In response to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam's statement, the interim government's Information and Broadcasting adviser Md. Nahid Islam posted a status on his Facebook profile.

He responded in a post on his verified Facebook profile on Thursday (January 23).

In the post, he wrote that the BNP Secretary General's demand for a neutral government basically indicates the formation of another 1/11 government. Awami fascism had emerged since the 1/11 settlement.

The BNP Secretary General's statement indicates another 1/11 government ahead, the continuation of parliamentary majority and kneeling foreign policy, and the lack of justice for the disappearances, murders and July massacres.

The plan to eliminate students and the leadership of the coup has started since August 5. On August 5, when the students and the masses were fighting on the streets, and the police were firing continuously, many of our compromise-seeking national leaders were busy planning to form a new government in the cantonment, excluding the people (many even mentioned the students there).

We have been saying since August 3 that we will not accept any kind of military rule or emergency. Although we were repeatedly asked to go to the cantonment, we refused to go. Finally, through discussions and bargaining at Bangabhaban, it was decided to form an interim government headed by Dr. Yunus.

We wanted a national government consisting of anti-fascist political parties and civil society. If there was a national government, the students might not have needed to come to the government. Considering that the national government would last for a long time, the BNP did not agree to a national government.

But the need for a national government in the country was greatest after the coup. However, the BNP is talking about a national government after the upcoming elections.

The students are the only factor in this government and the existing reality that completely separates the current government from the 1/11 government. BNP discussed minus two a few days ago, but now it is proposing another 1/11 government in the name of a neutral government to smooth the way to power.

Such a plan will go against democracy and national interests and the students and the public will not accept it in any way. And I think it is a conspiracy against BNP as well.

And although this government is not a national government, all sides of the movement have a stake in the government and all sides are enjoying various benefits. Before the formation of the government, the Attorney General and the previous IG of the Police were appointed on August 6, who are basically BNP people. In this way, there are BNP-supporting people at various levels from top to bottom in the government. When talking about the neutrality of the elections, this reality must also be kept in mind.

BNP has taken a stand against all issues, including the change of the president, reforms, the new constitution, and the July announcement. However, none of these were demands of the students' party. But the students have repeatedly backed down from their position to maintain the stability of the country, the larger interests, and national unity.

But this does not mean that if there is a plan that is anti-democratic and against the desire for a coup, we will make a single concession.

Unity has been possible between the main parties in India on the Awami League, but in Bangladesh we have not been able to achieve unity on the Awami League despite so many killings and crimes. Alas, will we build a state with this 'national unity'!

It is easy to weaken Bangladesh because Bangladesh can be easily divided. The big people of this country are ready to be sold at a low price.

I do not think the entire BNP takes this position. Rather, a large section of BNP activists and supporters want the realization of the desire for a coup. I would like to call on the patriotic and selfless leadership of BNP to choose the path of greater unity and solidarity with the student masses instead of going against the student masses' uprising.

A victim was threatened by the officer-in-charge (OC) after coming to file a complaint at the capital's Mohammadpur police station. In response to such threats by the OC, residents of the Mohammadpur area took a stand in front of the police station and strongly demanded legal action against him, including the removal of the OC.

On Thursday (January 23) at 12 noon, residents took a stand in front of the Mohammadpur police station and made this demand.

It is learned that the OC of Mohammadpur police station took an emergency 5-day leave and left the police station on Thursday morning after hearing the news of the local people's protest.

It is learned that Babul Akhter Babu, an Awami League leader who fled from Jatrabari after August 5, came to the Mohammadpur area and took refuge. He was looking after the business establishment of a former army officer he knew. Suddenly, the Awami League leader took over the business establishment. When he filed a written complaint with the police station in this incident, the OC threatened the victim by siding with the Awami League leader.

In addition, it is also known that after the arrest of Sarwar Khalid, MD of Silicon City, which was built by occupying canals and was accused in multiple murder cases during the anti-discrimination movement, he was sent to court in just one case with a large sum of money. In addition, he took about Tk. 50 thousand from Shamim Company of Basila Garden City and crossed Basila Bridge without arresting Shamim. In addition, after arresting top drug dealers Bunia Sohel and Chua Selim of Geneva Camp, he took a large sum of money from them. Local residents took a stand in front of the police station with various such allegations.

The victim, retired former army officer Alamgir Kabir, said that after Sheikh Hasina fled on August 5, an Awami League leader from Jatrabari took over my business establishment. He used to do business with me at one time. But since there were many anti-discrimination murder cases against him, he requested me to come to my establishment in this area and take care of it. After I gave him the responsibility, he plotted to take over my business establishment with the OC. After I filed a written complaint with the police station, the police did not help me, but the investigating officer, ASI Hasan, met me and took Tk. 1,500. Even after that, when I went to talk to the OC at the police station along with the local residents, the OC, taking the side of the Awami League leader, shouted loudly in front of 15-20 residents and told me that if I gave him 5-10 thousand taka, the area would be destroyed by a gang of teenagers. But I don't understand why you are still angry. If a responsible person like the OC makes such threatening statements, where can we ordinary people go? The OC's statement clearly shows that he has connections with the terrorist forces in the area. He uses them to commit various crimes. Local resident Parvez Hasan Sumon, who took a stand in front of the police station in this incident, said that the victims did not get any legal help even after filing a complaint with the police station. Because the OC extorted money in this area in collusion with the Awami League leaders and various drug dealers. Besides, he has built an empire of crime throughout the area. How can a victim who seeks legal assistance from a police station in a responsible place in such a crime-prone area be threatened with being hacked and injured by a gang of juveniles for 5-10 thousand taka?

Another resident in front of the police station, Jasim Uddin, said that instead of working for the residents, the OC has started extorting money in collaboration with various Awami League leaders and extortionists. The victims are being harassed by coming to the police station to seek services. After filing a complaint at the police station, the investigating officer and the OC get together and take money from the other party through their own sources and harass them instead of providing any legal assistance. If an OC on duty threatens a victim who has come to seek services and says, "If you give 5-10 thousand taka, they will hack you. Why haven't you been hacked yet?" How can an OC say such a thing? Such an incompetent and terrorist-supporting OC should be removed immediately and legal action should be taken against him immediately. 

After standing in front of the police station, the residents entered the police station to talk to the OC. At that time, a man named Pavel threatened the residents by claiming to be close to the OC. Earlier, he was threatened by a phone call last night not to go against the OC. When the residents spoke to the OC directly about this, they found that the OC was not in his room. He left the police station this morning after hearing about the locals' presence in front of the police station. At that time, the residents talked to the Assistant Police Commissioner (AC) of Mohammadpur Zone of Tejgaon Division, Tarek Sekandar, at the police station about the various misdeeds of the OC. The police officer advised them to file a written complaint about the matter.

Dhaka: The report of the UN fact-finding mission on human rights violations during the July-August uprising is in its final stages and will be released in mid-February. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said this.

He made this comment in a meeting with Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser to the interim government, in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday (January 23) local time. The meeting between the two leaders took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's annual conference. Later, the chief adviser's deputy press secretary, Abul Kalam Azad Majumdar, gave this information.

Dr. Yunus has sought UN assistance in resolving the Rohingya crisis at this time. Volker Turk said that the report will be shared with Bangladesh ahead of its publication by the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva.

The Chief Adviser thanked the UN Human Rights Commission for investigating crimes committed during the student-led uprising. He also said that the reports of the six independent reform commissions will also be published at the same time.

Their observation is that these reports will complement each other.

At this time, Dr. Yunus called on the head of the UN Human Rights Commission to help resolve the Rohingya crisis. Assuring full support in this regard, Turk said that the issue will be discussed with relevant stakeholders including the UN Ambassador to Myanmar, Julie Bishop.

The UN fact-finding mission has been working in Bangladesh at the invitation of the interim government to investigate the protests demanding quota reforms in government jobs and the subsequent human rights violations that took place during the uprising. They are investigating allegations of human rights violations that occurred from July 1 to August 15.

The fact-finding team will uncover the truth of the allegations, identify responsibilities, analyze the root causes of human rights violations, and make recommendations to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

168 former BDR members are being released after 16 years after their bail granted  in the case filed under the Explosives Act in the Pilkhana tragedy.

On Thursday (January 23), around 11 am, former BDR members were seen coming out of Kashimpur Jail in Gazipur. At that time, the faces of the relatives waiting in front of the prison gate were filled with excitement. The just released former BDR members were given sweets.

Earlier on January 21, the court of Dhaka Special Tribunal-2 Judge Md. Ibrahim Miah announced the names of 178 accused who were released on bail.

In this regard, Additional Inspector General of Prisons Colonel Mohammad Mustafa Kamal said that the prison authorities have received a list of 168 people. The BDR members are being released according to that list.

A total of 168 people were released, including 41 from Dhaka Central Jail, 26 from Kashimpur-1, 89 from Kashimpur-2, and 12 from Kashimpur High Security.

On February 25 and 26, 2009, 74 people, including 57 army officers, were killed in a mutiny at the Border Guard Headquarters in Peelkhana, Dhaka. Two cases were filed in that incident under the Murder and Explosives Act. After being acquitted or serving their sentences in the murder case, 468 people are still pending release due to the explosives case.

The trial of 850 people in the murder case ended on November 5, 2013. In addition to the hanging of 152 people, 160 were sentenced to life imprisonment and 256 to various terms of imprisonment. In addition, 278 people were acquitted.

On November 27, 2017, the High Court delivered its verdict on the death reference and appeal in that case. The verdict upheld the death sentences of 139 accused. Along with this, 185 people were given life sentences. In addition, 228 others were sentenced to various terms. And 283 were acquitted.

However, a total of 54 accused, including 15, died before the High Court verdict. As a result, 226 accused have appealed and filed leave to appeal against the High Court verdict in the murder case. On the other hand, the state has filed leave to appeal against the verdict of acquitting 83 accused and reducing the sentence in the High Court. These appeals and leave to appeal are now awaiting hearing.

Meanwhile, the trial of 834 accused in the Explosives Act case began in 2010. But in the middle, the state filed a kind of suspension of the explosives case and presented only the evidence of the murder case. Due to which the trial of this case was delayed.

After the interim government took charge of the change of power, there was a demand to restart the investigation into the BDR mutiny. On December 19, members of the martyr's family went to the International Crimes Tribunal with the complaint. The government formed a commission headed by ALM Fazlur Rahman on December 24 to reinvestigate the murder and gave it 90 days to do so.