BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that elections are possible by mid-year. At the same time, he called on the government, Election Commission and political parties to hold elections.

He said these things at a press conference called at the BNP Chairperson's office in Gulshan on Tuesday (January 14) to inform about the decision of the standing committee a day earlier.

Also present at the event was the party's standing committee member Abdul Moin Khan.

The BNP Secretary General said that elections are possible by mid-year. This is why I am calling on the Election Commission, the government and political parties to hold elections by mid-year.

Noting that the draft of the Cyber Security Ordinance has been discussed, Mirza Fakhrul will hold another press conference in the next two days to discuss it in detail. For this, a committee has been formed under the leadership of Standing Committee member Dr. Moin Khan.

The BNP Secretary General said that the statement of the Chief Adviser on the election issue was discussed for a long time. We think there is no reason to delay it so much. The Election Commission has already been formed, stability is coming to the country and the report of the reform committee will be out by this month. Democracy is the most important thing in a country.

In response to a question about local elections before the national elections, the BNP Secretary General said, our position is clear on this matter. We have again announced this decision. We are saying that there is no question of local elections before the national elections because, now the focus of the entire nation, the entire country is on the elections of the national government. The last three elections could not be held. People want to pave the way for the transition to democracy through elections.

He said, sometimes I myself am surprised, where does the idea of holding elections other than the national elections come from at such a critical moment? Where does the idea of postponing the elections come from? If you want to put the country on a railway track.... There is an ongoing process of reforms. We were the first to draw the outline of reforms.

In response to a question about the 24 declarations, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, we have received a draft of a July declaration from Adviser Mahfuz Alam. He requested us to give our opinion on this matter. It is not possible to do such a sensitive and important matter on a one-day notice. We have discussed this matter, are discussing it further, we have to discuss it with other parties that we have. Not only that, we have to discuss it with the constitutional experts who are there.

Asked whether the BNP like-minded political parties in the country also agree with BNP, he said, the like-minded parties that have been agitating, the right party, the left party, all agree with us that everyone agrees that elections need to be held quickly. There is no disagreement between us on this matter. The Communist Party has already given a statement. I do not see that there is much difference with Jamaat-e-Islami either. It has said a few days ago that elections need to be held quickly, that a national government needs to be elected first. 

Amidst the multi-faceted discussion on the report of the US intelligence agency Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy has expressed his position and claimed that the report is 'wrong and misleading'.

On Monday (January 13) night, Joy wrote in a post on his verified Facebook page, 'Recently, an FBI report was leaked against him. However, due to their carelessness and stupidity, the false evidence of the report has become clear. There are also some serious mistakes in the report.'

The FBI investigation revealed that Hasina and Joy laundered 30 crore dollars (about Tk. 3,600 crore) to the US and the UK. The intelligence agency claimed that they uncovered significant irregularities in Joy's financial activities. Based on the FBI's investigation, the Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission began an investigation into the allegations of laundered 30 crore dollars to the US and the UK against Hasina and Joy on December 22, 2024.

The FBI has found Joy's involvement with 8 luxury cars and five companies. However, Joy claims that these cars are very old and most of them have been sold long ago. The FBI report was submitted to the Assistant Attorney General of the US Department of Justice's Criminal Division on April 23, 2023. The ACC has received a copy of the FBI report, the officials concerned said.

The FBI report also named two of Joy's associates, who were their confidential informants. They are US Metropolitan Awami League President Siddiqur Rahman and Senior Joint Secretary Nizam Chowdhury. The FBI report said that the US intelligence agency found Sajeeb's bank accounts in Hong Kong and the Cayman Islands. It was learned about the suspicious money transfer to Washington DC, New York and London through a local money exchange company.

It also said that Special Agent La Private was contacted by Linda Samuels, Senior Trial Attorney of the US Department of Justice. He sought Washington Field's help in a case involving the theft of 30 crore dollars from Bangladesh and its laundering into a bank account in the United States.

However, in a Facebook post, Sajeeb Wazed Joy claimed that the FBI agent mentioned in the report had retired from the agency many years ago. The Justice Department lawyer mentioned died in 2013. Joy shared a link to the news of his death.

The FBI report, mentioning that Sheikh Hasina and Sajeeb Wazed had laundered money in the United States and the Cayman Islands, said that the Justice Department's Asset Forfeiture or Money Laundering Division sought Washington Field's help to find, restrain, and seize these funds. Our investigation also found suspicious activity in the name of Wazed Consulting Inc. Wazed Consultant was engaged in numerous businesses with the Bangladesh government and was involved in the Bangabandhu-1 satellite project. However, Joy claims that he does not have any offshore bank accounts. He challenged the entire matter and asked to prove these allegations.

Although the investigation found suspicious banking activity involving his wife Christine and Sajeeb Wazed in Massachusetts and Virginia, Joy wrote in his Facebook post, "Christine and I are no longer married. We separated about three years ago and are divorced."

Dhaka: BNP's position on the national election issue is becoming stronger and clearer this time. Although it has previously demanded to hold elections as soon as possible, this time BNP is clearly demanding national elections by mid-year.

The party believes that the discussion on local government elections is aimed at delaying the national election. The interim government should set aside the thought of local government elections and make arrangements for national elections according to the people's wishes. Leaders expressed this opinion at the party's standing committee meeting held on Monday night.

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman joined the meeting virtually from London and presided over the meeting. The meeting discussed the medical and physical condition of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who is in the UK. The leaders expressed gratitude for her continuous improvement in health.

Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called a press conference after the standing committee meeting. A press conference will be held at the BNP Chairperson's political office in Gulshan on Tuesday afternoon. It will highlight statements on all issues including the elections.

Sources said that BNP will take the demand for elections to the people by the middle of this year through meetings and seminars. The meeting expressed anger over the government's increase in VAT and taxes. The leaders said that if the elected government was in power, it would not have increased the suffering of the people in any way. VAT and taxes should not have been increased in this way on products necessary for people's daily lives.

President of the Gano Adhikar Parishad(GAP) and former VP Nurul Haque Nur has commented that conflict over ownership of mass uprising has begun.

He said this at a human chain organized by the students and public injured in the July-August mass uprising in front of the National Press Club on Sunday (January 12) demanding rehabilitation, state honors, monthly allowances and good medical treatment for the families of those injured and killed in the July-August mass uprising.

Former VP Nurul Haque Nur said that conflict over ownership of mass uprising has already begun. There is a competition over who owns the mass uprising, how many people died in which party, what is the contribution of which party though this is not desirable in any way because, it was not a political party movement. It was a mass movement against fascism. Everyone participated in this mass uprising. So, identifying someone here as Jamaat Shibir, BNP, or Gana Adhikar will not be a good thing in the future of history.

He said, no one is realizing it yet. Some are busy forming a party, while others are busy with business. They are busy coming to power. However, no party has raised its voice demanding trial for the fascists we fought against. Rather, everyone wants to give them political space. They want to give them a chance in the next election.

Nurul Haque Nur said, if a strong political party is not formed as an alternative to BNP, there will be a chance for Awami League to come again. India will invest thousands of crores of taka to make Awami League come back. Therefore, everyone should be vocal in demanding justice for Awami League. Awami League cannot be allowed to rise with its head held high in this country.

He said, if the country is to be kept in good shape, we have to support this interim government. For our own good, we have to be vocal for a few more days. We expected the government to take some immediate role in some small places. They will take immediate action. But we cannot see that. Why do we have to go door to door to treat the injured in five and a half months today? The saddest thing is that the youths that people are proud of and arrogant about are our students and youths who are in charge of the July Foundation. But why would they have bureaucratic complications? Why would there be red tape in their offices?

Addressing the government and the July Foundation, Nur said that within the next 15 days, a complete list of the dead and the injured should be prepared; the injured should be given at least Tk. 50 lakh. The deceased should be given Tk. 1 crore.

The first and main task of this government should have been to find the injured and ensure proper treatment. The government should also have provided compensation to the injured.

The president of the People's Rights Council said that there are various disagreements about providing compensation to the deceased and the number of deceased. Somewhere it has been said that more than 1600 have been killed, and somewhere else it has been said that more than 800. It has become like the martyrs of the Liberation War. Some say 30 lakh martyrs, while others say 3 lakh. Even after 53 years of independence, this unfortunate nation has not been able to list the real martyrs of the Liberation War. However, business has been done with the Liberation War, politics of consciousness has been done with the Liberation War. Awami League fascism has been established here under Indian hegemony in the name of the Liberation War. However, this nation still does not know the real number of freedom fighters.

Nurul Haque Nur said, the political situation is very unstable now. The government and various political parties are facing each other. This division is not desirable in any way. This government of mass uprising is not an elected government for three months like other governments. This government of mass uprising is a government we support in state reconstruction, state reform. But, unfortunately, their activities for five months have disappointed us.

He said, if this government cannot reform the state, the elected government will not be able to do so. We will request the government to hold talks with the political parties. Reduce the distance and reach a consensus on state reform. If necessary, reform the state by forming a national government.