Three children of a family died Sunday after taking toxic deworming medicine at Gokornoghat village in Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila.
The deceased were Sharmin, 8, Sharif, 6 and 10-month-old Sonia.
Victims’ mother Halima Begum said she bought a bottle of Ayurvedic deworming medicine from Nikli upazila of Kishoreganj district eight months ago.
She gave the medicine to her three children on Saturday night who were found dead Sunday morning.
Civil Surgeon Dr Nurul Amin has sent a three-member medical team to the village to investigate the incident.
It is suspected that the children died after taking the poisonous Ayurvedic medicine.
The bodies were sent to Sadar hospital morgue for autopsy and police seized the bottle of the medicine.
Two other children of the family survived as they did not take the medicine at night.
Police Super Lutfor Rahman Mondol visited the spot.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Fuel oil price cuts expected this week
The government is expected to announce cuts in the prices of fuel oils by 5 to 9 per cent anytime this week.
It has sent a proposal for fuel price reduction to the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission for approval, sources in the energy division said.
The price of diesel and kerosene is likely to come down to around Tk 50 per litre from the current price of Tk 55 and the price of octane to Tk 82-84 from Tk 90 and that of petrol to around Tk 80 from Tk 87 per litre, they said.
When contacted, energy secretary Mohammad Mohsin, told New Age on Sunday that they had sent the proposal to the BERC to cut the prices of fuel oils.
The chairman of BERC, Ghulam Rahman, said that they had received the price reduction proposal on Thursday and would make a decision in a day or two after holding a meeting with all members of the commission.
M Tamim, special assistant to the chief adviser, also told New Age that the government might announce price cuts this week.
The officials would not, however, say what would be the exact prices as it had not yet been finalised.
‘The extent of price reduction will be roughly around 10 per cent for all fuel oils. In terms of percentage, the cut in octane and petrol prices will be less as these are used by the affluent sections of the society’, said Tamim.
‘We have given different scenarios of prices. A final decision will be made later’, said Mohsin.
‘The price of diesel and kerosene is most likely to be reduced by around 9-10 per cent to Tk 50 per litre and octane and petrol by around 8 per cent to Tk 80-84 per litre’, a highly placed source in the division told New Age.
Energy officials said that they had already held discussions with communication ministry officials on possible reduction in transport fares after the new oil prices come into effect.
‘We have already held a meeting with the communication ministry and discussed the issue of transport fare reduction. I think the ministry is taking preparations for transport fare cuts when the oil prices are reduced’, Mohsin said.
The government has taken the steps to reduce oil prices on the local market against the backdrop of plummeting prices of oil on the international market which saw prices drop sharply by around 50 per cent – from $141 to $70 – in recent times. The government raised fuel oil prices on the local market by 33-37 per cent when the prices hit record highs on the international market in July this year.
When Tamim was asked why they were going for just around 10 per cent cuts in oil prices after hiking the prices by 33-37 per cent last time, Tamim said, ‘Despite the fall [in oil prices] BPC is still giving some subsidies in diesel and kerosene. After we reduce the prices, we will continue to monitor fuel oil prices on international market. If the current trend continues, we will again review the prices for downward adjustments.’
Mohsin said that when the fuel prices were increased in July, they projected that the BPC’s losses would come down to Tk 10,000 crore from Tk 17,000 crore.
‘After fuel price is decreased on local market, the government will need to give BPC Tk 4,000 crore in subsidy for the current fiscal year. So, at present we cannot afford to reduce prices by more than 10 per cent as it will create budgetary pressure’, he said.
It has sent a proposal for fuel price reduction to the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission for approval, sources in the energy division said.
The price of diesel and kerosene is likely to come down to around Tk 50 per litre from the current price of Tk 55 and the price of octane to Tk 82-84 from Tk 90 and that of petrol to around Tk 80 from Tk 87 per litre, they said.
When contacted, energy secretary Mohammad Mohsin, told New Age on Sunday that they had sent the proposal to the BERC to cut the prices of fuel oils.
The chairman of BERC, Ghulam Rahman, said that they had received the price reduction proposal on Thursday and would make a decision in a day or two after holding a meeting with all members of the commission.
M Tamim, special assistant to the chief adviser, also told New Age that the government might announce price cuts this week.
The officials would not, however, say what would be the exact prices as it had not yet been finalised.
‘The extent of price reduction will be roughly around 10 per cent for all fuel oils. In terms of percentage, the cut in octane and petrol prices will be less as these are used by the affluent sections of the society’, said Tamim.
‘We have given different scenarios of prices. A final decision will be made later’, said Mohsin.
‘The price of diesel and kerosene is most likely to be reduced by around 9-10 per cent to Tk 50 per litre and octane and petrol by around 8 per cent to Tk 80-84 per litre’, a highly placed source in the division told New Age.
Energy officials said that they had already held discussions with communication ministry officials on possible reduction in transport fares after the new oil prices come into effect.
‘We have already held a meeting with the communication ministry and discussed the issue of transport fare reduction. I think the ministry is taking preparations for transport fare cuts when the oil prices are reduced’, Mohsin said.
The government has taken the steps to reduce oil prices on the local market against the backdrop of plummeting prices of oil on the international market which saw prices drop sharply by around 50 per cent – from $141 to $70 – in recent times. The government raised fuel oil prices on the local market by 33-37 per cent when the prices hit record highs on the international market in July this year.
When Tamim was asked why they were going for just around 10 per cent cuts in oil prices after hiking the prices by 33-37 per cent last time, Tamim said, ‘Despite the fall [in oil prices] BPC is still giving some subsidies in diesel and kerosene. After we reduce the prices, we will continue to monitor fuel oil prices on international market. If the current trend continues, we will again review the prices for downward adjustments.’
Mohsin said that when the fuel prices were increased in July, they projected that the BPC’s losses would come down to Tk 10,000 crore from Tk 17,000 crore.
‘After fuel price is decreased on local market, the government will need to give BPC Tk 4,000 crore in subsidy for the current fiscal year. So, at present we cannot afford to reduce prices by more than 10 per cent as it will create budgetary pressure’, he said.
Mojahid asked to surrender in trial court, bail refused
The High Court on Sunday, denying bail to Jamaat-e-Islami’s secretary-general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid in the Barapukuria coalmine corruption case, ordered him to surrender in the trial court within two weeks.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Anwarul Haque and Justice Farah Mahbub passed the order after hearing a bail petition filed by Mojahid.
‘The petitioner is directed to surrender in the trial court by two weeks, considering the previous High Court orders in the case,’ said the court in its order.
On October 6 the court of the Dhaka metropolitan senior special judge issued a warrant for arrest against Mojahid, who was shown absconding in the charge-sheet of the case. The court on October 16 decided Mojahid’s trial in his absence as he had neither surrendered in court nor was arrested.
Mojahid’s lawyer Abdur Razzaq told the High Court on Sunday that he, along with his client, had earlier roamed from one court to another to get bail in the case, but neither the High Court Division nor the Appellate Division accepted Mojahid’s prayer for bail.
‘We did not go to the trial court to seek bail as it has no power to entertain the prayer for bail in the case that had been filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act,’ Razzaq argued.
The High Court then asked Razzaq, ‘How will we accept Mojahid’s bail prayer? How will we accept the petition of a person who did not show the least respect for the court’s proceedings?’
Razzaq later referred to the case in which the High Court had granted bail to Jahanara Imam, also known as ‘Shahid Janani’, after a warrant for arrest against her had been issued by the trial court. She was accused of sedition for sentencing Jamaat’s amir, Matiur Rahman Nizami, in a mock public court in the ‘90s.
He also argued that the five accused in the Barapukuria case, including the principal accused — former premier Khaleda Zia — were granted bail by the High Court Division. Saifur Rahman, however, was directed on October 8 to surrender in the trial court within four weeks.
The proceedings of the case against Khaleda were also stayed by the High Court on October 16, Razzaq informed the court, adding that the law should be applied equally to all the people.
Khurshid Alam Khan, appearing for the Anti-Corruption Commission that lodged the case, opposed Mojahid’s prayer for bail. ‘The High Court cannot grant the prayer for bail under any circumstances as the petitioner has already been declared to be a fugitive.’
He also argued that the proceedings of the case have been stayed, but the warrant of arrest is still in force.
Khurshid said that the High Court on June 3 rejected Mojahid’s petition for anticipatory bail in the case when it was under investigation. Mojahid’s counsels later went to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
Mojahid appeared before the Appellate Division’s chamber judge, M Joynul Abedin, on October 8, seeking bail in the case, but the court refused to entertain the bail petition as the warrant for his arrest had been issued, Khurshid added.
A large contingent of law-enforcers was deployed in the High Court’s premises in expectation of Mojahid’s appearance in court.
After the court’s order, Mojahid’s cadres gathered in the court’s premises, shouting inflammatory slogans right before the police in violation of the state of emergency.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Anwarul Haque and Justice Farah Mahbub passed the order after hearing a bail petition filed by Mojahid.
‘The petitioner is directed to surrender in the trial court by two weeks, considering the previous High Court orders in the case,’ said the court in its order.
On October 6 the court of the Dhaka metropolitan senior special judge issued a warrant for arrest against Mojahid, who was shown absconding in the charge-sheet of the case. The court on October 16 decided Mojahid’s trial in his absence as he had neither surrendered in court nor was arrested.
Mojahid’s lawyer Abdur Razzaq told the High Court on Sunday that he, along with his client, had earlier roamed from one court to another to get bail in the case, but neither the High Court Division nor the Appellate Division accepted Mojahid’s prayer for bail.
‘We did not go to the trial court to seek bail as it has no power to entertain the prayer for bail in the case that had been filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act,’ Razzaq argued.
The High Court then asked Razzaq, ‘How will we accept Mojahid’s bail prayer? How will we accept the petition of a person who did not show the least respect for the court’s proceedings?’
Razzaq later referred to the case in which the High Court had granted bail to Jahanara Imam, also known as ‘Shahid Janani’, after a warrant for arrest against her had been issued by the trial court. She was accused of sedition for sentencing Jamaat’s amir, Matiur Rahman Nizami, in a mock public court in the ‘90s.
He also argued that the five accused in the Barapukuria case, including the principal accused — former premier Khaleda Zia — were granted bail by the High Court Division. Saifur Rahman, however, was directed on October 8 to surrender in the trial court within four weeks.
The proceedings of the case against Khaleda were also stayed by the High Court on October 16, Razzaq informed the court, adding that the law should be applied equally to all the people.
Khurshid Alam Khan, appearing for the Anti-Corruption Commission that lodged the case, opposed Mojahid’s prayer for bail. ‘The High Court cannot grant the prayer for bail under any circumstances as the petitioner has already been declared to be a fugitive.’
He also argued that the proceedings of the case have been stayed, but the warrant of arrest is still in force.
Khurshid said that the High Court on June 3 rejected Mojahid’s petition for anticipatory bail in the case when it was under investigation. Mojahid’s counsels later went to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
Mojahid appeared before the Appellate Division’s chamber judge, M Joynul Abedin, on October 8, seeking bail in the case, but the court refused to entertain the bail petition as the warrant for his arrest had been issued, Khurshid added.
A large contingent of law-enforcers was deployed in the High Court’s premises in expectation of Mojahid’s appearance in court.
After the court’s order, Mojahid’s cadres gathered in the court’s premises, shouting inflammatory slogans right before the police in violation of the state of emergency.
Govt keeps decision on toxic milk brands pending
The government has avoided a concrete decision on sales of toxic milk brands and opted to wait for further test results, leaving the question whether or not to consume the melamine-added baby formulas to individual’s choice until then.
Though the chemistry department of Dhaka University repeatedly stood by its test results detecting presence of melamine in samples of eight foreign milk powder brands, the commerce ministry has said that was not enough for ordering a ban on sales or withdrawal of the products from shelves.
‘We are not in a position right now to make any conclusion as there was significant variation in the test reports prepared by three organisations,’ commerce secretary Feroz Ahmed said after a meeting Sunday.
The meeting was expected to deliver concrete guidelines for anxious consumers about which milk brands they should choose for their babies after the latest test confirmed melamine in most-selling eight brands.
But it ended up in deciding to form a 12-memebr committee and assign it to supervise further tests of the same batch of disputed milk brand samples in two local and one foreign laboratories, and report back to the ministry in seven working days.
Asked if the people should continue to consume the milk brands in question until then, the commerce secretary left it to the consumers’ choice saying that it was an individual decision whether to buy them or not.
‘We will not take any liability,’ he said as he was asked whether the government would bear the responsibility for public health hazards in case the brands are found melamine positive in further tests.
He rather reminded a questioner about the ministry’s ‘responsibility’ to look into the interests of the companies and their agents which invested crores of taka in the business.
Asked whether the ministry told the companies and their agents to keep their sales suspended during the period of testing, the commerce secretary said they [companies] claimed that there was no existence of melamine in their tests.
After a test by Dhaka University’s chemistry department had found presence of industrial chemical melamine in eight particular brands of imported milk powder, the government on October 16 advised the people to refrain from using them.
The brands are Sweetbaby, Yashli-1, Yashli-2, New Zealand’s Nido Fortified Instant, Anlin, Australia’s Diploma and Red Cow and Dano of Denmark.
Abu Zafar Mahmud, a professor of chemistry at Dhaka University, stood by the test report prepared by the department. He, however, said that it would unscientific not to give others’ opportunity to debate and make repeat tests.
The commerce secretary mentioned that repeat tests would be conducted at two local laboratories and one accredited laboratory abroad and accordingly, the 12-member committee would submit a report to the government for taking necessary action.
The committee will be comprised of two representatives from the DU chemistry department, three from the Bangladesh Automatic Energy Commission, three from the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research [Science Laboratory], two from Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution and one each from the health ministry and private laboratory PlasmaPlus.
The samples will be collected from the market by a ‘neutral committee’ comprising representatives from commerce, health and industries ministries, BSTI and also from the respective companies.
Based on laboratory tests, the experts’ committee will examine whether the powdered milk contained melamine and assess the level of contamination and the possible health risks, the secretary said.
Meanwhile, the council of adviser, at a meeting with chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair Sunday, expressed concern at the situation arising out of the melamine contamination of imported powder milk, mostly consumed by children, and asked the authorities concerned to settle the issue within the shortest possible time.
9 hurt as police attack students at Dhaka Univ
DU Correspondent
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The police on Sunday attacked Dhaka University students protesting against the increased price of admission forms. At least nine students were injured.
The protests and the clash suspended the sales of the admission forms for about six hours and the university authorities could resume sales at around 2:00pm after they had acceded to the Progressive Students’ Alliance demand for keeping the admission form price same for 10 years.
Although sale of the forms was scheduled to start at 9:00am, it was halted because of demonstrations by the Progressive
Students’ Alliance, a combine of left-leaning student organisations, against the increased price of the forms.
The demonstrators chanted slogans and tried to convince the admission seekers not to buy admission forms and at about 11:00am they sat in front the main gate of the Janata Bank at the Teacher-Student Centre and closed it.
Hundreds of admission seekers and their guardians were waiting for almost four hours as many of them wanted to buy the forms in spite of higher cost as they thought it was rational to increase the price. ‘We are depressed by this situation as we think it is rational to increase the price. Many of us have come from far places like Uttara and Badda. So, it is tough for us to come again another day,’ said Mitul, who went there to collect forms.
As the activists of the combine, in accordance with their scheduled programme, besieged the university branches of Sonali, Agrani and Janata banks and obstructed the sales of forms, the police charged at them with truncheons, which led to clashes between the lawmen and the students.
Sangeeta Barai, Sohel Rana, Biplob Mandal, Mumtahina, Sohan Sobhan, Rahat Ahmed, Rajib Iqbal, Liton and Rokhsana, all students of Dhaka University, were injured in the clash.
After the clash, the authorities held a meeting with the leaders of the combine at noon in the office of the vice-chancellor.
At the meeting, the combine, however, reached a compromise deal with the authorities: the price of a form, which was Tk 250 in 2007 but had been raised by Tk 50, would be Tk 300 and the price would not be increased in the next 10 years.
The leaders announced the decision after the meeting with the vice-chancellor, SMA Faiz, in the afternoon.
The leaders said the vice-chancellor had assured them that all the other fees would be set at an acceptable and reasonable rate.
When they were asked about what their position would be if the next administration violates the promise, the Bangladesh Chhatra Union president, Khan Asaduzzaman Masum, evaded the question and said the university authorities would need to keep their word as three of the deans and the proctor attended the meeting.
Arts dean Sadrul Amin, social sciences dean Harun-or-Rashid, business studies dean Abbas Ali Khan and proctor Feroz Ahmed were present at the meeting with the student leaders.
Fifteen were, meanwhile, injured as madrassah students, who tried to lay siege to the Janata Bank branch on the Dhaka University campus on Sunday to stop the sales of admission forms, clashed with the police.
The madrassah students, joined in by the students of Arabic, Persian and Urdu departments at the university, on Saturday vandalised the vice-chancellor’s office after they had met the vice-chancellor, SMA Faiz, and demanded that the admission rules should be changed.
The university authorities late Saturday night suspended two university students for their involvement in the vandalism of the vice-chancellor’s office.
Protests against baul monument removal continue
 |
The Conscious Artistes’ Society, a platform of sculptors, painters, singers and artistes, on Sunday demanded formation of a national committee to work out a policy to place similar sculptures across the country.
They made the demand as the platform began a two-day cultural programme at Bakultala at the fine arts faculty at Dhaka University in protest against the removal of the baul sculptures.
Songs were sung in the cultural programme, the theme of which was ‘Ensure free atmosphere for study of arts and culture.’
Singer Krishnakali read out a statement of the society, in which she said, ‘We strongly protest against the removal of the baul sculptures in response to the pressure of the fundamentalists. But we do not only want re-installation of the sculptures, but also want a national committee to deal with the installation of sculptures.’
Sculptor Moniruzzaman later said, ‘The fundamentalist forces have long been launching attacks on the culture.’
‘The recent removal of the baul sculptures is not an isolated event. A political game may have been played behind the scenes. Why did the incident take place at a time when the whole nation was preparing for the general elections and the restitution of democracy?’ he said.
Another sculptor, Shawon Akand, said, ‘Sculptures are installed haphazardly at the whim of whoever is in power. This should not be so. There must be a specific guideline on sculpture installation.’
He also blamed the interim government for siding with the fundamentalist forces, saying, ‘The role of the government in the removal of baul sculptures is lamentable.’
‘The ultra-religious forces launched one attack after another on our culture and heritage, but governments remained silent,’ said Anusheh.
Charan Sangskritik Kendra at a news briefing at the central Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal office on Sunday condemned the removal of baul sculptures and demanded punishment of the Muslim bigots who forced the government to dismantle the sculptures.
The organisation will also go out on demonstrations across the country on October 23 and form a human chain in Muktangan in Dhaka to push for the re-installation of the sculptures.
The New Age correspondent in Rajshahi said 107 teachers of Rajshahi University in a statement issued on Sunday demanded re-installation of the sculptures.
The correspondent at Chittagong University said the leaders and activists of left-leaning student organisations based in the university, under the banner of Progressive Students’ Alliance, protested against the removal of sculptures.
They brought out processions and formed a human chain in the university station area at around 12:30pm, demanding immediate re-installation of the sculptures.
The New Age correspondent in Barisal said several political and socio-cultural organisations, including the Barisal Reporter’s Unity, Sangskritik Sangathan Samanway Parishad, Group Theatre Federation and BM College Journalists’ Association condemned the removal of the sculptures and the bigot’s hatred of the Bengali culture and tradition.
Students’ organisations such as the Bangladesh Chhatra League, Chhatra Maitree, Chhatra Union and Pragatishil Chhatra Oikya went out on demonstrations, held rallies and brought out processions on the BM College campus in Barisal.
The New Age correspondent in Khulna said various organisations in the city protested against the removal of the sculptures and demanded immediate reinstallation of them.
BNP, allies to apply for registration today
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote will apply for registration with the Election Commission before the submission deadline expires this afternoon, alliance leaders said.
The highest policy making bodies of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami Sunday evening approved draft amendments to party constitutions in line with the criteria set by the Election Commission under the amended Representation of People Order.
BNP standing committee sources said, the amendments to the party constitution include: make a balance of power between the party chairperson and the standing committee, keeping 33 per cent of all committee positions reserved for women, finalisation of nomination of candidates by the party’s parliamentary board from lists forwarded by district committees, keeping no affiliated bodies consisting of students, labourers and other professions and keeping no foreign units.
There will, however, be no bar on any individual or group of individuals forming associated bodies and foreign units upholding ideals of the party. These bodies and units are free to run by their own constitutions, according to the amendments to the party constitution.
The BNP standing committee also approved a resolution that the party would submit a ratified copy of the party constitution to the Election Commission within six months of the first sitting of the ninth parliament.
‘The standing committee has approved draft amendments necessary for registration [with the Election Commission],’ BNP standing committee member M Saifur Rahman told reporters after the meeting. Committee members M Shamsul Islam and RA Gani echoed.
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia presided over the one-and-half-hour meeting beginning at 9:00 pm at her Gulshan office.
The party, which was to decide on registration after holding the second round of formal dialogue with the commission, suddenly changed its stance as the commission and the military-controlled interim government stuck to their position not to defer the deadline for registration again, according to party insiders.
‘Tomorrow [Monday] is the last date for applying for registration. So we will apply for registration to thwart the conspiracy to keep us away from elections on the excuse of non-registration,’ BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain said Sunday afternoon.
‘There were attempts in the past to split the BNP. And now a conspiracy is on to keep the party out of the incoming general elections,’ he added.
According to the latest amendments to the Representation of People Order, registration with the commission is mandatory for the parties to contest the elections.
Asked about the change in party’s stance the day before the deadline expires, Delwar said the party wanted further discussion with the government about the demands for removal of some electoral provisions which are inconsistent to the national constitution. ‘But we are yet to receive any response from the government about the next round of dialogue,’ Delwar said.
Asked about the party’s stance on participating in the polls under the state of emergency, he said the registration with the EC and the question of participation in the elections were not the same.
‘We will apply for registration to qualify for participating in elections. The decision on contesting the elections will be taken later on after considering the overall atmosphere,’ he said.
The BNP will not participate in any stage-managed elections, he reiterated. ‘We want lifting of the state of emergency before the polls, participated by all parties, including two leaders — Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina,’ he said.
Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary general Muhammad Kamaruzzaman told New Age that the party would submit application for registration with the EC today.
The Jatiya Nirbahi Parishad approved draft amendments to the party constitution at a meeting Sunday evening, he said. Jamaat amir Matiur Rahman Nizami presided over the meeting.
The amendments are made in line with the requirements of the RPO 2008, he said.
Islami Oikya Jote secretary general Abdul Latif Nezami said they would also apply for registration today.
Earlier on the day, BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami collected the registration forms from the EC.
The EC extended the deadline for submitting application for registration from October 15 to October 20 responding to requests from BNP and Jamaat. Chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda earlier said that the commission would not further extend the deadline for applying for registration.
A total of 192 political parties and groups collected forms for registration and 43 of them including the Awami League submitted applications to the EC until Sunday
The highest policy making bodies of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami Sunday evening approved draft amendments to party constitutions in line with the criteria set by the Election Commission under the amended Representation of People Order.
BNP standing committee sources said, the amendments to the party constitution include: make a balance of power between the party chairperson and the standing committee, keeping 33 per cent of all committee positions reserved for women, finalisation of nomination of candidates by the party’s parliamentary board from lists forwarded by district committees, keeping no affiliated bodies consisting of students, labourers and other professions and keeping no foreign units.
There will, however, be no bar on any individual or group of individuals forming associated bodies and foreign units upholding ideals of the party. These bodies and units are free to run by their own constitutions, according to the amendments to the party constitution.
The BNP standing committee also approved a resolution that the party would submit a ratified copy of the party constitution to the Election Commission within six months of the first sitting of the ninth parliament.
‘The standing committee has approved draft amendments necessary for registration [with the Election Commission],’ BNP standing committee member M Saifur Rahman told reporters after the meeting. Committee members M Shamsul Islam and RA Gani echoed.
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia presided over the one-and-half-hour meeting beginning at 9:00 pm at her Gulshan office.
The party, which was to decide on registration after holding the second round of formal dialogue with the commission, suddenly changed its stance as the commission and the military-controlled interim government stuck to their position not to defer the deadline for registration again, according to party insiders.
‘Tomorrow [Monday] is the last date for applying for registration. So we will apply for registration to thwart the conspiracy to keep us away from elections on the excuse of non-registration,’ BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain said Sunday afternoon.
‘There were attempts in the past to split the BNP. And now a conspiracy is on to keep the party out of the incoming general elections,’ he added.
According to the latest amendments to the Representation of People Order, registration with the commission is mandatory for the parties to contest the elections.
Asked about the change in party’s stance the day before the deadline expires, Delwar said the party wanted further discussion with the government about the demands for removal of some electoral provisions which are inconsistent to the national constitution. ‘But we are yet to receive any response from the government about the next round of dialogue,’ Delwar said.
Asked about the party’s stance on participating in the polls under the state of emergency, he said the registration with the EC and the question of participation in the elections were not the same.
‘We will apply for registration to qualify for participating in elections. The decision on contesting the elections will be taken later on after considering the overall atmosphere,’ he said.
The BNP will not participate in any stage-managed elections, he reiterated. ‘We want lifting of the state of emergency before the polls, participated by all parties, including two leaders — Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina,’ he said.
Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary general Muhammad Kamaruzzaman told New Age that the party would submit application for registration with the EC today.
The Jatiya Nirbahi Parishad approved draft amendments to the party constitution at a meeting Sunday evening, he said. Jamaat amir Matiur Rahman Nizami presided over the meeting.
The amendments are made in line with the requirements of the RPO 2008, he said.
Islami Oikya Jote secretary general Abdul Latif Nezami said they would also apply for registration today.
Earlier on the day, BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami collected the registration forms from the EC.
The EC extended the deadline for submitting application for registration from October 15 to October 20 responding to requests from BNP and Jamaat. Chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda earlier said that the commission would not further extend the deadline for applying for registration.
A total of 192 political parties and groups collected forms for registration and 43 of them including the Awami League submitted applications to the EC until Sunday
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