Mohiuddin Alamgir

Ahead of the much-anticipated Ducsu polls on March 11, one burning question has been making the rounds.

On this day in 1952, many brave sons of this soil laid down their lives to establish Bangla as a state language. But when it comes to the Language Movement, the country's young generation only knows the names of Salam, Jabbar, Barkat, Rafique, and Shafiur, mainly due to indifference by successive governments in this regard.

The Awami League and its Grand Alliance partners contested the December 30 election together, but the allies of the ruling party would sit on the opposition bench in the 11th parliament which begins its journey today.

Left Democratic Alliance and several Islamist parties may boycott the upcoming upazila polls as they do not see any prospect of a free and fair election.

By-polls to Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) mayoral post will be held on February 28, the Election Commission said yesterday.

Ekushey book fair, the country's largest book festival, is getting bigger every year in terms of participating publication houses, number of new books unveiled at the fair as well as sales.

Politicians, rights activists and academics have demanded steps against Shah Ahmed Shafi for his comment on girls' education as they find it conflicting with the spirit of the Liberation War and the constitution.

Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked her party's newly elected lawmakers not to misuse their position to make a fortune or serve their personal interests.

The number of local observers in the December 30 election decreased significantly as the NGO Affairs Bureau has not granted the No Objection Certificate to 15 Election Working Group members until yesterday.

Army personnel start election duties today to help ensure a peaceful atmosphere and maintain law and order across the country for the December 30 polls.

The number of foreign observers for the December 30 polls has come down significantly after the Asian Network for Free Elections cancelled its observation mission citing "Bangladesh government's inability to issue visas” within the required timeframe.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda yesterday said the commission was “embarrassed and saddened” over election violence, including Tuesday's attack on the motorcade of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

The number of independent candidates in any parliamentary election has hit the lowest this year since 1991.

The BNP's strategy of fielding multiple candidates in almost every constituency has worked effectively. Otherwise, the party would not have any candidates in a large number of seats, say senior party leaders.

The police and Rapid Action Battalion have sought more than half of the total election budget of Tk 700 crore for maintaining law and order during the upcoming national polls.

The presence of observers in the upcoming election will be thinner compared with that in 2008, as both domestic and international organisations are unwilling to deploy strong workforce mainly due to fund crunch.

Separate electoral symbols were reserved for all the political parties when they registered with the Election Commission in 2008. Their candidates are supposed to run for elections with own symbols.

Election Commissioner Kabita Khanam yesterday said it would not be possible for the Election Commission to hold a “hundred percent fair” election.

It's a sorry picture, and it represents the state of thousands of government primary schools in the country.

The Election Commission yesterday said it would not defer any further the parliamentary polls scheduled for December 30.