BNP leader Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu has assured Hindu community leaders in Natore that party activists will resist any attempts at conspiracy surrounding the upcoming Durga Puja.

He alleged that a section always tries to spread propaganda during Puja festivals. “Under Tarique Rahman’s directives, BNP leaders and activists will thwart all conspiracies, stand by every community, and protect lives and property,” Dulu said.

BNP leader Shamsuzzaman Dudu has accused Sheikh Hasina of conspiring from India to destabilize Bangladesh and obstruct elections, suggesting that she seeks a covert return to the country.

“Her plot will not succeed,” Dudu said, adding that steering the country toward elections would foil all conspiracies and restore normalcy by returning voting rights to the people.

He alleged that Hasina clung to power for 16 years through force, and claimed her associates siphoned off the nation’s wealth, leaving banks empty.

Singapore’s non-resident High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Derek Loh, met with a BNP delegation in Dhaka on Thursday.

BNP was represented by Standing Committee members Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and Salahuddin Ahmed, along with organizing secretary Shama Obaid. Loh was accompanied by Chargé d’Affaires Mitchell Loh and Desk Officer De Ern from the Singapore High Commission.

Discussions reportedly focused on strengthening bilateral ties and mutual interests.

Jamaat-e-Islami on Friday began a three-day program in seven divisional cities, demanding proportional representation (PR) in the upcoming national elections along with four other conditions.

Party leaders were assigned to lead programs in each city, including Nayeb-e-Ameer Prof. Mujibur Rahman in Barishal and Secretary General Prof. Mia Golam Porwar in Rangpur.

The five-point charter includes:

Elections in February under the July roadmap

PR system for both parliamentary chambers

Guaranteed level playing field

Visible justice for government “atrocities, killings, and corruption”

A ban on Jatiya Party and the Awami League-led 14-party alliance

BNP leader A.Z.M. Zahid Hossain has said that as the election draws closer, many are launching movements and programs demanding proportional representation (PR). However, he stressed that PR is not an effective step to strengthen democracy.

“People may demand PR as part of their democratic rights. But treating it as something that must happen is an undemocratic mindset. No idea can be truly democratic if it is imposed,” Zahid said.

He further warned that pushing for PR in the name of the people, even when the public does not demand it, only paves the way for authoritarianism and attempts to delay elections. “Trying to pass off a party agenda as the people’s demand will not succeed. The general public themselves will resist it,” he added.

A BNP leader in Cox’s Bazar has sparked outrage after allegedly extorting Tk 200,000 from an Awami League woman leader, swearing on the Holy Quran to “protect” her. A video of the incident involving Nuruddin Khan, general secretary of Ward 1 (East) BNP, has gone viral.

The victim, Rozina Akhter, said she initially believed Khan would help her but was later threatened with murder and arson if she refused to pay more money.

Khan, who faces long-standing allegations of human trafficking, attacks on police, and extortion, denied the charges, claiming he is a community arbitrator and the victim of conspiracy. However, BNP insiders admitted that the incident has embarrassed party members nationwide.

In a significant political development, 40 members of the AB Party, led by Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury, have rejoined Jamaat-e-Islami in Birampur, Dinajpur, after five years. Among them was Arafat Al Abir, a member of the BNP student wing’s convening committee.

Speaking at the rejoining ceremony, Chowdhury recalled the political repression he faced under the Awami League government in 2020 while with Jamaat. He said disagreements with some leaders led him to join AB Party, but he later found the party lacking in spirit and ideology. “The ideals and activities of Jamaat once again inspired me. That is why I am returning, along with 40 colleagues,” he declared.

In Bauphal, Patuakhali, police arrested former Chhatra League leader Mainul Islam, sparking controversy after local Jamaat leader Gholam Abu Sayeed was accused of lobbying for his release.
Mainul, once vice president of Keshabpur Union Chhatra League, had actively campaigned in the 2024 Union Parishad elections for an Awami League candidate and was accused of leading violent clashes.
Abu Sayeed, however, claimed Mainul is no longer with Chhatra League and now serves as finance secretary of his union’s Jamaat youth wing, justifying his intervention.
Bauphal Police OC confirmed, “There is no question of releasing him. He is involved with banned politics and was plotting unrest.”

Rashed Khan, General Secretary of Gono Adhikar Parishad, has dismissed speculation about a possible merger with the Nationalist Citizen Party (NCP).
He clarified, “From the quota reform movement in 2018 to 2023, many NCP leaders have worked alongside us. Informal discussions happen on national issues like reforms, justice, and elections, but there has been no formal dialogue on unification.”
Rashed added that while both groups maintain a working understanding, it is “not the right time to comment on deeper political alignments.”

BNP Standing Committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy has dismissed claims that political chaos would erupt if the Awami League lost power, pointing to past remarks made by ruling party leaders.

“Obaidul Quader said in parliament that one lakh people would die if the Awami League stepped down. Tofail Ahmed even claimed that two lakh people would die if the party was no longer in power. But nothing of that sort happened after they lost power,” Roy said. “The BNP does not practice the politics of killing.”

He made the remarks while distributing relief and gifts among members of the Hindu community.

Roy also alleged widespread corruption in state institutions, particularly in Keraniganj. “In the last 16 years, whenever one crore taka came as aid through the UNO office, half of it would simply disappear. When government relief materials arrived, half was sold off and the rest was divided among themselves,” he said.

Contrasting this with BNP’s actions, Roy added: “During every Ramadan, we have distributed iftar items. During Eid, we have provided semai, milk, sugar, and other essentials to the best of our ability. We have never snatched food from people’s mouths or stolen their money.”

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mia Golam Parwar has warned that Bangladesh risks sliding into another authoritarian regime if the upcoming parliamentary elections are not held under a Proportional Representation (PR) system.

Speaking at a protest in front of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, Parwar demanded a referendum on PR-based elections. He accused the government of attempting to bypass the July Declaration without proper implementation and alleged that the ruling party was using political maneuvering to maintain control.

“The July Declaration mentioned the narrow ambitions of a few parties, which did not align with the aspirations of the people,” Parwar said. “Before the elections, the July Declaration must be given a constitutional basis. I call upon the head of government to conduct the election on the basis of that declaration. The people of Bangladesh will not allow another Hasina to emerge.”

Citing survey data, he added: “Seventy percent of the people support PR. Out of 31 political parties that engaged with the Election Commission, 25 are in favor of it. If the people accept PR, then the government must also accept it. If the people reject it, Jamaat-e-Islami will respect that verdict. But why is the government afraid of a referendum?”

Parwar argued that a PR-based system would ensure inclusive representation, eliminate the influence of muscle power and black money, and pave the way for a “quality parliament” and a government that truly reflects the will of the people—preventing any single-party majority from devolving into fascism.

In an unusual gesture ahead of Durga Puja, Jamaat-e-Islami distributed saris to more than 300 Hindu women in Chowgacha upazila of Jessore.
At a gathering, local Jamaat chief Maulana Golam Morshed said: “We are not giving you these saris as charity, but as gifts from brothers to sisters. If Jamaat comes to power in the future, we will stand by you at the state level as well, InshaAllah.”

BNP leader Sultan Salahuddin Tuku has denounced the proportional representation (PR) electoral system, calling it a conspiracy to undermine Bangladesh’s democratic process.

“The people of Bangladesh have already rejected PR. They trust the traditional system where their votes directly decide the winners,” Tuku said.

He accused ruling elites of pushing PR because “they are disconnected from the people and know their ideology will never be accepted.”

Tuku expressed confidence that under Tarique Rahman’s leadership, the BNP will secure victory in the upcoming national election, which the government has announced will take place in February before Ramadan.

BNP leader and war hero Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram has accused the ruling party of attempting to eliminate Islam from Bangladesh during its 16-year rule.

Speaking at a gathering, Hafiz said: “They brutally killed people at Shapla Chattar, yet the truth of how many died and how the massacre unfolded has not been revealed. Those responsible must face justice.”

He lamented that while Islam is the faith of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), many Muslims in Bangladesh have abandoned its true practice in pursuit of worldly pleasures. “For 16 years, this nation endured repression. Islam itself was targeted for eradication,” he said.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that resolving political crises is only possible through dialogue, not through unnecessary street programs.
“Calling movements during ongoing discussions only creates pressure. It doesn’t help democracy,” Fakhrul told reporters after returning from Singapore.
He reiterated that BNP does not support banning any political party and emphasized that his party has avoided agitation since the student-people’s uprising.
Fakhrul also confirmed his plan to attend the upcoming UN session, saying decisions will be taken collectively in consultation with allies.