The United Kingdom has urged the Bangladesh authorities for a full, credible and transparent resolution of all complaints related to the conduct of the December 30 general elections.

“While I welcome the participation of all opposition parties in these elections, I am aware of credible accounts of obstacles, including arrests, that constrained or prevented campaigning by opposition parties, and of irregularities in the conduct of elections on polling day that prevented some people from voting,” said British Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific Mark Field.

He came up with the comments in a press statement yesterday following the announcement of the unofficial results for the 11th Parliamentary Elections in Bangladesh.

“I deplore the acts of intimidation and unlawful violence that have taken place during the campaign period, and am deeply concerned by the incidents that led to so many deaths on polling day. My thoughts are with the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones,” the British minister said in the statement.

Terming free, fair, peaceful, and participatory elections essential to any functioning democracy, Minister Field said, “It is vital for the government and all political parties to now work together to address differences and find a way forward in line with the interests of the people of Bangladesh”.

Mentioning that the UK has a broad and important partnership with Bangladesh, and a significant Bangladeshi diaspora in the UK, Mark Field added, “We will continue to support the people of Bangladesh in their aspirations for a more stable, prosperous, and democratic future”.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked all concerned to present the authentic history of the Liberation War before the new generation.

"History can't be erased. The authentic history of the Liberation War will have to be projected before the new generation," she said while addressing the 66th trustee board meeting of the Freedom Fighters Welfare Trust (FFWT) from her official residence Gono Bhaban.

The other members of the trustee board got connected to it from the Osmani Memorial Auditorium.

PM's Deputy Press Secretary KM Shakhawat Moon briefed reporters after the meeting.

PM asked the trustee board members to identify insolvent freedom fighters and their family members and stand beside them.

She said her government will build homes for all insolvent freedom fighters and their families.

Shakhawat Moon said Sheikh Hasina, also the head of the trustee board, asked for enquiring about "fake freedom fighters" as many Razakar, Al Badr and Al-Shams members had assumed the identity of "freedom fighter" immediately after the Liberation War.

The Prime Minister asked all concerned to speed up the activities of the trustee board and stressed the need for holding its regular meetings.

She said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had formed the trust for the welfare of the country's best sons.

At the meeting, the Prime Minister recalled with due respect Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman under whose leadership the country was liberated, the four national leaders, martyred freedom fighters, and others who made the supreme sacrifice in all the democratic and progressive movements.

Trustee board members, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, Awami League Presidium Member Shajahan Khan, Mostafizur Rahman Fizar and Liberation War Affairs Ministry Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh were, among others, present.

Four university students remain missing since they were allegedly picked up by plainclothes men in the capital's Farmgate area on Saturday, the day before national election.

Their families yesterday held a press conference at Crime Reporters' Association Bangladesh, demanding safe return of the youths.

The missing are: Abu Khaled Mohammad Jabed, 25, a third year student of Bangla at Asian University; Borhan Uddin, 26, English student at Stamford University; Rezaul Khalek, 24, final year student of Pharmacy at Manarat University; and Syed Maminul Hasan, 27, former student of a Unani Ayurvedic Medical College.

“We are very anxious about their fate, as we have been out of contact with them for two days,” said Jabed's brother-in-law Yeasin Karim at the press conference.

He urged law enforcers to rescue the youths or to produce them before the court if they were detained for any crime.

Some plainclothes men identifying themselves as law enforcers dragged them out of a bus in Farmgate on their way home in Mirpur-1 after shopping at Aziz Super Market, Yeasin said quoting a friend of theirs who was also in the bus but escaped detention.

“We contacted local police stations and other wings of law enforcement agencies but all denied picking Jabed up,” he said.

The families drew attention of national and international human rights organisations to be vocal for their release.

Contacted, Abdul Baten, additional commissioner (detectives) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police said they did not detain the youths.

Mufti Mahmud Khan, Rab's Legal and Media wing director also said they did not carry out any drive in Farmgate on that day.

It's Gonoforam chief Dr Kamal Hossain, not Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda, who should quit after accepting his failure, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said yesterday.

He made the comment while addressing an election rally at Latifunnessa High School ground in Cumilla's Chouddagram.

The Jatiya Oikyafront leader failed to demonstrate his leadership, Quader claimed.

“Dr Kamal's words are even more poisonous than formalin. Not the CEC but you [Kamal] should resign,” Quader said.

He also asked why Dr Kamal went to meet the CEC if he demanded his resignation.

People will vote for “boat”, the AL's electoral symbol, in the national elections on Sunday, Quader said.

"The alternatives to 'boat' are petrol bombs, burning people to death, torching educational institutions and vehicles, and blocking roads," he added.

Meanwhile, Jahangir Kabir Nanok, joint secretary general of the ruling AL, alleged the BNP-Jamaat-Oikyafront alliance was distributing illegal money and spreading false allegations and propagandas to destroy the congenial polls environment.

He made the allegations at a press briefing at the party president Shiekh Hasina's Dhanmondi office.

He said Rab arrested three men with Tk 8 crore in cash and Tk 10 crore in cheques on Tuesday. Of them, there were a businessman and a former employee of Hawa Bhaban.

They were carrying a full list of voters of a constituency and that area's BNP nominated candidate's poster with BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman's photo on it, he said.

The primary investigation suggested that the huge amount of money was intended to be distributed to instigate violence and influence polls, Nanok added.

Around Tk 150 crore was distributed across the country in the last two months, he alleged.

He also said, “Tk 200 crore was brought into the country from Dubai through hundi and illegal channels by Tarique Rahman.”

The incident hints a massive conspiracy is taking place against the country and Pakistani intelligence ISI's involvement in the upcoming polls, the AL leader further alleged.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged Sri Lanka to invest more in Bangladesh, particularly in its special economic zones (SEZs).

"Bangladesh is developing 100 (SEZs) and Sri Lankan entrepreneurs can come up with more investment here availing the existing favourable policies for foreign investors," said Hasina when the newly-appointed Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sudharshan Deepal Suresh Seneviratne made a courtesy call on the PM at her Gono Bhaban residence.

Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Jahid Tusher briefed reporters about the meeting.

The Sri Lankan envoy expressed his gratitude to the prime minister for getting the vaccine as the government is also providing inoculation to diplomats and foreigners alongside the country's people.

Congratulating Saima Wazed Hossain for being World Health Organization's (WHO's) champion for autism in the South-East Asia Region, the High Commissioner said her work in the field of autism is praiseworthy.

The high commissioner also praised the government's initiative of transferring money from the social safety net programme to the marginal people through bank accounts and termed it "groundbreaking".

Prime Minister's Office Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah and Military Secretary to the Prime Minister Major General Naquib Ahmed Chowdhury were present among others in the meeting.