BNP’s top policymaker Nazrul Isalm Khan today claimed that the government is obstructing the environment of free and fair national election.

BNP leaders and activists are still getting obstructed, Khan, chairman of the party’s election management committee, said at a press conference.

The court has cancelled the candidacy of 16 BNP contestants after the election commission gave them validity, he said. The declaration came at the last moment.

“There was no time to give replacement candidates. The EC has conspired to gift those 16 constituencies to Awami League,” he alleged.

Expressing concern over alleged harassment, intimidation and electoral irregularities in the December 30 election, Norway has called for a transparent investigation into the allegations.

“Norway is concerned about credible reports of harassment and intimidation, as well as the presence of serious obstacles to a level playing field throughout the election process. We deplore the violence and tragic loss of life during the campaigning period and on election day,” said Marianne Hagen, state secretary at foreign affairs ministry.

“Given the significant number of claims of irregularities, it is essential that these are investigated fully and transparently by the proper authorities.”

In a statement on Thursday, she said Norway commends the many Bangladeshis who exercised their democratic right to vote on election day, and welcomes the opposition's decision to contest the election for the first time in 10 years.

Hagen added, “Our countries' good and longstanding relations are based on mutual respect and the pursuit of common interests.

“Norway will continue to work with the government and the opposition, as well as other stakeholders, to further advance the democratic and economic development of Bangladesh.” 

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia received her renewed passport last night.

"Last night, personal secretary of the BNP chairperson, ABM Abdus Sattar, received the passport on her behalf," Shairul Kabir Khan, a member of the BNP's media cell, told The Daily Star today.

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Khaleda Zia freed after presidential pardon

All procedures for the renewal of her Machine-Readable Passport (MRP) were completed yesterday.

Khaleda Zia is currently receiving treatment at the Evercare Hospital in the capital.

Former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who was under house arrest for the last five years, was released yesterday after the president pardoned her punishments, a day after Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country in the face of a people's uprising.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia today (June 16, 2022) secured permanent bail in two more cases, which were filed for hurting religious sentiment of Muslims and making derogatory comments on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 2014 and 2017 respectively.

The court passed the order as Khaleda did not misuse the ad-interim bail granted by it earlier in the cases.

The HC bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Shahed Nuruddin delivered the verdicts after hearing two separate rules in connection with the cases. Following today's verdict, the BNP chief secured permanent bail in four out of 37 cases, her lawyer Kayser Kamal told The Daily Star.

AB Siddique, president of Bangladesh Jananetri Parishad, a pro-AL organisation, filed one case with a Dhaka court on October 21, 2014, claiming that on October 14 of the same year, Khaleda at a programme at the Engineers Institution in Dhaka said "the ruling party's [AL] professed secularism was nothing but a sham".

The plaintiff said her remarks hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims.

In another defamation case filed with a Dhaka court on January 25, 2017, he (AB Siddique) claimed that Khaleda Zia at a programme in Engineers Institution said Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had not wanted independence of Bangladesh, rather he (Sheikh Mujib) had wanted to be prime minister of Pakistan.

Following two separate bail petitions filed by Khaleda, the HC on June 18, 2019 granted a six-month bail to her and issued the rules asking the state why she should not be granted permanent bail in the cases. Later on, the HC extended the orders of ad-interim bail at different times.

Ruling Awami League activists in Cumilla today flexed their muscles to release a party man from the custody of local police just two days ahead of election.

Over a hundred men of the party surrounded a local police station to free one of the supporters after the latter was detained, our local correspondent reports.

Awami League activist Syed Raihan was detained around 2:00pm by Cumilla Kotwali Police for reasons not ascertained, according to local police sources.

Awami League activist Syed Raihan. Photo: Collected

AKM Bahauddin, current lawmaker from Awami League for Cumilla-6 and a candidate of the seat in the election, went to the police station hearing the news.

Bahauddin went inside and talked with the officer-in-charge, and after a short while, Raihan was released without further ado.

Asked about it, Abu Salam Mia, officer-in-charge of the police station, told The Daily Star: “The detention was made out of a misunderstanding. He did nothing wrong.”

AL supporters took positions on both sides of the police station road. Photo: Star

Seeking anonymity, some local Awami League activists told The Daily Star that Raihan was a member of a rival group of the party, but switched sides recently to work for MP Bahauddin.

Tariqur Rahman Jewel, general secretary of Cumilla Sadar Awami League, told The Daily Star: “Since there were no cases against him, our lawmaker went to the police station to get him out so that he is not harassed without reason.”