The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has rejected President Md. Sahabuddin's invitation to celebrate the Great Victory Day at Bangabhaban.

This was announced in a message sent by the Cell Secretary (Office Cell) of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement on Monday (December 16) afternoon.

It is said that the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement rejects the invitation of President Md. Sahabuddin, who is associated with the fascist regime, to celebrate the Great Victory Day at Bangabhaban.

He said that according to the decision of the executive committee, no leader or worker organizationally associated with the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement will go to the Great Victory Day celebration at Bangabhaban today.

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement considers celebrating a day of national pride like the Great Victory Day at the invitation of a President associated with fascism to be incompatible with the intention of the mass uprising.

The accused party has been given the facility to appoint foreign lawyers to establish a transparent trial process in the International Crimes Tribunal.

This information was given by Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus in his address to the nation on the occasion of the Great Victory Day on Monday (December 16).

At this time, he said that the trial of the fallen dictator and his associates involved in the massacre is progressing. For this, the International Crimes Tribunal Act has been amended. To ensure transparency in the trial process, the accused have been given the opportunity to appoint foreign lawyers. They will get all kinds of opportunities to defend themselves.

In addition, the trial process has been kept open to journalists, human rights activists and other observers. Anyone who wants to will have the opportunity to record any part of the trial.

Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus also said that a case against the genocide perpetrators will be filed at the International Crimes Court.

Five people were killed in a collision between a covered van and an auto-rickshaw in Bhairab, Kishoreganj.

The accident occurred around 9 am on Monday in the Jagannathpur area of the Kishoreganj-Sylhet highway in the upazila.

Two men and three women are among the deceased. However, their names and identities were not immediately known.

Bhairab Police Station OC Md. Shahin Mia said, "A Dhaka-bound covered van collided head-on with a Sylhet-bound auto-rickshaw. Five people, including the auto-rickshaw driver, were killed.

The country will hold national elections between the end of 2025 and the first half of 2026 next year with the aim of restoring democracy and transferring power to an elected government.

This was stated by the Chief Adviser to the interim government, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, in his address to the nation on Monday (December 16).

The Chief Adviser said in this regard that if the elections are to be completed on the basis of accurate preparation of the voter list with a few reforms, then it may be possible to hold the elections by the end of 2025.

He further said that if we add to this the expected level of reforms in the electoral process and in the light of the recommendations of the Electoral Reforms Commission and based on national consensus, then it may take at least another six months of additional time.

Broadly speaking, the Chief Adviser said that the election date can be set between the end of 2025 and the first half of 2026.

Wishing the countrymen a great Victory Day, the Chief Adviser said, I have repeatedly appealed to you to complete all the major reforms and organize the elections.

Regarding the young voters in the upcoming elections, he said, 'First of all, the biggest task is to update the voter list. This is already a difficult task. Now the task has become even more difficult because in the last three elections, voters did not have the opportunity to participate. No one has had the opportunity to verify the voter list. We have to ensure that the names of all those who have become eligible to vote in the last 15 years are included in the voter list. This is a big task. There is no room for complacency here after the student uprising. After a long time, many young women and men will vote for the first time in their lives. In the past, they were deprived of that right and joy.'

Stating that the voting of the youth in this election will be a memorable event, he said, 'All arrangements must be made to smooth this experience. My sincere wish is that the young women and men who are first-time voters create a tradition by voting in numbers close to 100 percent in this election. My appeal to the Election Commission and all social institutions and political parties is that we all take up various creative programs to achieve this goal. From now on, we can all create a tradition that first-time voters will ensure close to 100 percent voting in all elections, including local elections, in all centers. If this can be ensured, no government in the future will dare to take away people's voting rights.

In addition, Dr. Muhammad Yunus has also expressed his desire to implement the voting system for expatriate Bangladeshis for the first time.