The Speech Of Pen

The streets in the capital which usually bustle with people even on the weekends took almost an empty look on Saturday as thousands of people left the capital as Bangladesh goes to 11th parliamentary elections on Sunday. Many of them went to their village homes for exercising their voting rights while some others to spend holidays taking advantage of a three-day holiday as December 30 (Sunday) was declared holiday for the election along with the two-day weekly holidays. Very few buses, cars and rickshaws were seen plying city streets in the morning. Besides, plying of motorcycles, except those of journalists, remained restricted since December 28 midnight. Visiting different areas of the capital, including Sadarghat, Bangshal, Gulistan, Farmgate, Motijheel, Moghbazar, Mohakhali and Gulshan, UNB correspondents found that the members of law enforcement agencies at various intersections of the city were checking vehicles and motorbikes for documents. Even buses which usually...

M Naser Rahman  said he was on his way home around 11:00pm when a group of youths, allegedly led by local Chhatra League leader Shimul, swooped on him and vandalised two cars – one belonging to Naser and the other of former BNP lawmaker Khaleda Rabbani.  Naser, also a BNP leader, alleged that local activists and Chhatra League and Jubo League carried out the attack on him. He also brought allegation of vote rigging against Moulvibazar Municipality Mayor Fazlur Rahman, also joint general secretary of the district unit of AL, a day before the general election. The local ruling party men led by Fazlur Rahman started stuffing ballots, he alleged. Contacted, Mayor Fazlur Rahman refuted the allegations saying the BNP men are spreading propaganda to make the polls questionable. Contacted, Sohel Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Moulvibazar Sadar Police Station, confirmed that unidentified youths launched an attack on the Oikyafront candidate. However, there was no forma...

He said they could not carry out the electioneering properly due to continued arrest of their leaders and activists and obstructions by their opponents while the candidacies of their many candidates were annulled as part of a “conspiracy”. In an interview with UNB’s Thakurgaon correspondent at his residence on Thursday, Fakhrul also talked about their election preparations, Oikyafront’s expectations over the December-30 election, his future role, his observation about the future of democracy in Bangladesh and some other issues. “Now we’ve no expectation over the election. This election has become a complete mockery as what we’re watching every day in controlled news media. The state, the government and the Election Commission are working together to turn it into a mockery,” he said. Fakhrul said Oikyafront has joined the election taking adequate preparations and fielded candidates in 300 seats. “Among them, the candidatures of 30-35 candidates were cancelled as part of a cons...

B angladesh’s authorities have severely restricted internet services across the country in an effort to fight "propaganda" ahead of Sunday’s general election, an official said. At the end of an election campaign marked by deadly violence, internet services were slowed across the country with 3G and 4G services suspended for several hours, a Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) official said Friday. "We asked telecom operators to halt 3G and 4G services temporarily on Thursday night. We have done it to prevent propaganda and misleading content spreading on the internet," the official said on condition of anonymity. He said higher speed internet services resumed on Friday morning after a 10-hour blackout, but could be suspended again later in the day. Bangladesh will hold a parliamentary election on Sunday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeking a record fourth term in power. She is being challenged by an alliance led by the Bang...

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has blocked the telecommunications application Skype.com. Bangladesh Telecommunication  regulator blocked the Skype.com last night and its mobile application today. The step was taken as BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, convicted accused of several cases including August 21 grenade attack, interviewed the nomination aspirants of the party from London through Skype, they said requesting to be unnamed. The BTRC issued the order to all the international internet gateways, internet service providers, all mobile operators, they added. But the BTRC denies having issued any such instructions. BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman interviewed aspirants for the party tickets for the parliamentary polls through Skype video conference from London on Sunday and Monday. The Awami League has filed a complaint at the Election Commission calling for action to stop Tarique joining the nomination process of his party sinc...