Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said the present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina itself will act as the supportive government during the next general election.

"BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia went to the bank of River Thames (London) after making announcement of anti-government agitation. The agitation programme of BNP now remains confined in the vanity bag of Khaleda Zia. Let her come back to the country first, then we will see," Quader said.

He came up with the remarks while addressing a reunion of former students of Basurhat Government High School in Companiganj in Noakhali.

Presided over by Companiganj upazila vice-chairman Azam Pasha Chowdhury Romel, the function was attended by Noakhali-3 lawmaker Mamunur Rashid Kiron, principal of the school Mohammad Nurul Amin and upazila Awami League president Khijir Hayat, among others.

"Being a former student of this school, I have been able to come this far. I hope you all would be able to achieve greater success than me. In spite of being a lady, our prime minister is now being lauded all across the world. Bangladesh is now being recognised as Digital Bangladesh. We have now achieved exceptional success in cricket being patronised by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," Quader said.

Earlier in the morning, he visited Companiganj upazila health complex and expressed discontent over the absence of doctors and nurses at the hospital. He also ordered the civil surgeon to show causes over the matter.

Singer Kanak Chapa has secured BNP’s nomination to contest from Sirajganj-1 constituency in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary general of the BNP, declared her candidacy at a press briefing in BNP’s Gulshan office this afternoon.

Her arch contestant will be Awami League’s presidium member and senior politician Mohammad Nasim, whose father was a prime minister of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s cabinet.

There were two other BNP aspirants from this seat – Nazmul Hassan Talukdar and Selim Reza (initially declared illegal) – who will now have to withdraw their candidacy.

ABOUT THE CONSTITUENCY

Sirajganj-1 constituency comprises of Kazipur Upazila and Mechra, Ratankandi, Bagbati, Chongacha, and Bahuli Unions of Sirajganj Sadar.

It has a voter base of 345,676, according to the Election Commission, with greater number of female voters, 173,952, than male voters, 171,724.

The other candidates vying for this constituency are Al-Amin Siraji from Islami Andolan Bangladesh and an independent candidate Tanvir Shakil Joy.

WHEN IS THE ELECTION?

The 11th general election will be held on December 30. It was deferred once by the Election Commission upon demands from the opposition political parties.

As per the polls schedule, the deadline for filing the nomination papers was November 28. Since then, the commission has been engaged in hearing appeals of rejected candidates.

After December 9, the last date for nomination withdrawal, the commission will allot polls symbols to contestant and open the field for campaigning.

Leaders of major political parties used the Eid holidays to campaign for the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2019.

Believing that the Eid holidays were a key opportunity for reaching out to a large number of constituents, leaders of ruling Awami League, the BNP and main opposition Jatiya Party rushed to their constituencies before Eid and campaigned throughout the holidays, said party leaders.

This year the presence of young politicians in their constituencies was significant and hundreds of party ticket hopefuls campaigned.

The party ticket hopefuls even distributed food and clothes among their constituents.

Those not MPs expressed their eagerness to run in 2019 while the incumbent lawmakers told their constituents that it was imperative they get elected again to finish their work.

The leaders sought the voters' blessings.

Even AL President Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia spoke about the elections in their Eid greeting speeches.

After exchanging Eid greetings at the Gono Bhaban, Hasina said, "We want cooperation from all ... we want to make the country free from hunger and poverty and make it a prosperous one as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman."

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia while exchanging Eid greetings at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre said the next national election must be held under a supportive-government with the deployment of the army to install a pro-people administration to end public sufferings and ensure good governance.

The Election Commission has already drafted the roadmap for the next elections. The two major political parties have been internally preparing for the polls. 

Khaleda has sought votes for the BNP and had unveiled the party's Vision 2030. She said no MP would go unchallenged in the next polls.

BNP leaders believe that they would run in the next election whatever the situation.

A large number of AL leaders, especially young leaders, visited their constituencies and areas and sought people's blessing after Hasina declared that those with close ties with constituents would get party nominations.

Apart from incumbent AL MPs, young leaders like Ashim Kumar Ukil, Aminul Islam Amin, Badiuzzaman Bhuiyan Dablu, Afzal Hossain, Enamul Haque Shamim, Sujit Roy Nandi, ABM Reazul Kabir Kawsar, Marufa Akter Popy, Mahmud Hasan Ripon, Saifuzzaman Shikor, Shafi Ahmed, Ajoy Kar Khokan, Mainul Hossain Khan Nikil, Sajjad Shakib Badsha, Aktaruzzaman Babu, Sheikh Sohel Rana Tipu, Nafiul Karim Nafa, Badiuzzaman Shohagh, Zahiruddin Mahmud Lipton were seen campaigning in their areas.

Our Rangpur correspondent said a number of MP hopefuls of different parties visited constituencies of the district.

Local BNP leader Saiful Islam sought vote for BNP after the Eid congregation at Pirganj Eidgah while AL MP Ahasanul Hoque Chowdhury of Rangpur-2 sought vote for Boat in next polls. Boat is the electoral symbol of the AL.

Our Sylhet correspondent added that Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, adviser to the BNP chairperson, carried out a month-long campaign in Sylhet-1 constituency and expressed his desire to run in the next polls.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith is the incumbent MP of Sylhet-1.

Abdul Momen, younger brother of Muhith, Shahed Muhith, son of Muhith, and AL Organising Secretary Misbah Uddin Seraj also campaigned in the same constituency.

For the last few months, AL leaders Ashim Kumar Ukil, Reazul Kabir Kawsar, Badiuzzaman Bhuiyan Dablu, Afzal Hossain and Misbah Uddin Seraj have been staying mostly in their areas to campaign, sources said.

The Election Commission (EC) will hold an electoral dialogue with journalists and media personalities on August 16 and 17 as a part of its election roadmap.

READ MORE: Civil Society Talks with EC: Call for army in polls, 'no vote' system

“Talks with journalists from online and television channels will be held on August 16 while with print journalists and media personalities on August 17,” EC Secretary Muhammad Helal Uddin Ahmed told The Daily Star today.

The dialogue is likely to begin at 11:00am at the EC Secretariat in Dhaka, he added.

The EC earlier had invited 59 civil society members to join the talks in which 35 participated while some others expressed their inability to attend for personal reasons.

In the talks, most civil society members spoke for restoring “no vote” system and ensuring a level-playing field for all political parties to hold the next election in a free, fair and participatory manner.

The Election Commission (EC) today turned down candidature of Jatiya Party leader Ruhul Amin Hawlader from Patuakhali-1 constituency for contesting the upcoming general election.

The EC during the second day of its hearing declared Hawlader’s candidature invalid on the ground of loan default, our staff correspondent reports from the EC Secretariat.

Meanwhile, the commission cleared the way for another JP candidate Masud Parvez Sohel Rana for contesting the polls from Barishal-2.

JP Chairman HM Ershad in a sudden move on December 3 removed Hawlader from the party’s secretary general post and replaced him with State Minister for LGRD Moshiur Rahman Ranga.

Hawlader's fall from the JP chief's grace came a day after his nomination papers were rejected by the returning officer concerned on grounds of loan default. 

Ershad was unhappy with Hawlader due to allegation of “nomination business” against him, JP insiders said.

The Election Commission (EC) around 10:00am today at its office in Dhaka’s Agargaon area resumed the second day of hearing on the appeals of the nominees earlier rejected by the returning officers during scrutiny.