope of vote rigging.

BNP members of parliament formed the human chain demanding a public holiday on May 30, the death anniversary of the late president and party founder Ziaur Rahman.

"Ruling Awami League is plotting conspiracies for manipulating vote, because AL will be defeated in the polls," he said adding, "e-voting method is a great tool for manipulation. It is possible to declare someone a loser or winner by using this method."

Moudud also claimed that this method is not followed even in developed countries like the UK, the USA, France and India. "Manipulation is possible through installing a programme in this method. People's verdict does not reflect through this method of polls."

The chequered politician also alleged that the government in collaboration with the Election Commission was trying to introduce the method with ill motive.

The former law minister issued a warning that if the method as introduced, then his party (BNP) would not take part in the polls. "BNP will create a countrywide public opinion in this regard."

Earlier, on Mar 1, election commissioner Muhammad Sakhawat Hussain said that the commission had decided to go for e-voting in every constituency or to the extent possible in the next general election to ensure free and fair polls.

As a preliminary step, BUET and BMTF had been asked to assess the feasibility of the project, he said.

The Election Commission conducted a trial run of e-voting in one ward of Chittagong City Corporation mayoral election on Jun 17, 2009. BNP-backed mayor candidate Manjur Alam won the polls then.

Opposition chief whip Zainul Abdin Farroque, Barkat Ullah Bulu, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury and other BNP leaders also took part in the human chain programme.

Source : bdnews24.com, May 28, 2011

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May 27, 2011

Robert O Blake tells Khaleda Zia about his concerning as to Muhammad Yusus

Khaleda Zia and Robert O Blake

Robert O Blake US assistant secretary of state has told BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia that he is concerned about the process through which Muhammad Yunus was removed from Grameen Bank as its managing director.

Blake met Khaleda, who is in the US now, at her hotel suit in Washington at 4:30pm (local time) on Thursday, her press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan told bdnews24.com.

He said they also discussed the state of Bangladesh's democracy, human rights, judiciary and several other issues.

Khan said Blake expressed his concern that Grameen Bank's microcredit programme might face obstructions due to the removal of Nobel Peace laureate Yunus from the bank.

Quoting Khaleda as saying at the meeting, Khan said, "Professor Yunus is an honourable personality. People of the country think that he was denied justice due to favouritism in the judiciary."

Bangladesh Bank on Mar 2 sacked Yunus, who in 2006 became the first ever Bangladeshi to win a Nobel prize, from the post of managing director of Grameen Bank for his 'unauthorised' reappointment in 1999.

It said Yunus, 71, stayed at the helm of the bank beyond the limits permitted under the laws of the land that govern banking that require a chief executive to retire at 60.

He had been carrying on as the managing director since its foundation three decades back.

Yunus lost the legal battle as he appealed against the central bank decision which sparked criticism from home and abroad.

Main opposition BNP has also been criticising the decision.

About the relation between the two countries, Khaleda told Blake that it should be developed without third-party help.

Her advisor Osman Faruque and vice-president of the party Shamser Mobin Chowdhury were also present on the occasion.

Khaleda also met Tony Blinken, advisor for national security policy for US vice-president Joe Biden.

They discussed the issue of tackling terrorism and other bilateral issues, he said.

Khaleda informed him of her party's plan on various issues, he added.

Source : bdnews24.com, May 27, 2011

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May 26, 2011

BNP sees a constitutional crisis

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir

The opposition has accused the government of creating a 'constitutional crisis' in the country.

BNP's acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Thursday the government has done so mainly by 'making the judiciary partisan'.

Addressing a programme at the party's Naya Paltan head office, he said, "No one seems to know whether we are following the 1972 constitution or the BKSAL rule, which was legalised through the Fourth Amendment [to the constitution]."

Fakhrul made the comments at the programme where a number of leaders and activists from other parties joined BNP.

He said, "The government was pushing the economy towards a critical point. This programme itself proves how helpless the ruling coterie has become."

Over 500 activists of Basail Upazila in Tangail led by former Sakhipur municipal mayor Sanwar Hossain Sazib, also Krishak Sramik Janata League leader, former Awami League general secretary Abdul Gafur and former municipal councillor Asaduzzaman Milton joined the BNP.

Citing people's suffering over the inflation, Fakhrul said, "People are spending their days in the dark. The prices of basic commodities have gone out of reach of the general people. Yet the government does not seem to care."

The failure of the government has ruined everything including the administration and economy, he alleged.

BNP chairperson's advisor and Tangail BNP unit president Ahmed Azam Khan presided over the programme while joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, and other local leaders from Tangail also attended the programme.

Source : bdnews24.com

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Begum Khaleda Zia meets US Congressmen

Khaleda Zia

When they met with visiting BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday US Congressmen expressed deep concern over the human rights situation in Bangladesh as well as that of the judiciary.

Khaleda Zia had a joint meeting with four US congressmen -- Joseph Crowley, Sheila Jackson, Hansen Clarke and Brad Sherman.

A representative of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was present during the meeting.

Different issues, including democracy and rule of law in Bangladesh, came up for discussion in the meeting that lasted for one and half hours.

BNP vice-chairman Shamser Mobin Chowdhury, who was present in the meeting, told UNB over phone that the Congressmen said if democracy and rule of law are threatened in Bangladesh, the US Congress will take a serious note of this as it might make uncertain Bangladesh’s access to the US Millennium Challenge Account.

The US Congressmen told Khaleda that they are monitoring the evolving situation in Bangladesh and would brief the US administration.

They recalled good relation of the Congress and the US administration with the past government of Khaleda Zia and hoped the relation would be strengthened.

Khaleda invited the Congressmen to visit Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed regret as she could not meet with Khaleda due to her preoccupations.

Hillary Clinton conveyed the regret through her younger brother Tony Rodham to Khaleda at her Hotel Marriot suite in Washington on Wednesday.

Senator John Kerry also expressed his regret for not being able to meet with Khaleda and conveyed this through a special aide.

Source : The Daily Star, May 26, 2011

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May 25, 2011

'Govt plotting to put BNP men in jail'

Zainul Abdin Farroque

Dhaka, May 25—BNP has alleged that the government is 'conspiring' to revive cases against 138 party leaders filed during the previous military-backed caretaker government.

"We've come to know that the government has started hatching conspiracy to revive the cases filed against 138 BNP leaders by the Fakhruddin-Moeen Uddin government," party chief whip Zainul Abdin Farroque said on Wednesday.

From a discussion at the National Press Club, he threatened that the conspiracy would not be successful as "millions of party supporters will remain free even if the 138 leaders are put in jail".

Farroque said their demand for mid-term polls would be realised through vigorous movement if the government did not give it willingly.

He also accused the ruling party of making parliament ineffective, where "we're barred to speak".

The opposition leader also criticised the government as well as retired chief justice A B M Khairul Haque for making the judiciary 'partisan'.

The discussion organised by Bangladesh National Awami Party, was chaired by its chairman Jebel Rahman Ghoni. Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP-Matin) secretary general Abu Naser Mohammad Rahmatullah also spoke, among others, on the programme.

Source : bdnews24.com, May 25, 2011

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BNP wants good relations with India: Khaleda

Begum Khaleda Zia

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, now in USA, on Tuesday said India should discuss with all the political parties of Bangladesh if it wants durable solutions to the long running problems between the two countries.

Her party wants good relations with India on the basis of mutual benefits, Khaleda said.

She made the remarks replying to a question how BNP considers Bangladesh’s relation with neighbouring India at the Atlantic Council of USA in Pennsylvania Tuesday afternoon.

Her entourage member BNP vice-chairman Shamser Mobin Chowdhury told UNB over phone that Khaleda delivered a statement on democracy, governance and economic development of Bangladesh at the Atlantic Council, a think tank outfit.

The council stimulates dialogue and discussion about critical international issues to enrich public debate and promote consensus on appropriate responses in the administration, the Congress, the corporate and nonprofit sectors, and the media in the United States and among leaders in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

The former prime minister said the unresolved issues between Dhaka and New Delhi will have to be resolved on a win-win situation respecting each other’s independence and sovereignty.

Khaleda said the outstanding issues will have to be worked out through discussions.

Replying to another question, the BNP chief said practice and process of democracy inside her party has already started with the councils took place from grassroots to divisional levels.

On governance, Khaleda said without good governance, rule of law can not be established. She observed complete independence of the judiciary and the Election Commission is essential to ensure the rule of law.

The opposition leader said the administration should be kept out of politics at all levels, and recruitment, promotion everything should be done on the basis of merit. The administration should work as servant of the republic.

On socio-economic development, Khaleda said there should be growth of private sector and the public sector should have its role particularly in education and health sectors. The NGO will also have a role.

US Congressmen, a representative of vice-President Joe Biden, and BNP leaders Dr Osman Farruk Abdul Awal Minto and Khaleda’s press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan were present at the function.

Source : The daily Star, May 25, 2011

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May 24, 2011

New Jersey Senate honours Begum Khaleda Zia

Dhaka, May 24 — The New Jersey State Senate has conferred special honour on opposition leader Khaleda Zia for her contribution to strengthening democracy, fighting terrorism and empowerment of women.

She was honoured during the Senate's budget session on Monday, Bangladesh American public affairs front president Hasanuzzaman Hasan told bdnews24.com.

Senate president Stephen M Sweeney handed over the citation to the former prime minister, while senator Barbara Buono read out Khaleda's biography.

Hasan said the honour was awarded during the senate's budget session in Trenton, the capital of the state, 65 kilometres from New York.

The senators erupted in applause to congratulate Khaleda.

The citation gave her credit for contributing in the establishment of parliamentary democracy. Rural women became self-sufficient following the steps taken in Khaleda's tenure.

Khaleda in her speech expressed gratitude to the senate for the honour. She expressed hope that relations between Bangladesh and United States would be strengthened in future.

"The United States is a partner of Bangladesh in the fight against terrorism," she said.

Her foreign affairs adviser Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, former education minister Osman Farruk, businessman Abdul Awal Mintoo and press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan were also present at the programme.

Following the New Jersey programme, Khaleda reached Washington in the evening where she is due to hold a meeting with Department of State officials on Tuesday.

The BNP chairperson is expected to attend a reception from expatriate Bangladeshis at Grand Hyatt Hotel on Tuesday evening.

Khaleda arrived New York from London on May 21 in her 7-day tour. She will return home on May 27.

Source : bdnews24.com

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May 23, 2011

Khairul can't be caretaker head: Khaleda Zia

Begum Khaleda Zia

Dhaka, May 23 (bdnews24.com) — Branding immediate past chief justice A B M Khairul Haque as a partisan man, BNP chief Khaleda Zia has said they will not accept him as the chief advisor to the next caretaker government.

"Khairul is a party man. We'll never accept him as the chief advisor. We'll resist any such move," she said on Sunday night.

Khaleda was addressing a reception at Sheraton Hotel at Manhattan in New York, according to a message received here.

"We'll launch a vigorous movement for midterm polls on my return," she warned seeking cooperation of the Bangladeshi expatriates in this regard.

Source : bdnews24.com

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May 22, 2011

Dissolve parliament: BNP to president

Zainul Abdin Farroque

Dhaka, May 22 (bdnews24.com)— The BNP chief whip has urged president Zillur Rahman to give mid-term election by dissolving parliament before the constitution amendment.

"The current parliament is dysfunctional. So, we urge president Zillur Rahman to dissolve it and give fresh polls before amending the constitution," Zainul Abdin Farroque said on Sunday.

He made the demand at a news conference held at the Media Centre of the parliament building hours before the parliament goes into its ninth session at 4pm on Sunday.

He said they had already decided not to go to parliament at the beginning of the session and the final decision would be made after the return of party chief Khaleda Zia from abroad.

Khaleda, now in the US, is expected to return on May 29.

Source : bdnews24.com, May 22, 2011

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