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Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has formally announced that he will return to Bangladesh on December 25, ending nearly 18 years in exile and injecting fresh momentum into the country’s pre-election political landscape.
The Election Commission (EC) has sent a letter to divisional commissioners, regional election officers, district administrators and returning officers to maintain the electoral environment during the pre-election period on the occasion of the 13th National Parliament Election.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin has described the attack on Inqilab Mancha Spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi as an isolated incident, saying it will have no impact on the upcoming elections.
For many residents of Bogura, this year’s Victory Day felt unusually muted. Abdus Salam, a local businessman, recalled the festive atmosphere of past celebrations while listening to patriotic songs on his phone. “Victory Day is no longer what it used to be,” he said. “The few arrangements we see today feel purely formal. Earlier, streets were filled with music and decorations, and the city was alive with celebration. Now everything seems dull.”
[In 2002, Liberation War researcher Afsan Chowdhury started a history project called ‘Bangladesh 1971’. As part of this work, a four-volume book called ‘Bangladesh 1971’ was published in 2007. In 2013, another project called ‘Gramer Ekattor’ started. Based on the information from that project, he published a book titled ‘Gramer Ekattor’ in 2019. Inspired by the author’s ‘Gramer Ekattor’, Views Bangladesh brings its Victory Day event ‘How was the village life during the 1971 war?’]
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Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has formally announced that he will return to Bangladesh on December 25, ending nearly 18 years in exile and injecting fresh momentum into the country’s pre-election political landscape.
BNP-nominated candidate for the Narayanganj-5 (Sadar–Bandar) constituency, Masuduzzaman Masud, has announced his withdrawal from the election citing security concerns.
BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas said describing Ghulam Azam as a national hero amounts to an insult to the country’s freedom fighters.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said forces that opposed Bangladesh’s independence in 1971 are once again trying to resurface, but pro-independence and pro-democracy people will foil all conspiracies and safeguard the country’s sovereignty and democracy.
For many residents of Bogura, this year’s Victory Day felt unusually muted. Abdus Salam, a local businessman, recalled the festive atmosphere of past celebrations while listening to patriotic songs on his phone. “Victory Day is no longer what it used to be,” he said. “The few arrangements we see today feel purely formal. Earlier, streets were filled with music and decorations, and the city was alive with celebration. Now everything seems dull.”
Every December, a strange light ignites in the heart of Bangladesh— victory, grief and pride blend into an overwhelming emotion. The victory of 1971 was not just the end of a war, but the triumph of a nation fighting for existence, the liberation of a civilisation. Every year, December reminds us of the sacrifices of the freedom fighters and the pride of a red-green flag born through immense struggle. Yet the question arises; 53 years after victory, are we still holding on to that spirit? Or is that light fading amid political instability, social division and the currents of time? Several recent incidents have intensified this question.
In early 2021, the then-US President Joe Biden called a special Zoom meeting at the White House. Addressing nineteen CEOs of the world's largest technology and manufacturing companies, he held up a twelve-inch-long silicon wafer. He said that unless America invested 'big and bold', it would fall behind in global competition. So 'we have to play the game harder'.
On Bangladesh's Victory Day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi posted messages on social media commemorating the 1971 war, describing it as a victory for India. Notably, neither leader mentioned Bangladesh or the broader context of its independence.
The US Embassy in Dhaka has issued a security alert regarding the situation in Bangladesh ahead of the 13th parliamentary election and a referendum. The embassy warned that political rallies and protests may increase in the coming days and advised US citizens in Bangladesh to avoid large gatherings and demonstrations.
