Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland has urged BNP to participate in the coming national election.

The case filing spree that resumes after about three years' gap is making BNP leaders rethink strategies as they fear the days before the national elections will not be smooth for them.

At Sunday's rally, the BNP gave a clear message to the Awami League and the international community that it would take part in the national election.

The BNP is likely to outline its stance on the upcoming national elections and forging of greater national unity at its rally in the capital scheduled for tomorrow.

BNP's longstanding ties with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has emerged as an obstacle to its move to forge a greater unity with other political parties, aimed at realising its demands ahead of the national election, likely in December.

The BNP has outlined a draft framework for the next polls-time government with a proposal for having a non-partisan administration on the basis of consensus among political parties upon dissolution of parliament.

Top leaders of Jatiya Oikya Prokriya and Juktofront have decided to form a liaison committee to coordinate programmes and facilitate communication among parties to forge greater unity.

The BNP is likely to announce its "greater national unity" among different political parties next week as leaders of several parties have “reached a consensus” on some common issues, including holding of the election under a nonpartisan government.

With potential rivals in the upcoming elections trying to form bigger alliances and unity, the Awami League has started working on its backup plan of expanding the 14-party combine.

With the general election around three months away, the BNP and some smaller political parties seem to be converging on one demand -- polls under a non-partisan government.

The BNP high-command has given “green signal” to at least 100 candidates to contest the upcoming parliamentary polls, party leaders said.

Eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain and former president AQM Badrudozza Chowdhury are going to announce their pledge today to continue their efforts to forge a “greater national unity” to press home a five-point demand, including formation of a non-party polls-time government.

For forging a greater unity, the BNP wants to negotiate with potential partners promising them that if voted to power, it would implement a set of reforms, including putting in place “realistic checks and balances”.

With about three and a half months left before the parliamentary election, BNP leaders say their activists and supporters are in growing fear of arrest as new cases have been filed against many of their men and unnamed people.

The BNP is going to form 40,000 polling centre-based committees across the country as part of its preparations for the upcoming national elections and a movement demanding a non-partisan polls-time government.

A global expert on water, sanitation and hygiene presented two cases to address water and sanitation challenges at the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh at the World Water Week in Stockholm.

Speakers at a symposium at the World Water Week currently being held in Stockholm underscored the necessity of natural and organic solutions to prevent irreversible climate change.

Water experts at Stockholm World Water Week have urged youths to become more involved and solve water related challenges.

Yesterday's programme at the World Water Week kicked off with the UN Deputy Secretary General, Dr Amina Mohamed, urging the involvement of young minds in water management.

Faced with the grim reality of more villagers pouring into the overcrowded cities, life will become even more difficult in Bangladesh's cities.