Source – http://www.bangladesh.net– Seal deal for polls plan change: CE—Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad urged the two major political parties of Bangladesh, who are still at loggerheads over the polls-time dispensation, to compromise in public interest.His launched the appeal speaking to reporters around 9:30pm on Monday on his way out of office in Dhaka.Filing of nomination papers for the general elections ended in the afternoon while several election offices were attacked during the Opposition’s nationwide blockade.No-one from the BNP and its allies in the Opposition submitted nomination to run for Parliament.As the deadline to submit nominations ended on Monday according to the election roadmap, no-one else will be able to contest parliamentary polls.“But we are still hopeful [of the Opposition joining polls]. Everything is possible if there is a positive and definite outcome and an agreement is reached,” Ahmad said.He was asked whether there was any chance of the schedule being altered as the BNP-led coalition stayed off the nomination formalities.Barely an hour earlier, Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia had urged the government to come to an agreement. She said the door to reconciliation with the government to end the political deadlock was still open.The BNP Chairperson in a statement also urged the EC to suspend the election schedule according to which the polls will take place on Jan 5.The CEC had a meeting with other election commissioners before he left the office around 9:30pm. He also met UN Resident Coordinator in Dhaka Neil Walker earlier in the day.The people only wanted a peaceful election, Ahmad said. “I’m still urging both parties to come forward. Find a solution to the crisis through dialogue. Give people a chance to choose their representatives.”The Opposition is enforcing shutdowns and blockades to push for a non-party polls-time government, while the Awami League-led government is preparing to hold the election after constituting an ‘all-party’ interim cabinet.Ahmad urged both Awami League-led Grand Alliance and BNP-led 18-Party alliance to compromise. “Both parties must come forth. To reach an agreement, compromises must be made.”“If no one comes forward, there will be no settlement. This is not the sign of any agreement.”Asked how by many days voting would be deferred if both parties were to reach the agreement, the CEC said, “We will see about that after they reach an agreement. We will take all out measures.”When asked whether it would be possible to hold the election by Jan 24 constitutional deadline, he said, “Everything is possible if there is an agreement. Let’s see what happens.”
Rail tracks uprooted in Ctg
The incident happened at Borotakia in Chittagong’s Mirsharai Upazila, said Railway Police OC Yaseen Faruk.Chittagong Railway Station’s manager Shamsul Alam said train services on the route has not stopped as tracks of the ‘down-line’ was only uprooted.The trains are moving on the other track.The Dhaka bound ‘Shubarana Express’ and ‘Mahanagar Provati’ left Chittagong in the morning, he said.Train services on Ctg-Dhaka and Ctg-Sylhet routes had resumed Monday afternoon after being snapped for almost 22 hours as fishplates were removed in Comilla.
1100 candidates in the fray
As the deadline for filing nominations ended Monday, 1,100 candidates of 15 parties have joined the hustling.But none of the candidates were from the 18-party Opposition alliance led by the BNP.The BNP-led alliance have rejected the polls and refused to join it unless the government agrees to hold it under a non-political caretaker dispensation.The government will hold it under supervision of an all-party interim government.MK Alamgir is the only candidate in the fray at Chandpur-1 parliament constituency.Similarly, Awami league chief whip Abdus Shahid is the only candidate in the fray at Maulavibazar-4 constituency.President Abdul Hamid’s son Rezwan Ahjmed Toufiq is the only candidate at Kishoreganj-4.Singer Mumtaz Begum is also the only candidate at Manikganj-2.Nuruzzman Ahmed from Lalmonirhat-2, Amanur Rahman Khan from Tangail-3, Morshed Alam from Noakhali-2 and Aful Uddin from Jessore-1 are the only candidates left to contest in their constituencies.So if the nominations of these candidates are found valid, there will be no contest in these eight parliament constituencies.The last date for screening nominations is Dec 13.
Ctg bomb attack kills 1
The victim was identified as Mahbub Alam, 32, who hailed from Charfashion Upazila of Bhola.Police said that the bomb attack occurred near Seamen’s Hostel area in Chittagong around 2am Tuesday.EPZ police station’s sub-inspector Alamgir Hossain said that Mahbub lost control of the vehicle and dashed into a tree after Opposition supporters lobbed the bombs.The body has been kept at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH).Meanwhile, two other have been admitted at the CMCH with injuries sustained in bomb explosions early on Tuesday.Both the injured, Suman Kumar Das, 38 and Mohammad Mizan, 20, are garment factory workers.Police said they were injured after bombs exploded at the Seamen’s Crossing area.
