Sohel Ahmed

Political Analyst & Social Activist,
(Asst. Secretary for International Affairs of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi JuboDal )

[Yusuf Khan @KhanYusuf98]

Power is not a privilege—it is a responsibility.

The newly appointed Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman, crossed Shahbagh Circle by strictly following the regular traffic signal.

A prime minister of the people chooses to remain among the people.

[Sohel Ahmed @dhaka_du]

Tarique Rahman's six commitments for sustainability

1. Farmers will get financial & technical supports through Farmer's Card.

2. Water security will be ensured by restoring rivers & building barrages.

3. Reduce emissions & wastages with alternate wetting & drying rice farming.

4. Women-led Family Cards will ensure nutrition and health for all.

5. Agriculture will create 1.3 million jobs and modern storage systems.

6. A circular economy will turn waste into energy and innovation.

[Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP @bdbnp78]

Today on International Day of the Girl Child, let’s celebrate every girl’s right to dream, to learn, to lead, to live in dignity.
As a father to a daughter, I know that empowering girls is not just policy - it’s personal. Our vision for Bangladesh is one where every girl has the same freedom, opportunity, and safety that any parent would wish for their own child.
BNP governments have a legacy of changing lives, and we recommit to doing more, if given the opportunity.

-Tarique Rahman
11 October 2025
#DayOfTheGirl #GirlEmpowerment #TariqueRahman #BNP #Bangladesh

[Sohel Ahmed @dhaka_du]

UK crime agency freezes London properties linked to former Bangladesh regime https://t.co/Ybta3Z46FV via @ft

[Sohel Ahmed @dhaka_du]

@Hasnat_A_ What is the source?

[Sohel Ahmed @dhaka_du]

WHO Regional Director Saima Wazed Accused of Fraud and Forgery by Bangladesh Authorities https://t.co/RzVdWm7aGv

[Sohel Ahmed @dhaka_du]

Tulip Siddiq used fake signature to transfer flat to sister, Bangladeshi prosecutor alleges https://t.co/oBATpUSyMj via @ft

[David Bergman @TheDavidBergman]

"I can unequivocally state that no corruption was involved in the allotment of plots of land in the Purbachal Project," says @SajeedWazed. Isn't this what he said about enforced disappearances not happening under his mother's watch - and the positive evidence that they were indeed happening is now all to see! I think it is best not to take Sajeeb's word on this - or indeed much else to be honest - until all the fact come out.

[UN in Bangladesh @UNinBangladesh]

Tomorrow, 5 March 2025 at 6 PM Dhaka time, @UNHumanRights Chief @volker_turk will present the Fact-Finding report on #Bangladesh protests to member states, with the participation of Interim Government & civil society representatives.
Watch the event live https://t.co/e9rhmSHMmY

[A K M Wahiduzzaman @Wahiduzzaman21]

In my latest opinion piece in The @Diplomat_APAC, I wrote:

"The Constitutional Reforms Commission has acknowledged the need to build a society based on pluralism and recommended including pluralism and equality in Bangladesh’s Constitution as fundamental principles. However, it will not convert all the elements of the nation’s society to a pluralistic one overnight.

Building a pluralistic society will require reforming the education system, intense negotiations with the different elements of society to build consensus, prioritizing resources to implement the relevant programs, tracking progress, and ensuring accountability throughout the process. More importantly, it’s a lengthy process that might require more than a decade.

Elections, on the other hand, ensure accountability in governance. Despite their flaws, periodic credible elections ensure people’s voices are heard by the policymakers. Elections, thus, complement the reform process and do not hinder it.

Therefore, it is practically impossible for an interim government to implement a reform program and hold an election only after necessary reforms. The best it can do is to create a roadmap for the reform with data-based targets, precise deadlines, and strategies to achieve those targets in consultation with the political parties. Most importantly, considering every stakeholder’s opinion throughout the process is essential for sustaining these reforms.

If it is serious about these reforms, the interim government should build a national consensus, onboard all political actors and stakeholders regarding the reforms suggested by the respective commissions, and propose mechanisms to ensure accountability. It’s commendable that Yunus has already made some progress in this regard by forming a National Unity Commission.

Political parties need to acknowledge the need for reforms and endorse them through their manifestos, through which they can be held accountable."

https://t.co/wjQChWDbup

[Netra News @NetraNews]

The report describes a meeting on July 19th in which Hasina allegedly instructed senior officials to “arrest the ringleaders of the protests, the troublemakers, kill them and hide their bodies.” https://t.co/sWLfQVyPA8

[Sami @ZulkarnainSaer]

"Attention of the Government of Bangladesh has been drawn to a statement issued by the @MEAIndia of India to the media today (26 November 2024) on a matter concerning internal affairs of Bangladesh.

It is with utter dismay and deep sense of hurt that the Government of Bangladesh notes that the arrest of Sri Chinmoy Krishna Das has been misconstrued by certain quarters since Sri Chinmoy Krishna Das has been arrested on specific charges.

The Government of Bangladesh maintains that such unfounded statements not only misrepresent facts but also stand contrary to the spirit of friendship and understanding between the two neighboring countries."

FYKI @ihcdhaka @BJP4India @narendramodi

[Netra News @NetraNews]

“Students and well-wishers of ‘New Bangladesh’ might keep an eye on” Sri Lanka — writes Farid Erkizia Bakht in an opinion piece — both as “a warning about betrayal, but also as a possible political model.”
https://t.co/XgHsFGFlCh

[Sohel Ahmed @dhaka_du]

@ZulkarnainSaer চট্রগ্রাম, এনজিও এবং প্রথম আলো এই বিপ্লবের মধুমক্ষী...😭😭😭 Feeling sad for those who infused their lives on the street...🇧🇩🇧🇩🇧🇩

[Sohel Ahmed @dhaka_du]

@ZulkarnainSaer এই বিপ্লবের সবথেকে বড় সুবিধাভোগী গ্রামীণ ব্যাংক ও কিছু অথর্ব বুড়া ভাম...

[Sohel Ahmed @dhaka_du]

@ZulkarnainSaer @bdbnp78 @trahmanbnp Sami Bhai thanks for your X ...we really appreciate your journalist's integrity and courageous role..

[Sami @ZulkarnainSaer]

I debated posting this for the past 24 hours as I didn’t want to come across as a card-carrying @bdbnp78 supporter. As journalists, we must be objective at all times — and the truth is that @trahmanbnp speech from yesterday felt like a balm to all the depressing news coming out of Bangladesh under the interim government.

From the speech, one can gather a clear idea of his vision for Bangladesh 2.0, which is a decent, tolerant, respectful, equitable, accountable and modern society. After the nightmare of the past 15 years, this is exactly what we need. Can we really have a Bangladesh like that?

He captured the zeitgeist with his suggestions of limiting the term of the prime minister to two terms; introducing a bicameral parliament; ensuring checks and balances by balancing the power between the legislative, judicial and executive branches; eliminating all tools of suppression; and ensuring freedom of expression.

Even if he can’t pull off everything he suggested in BNP’s 31-point structural reform agenda — which, by the way, has been around way before talks of reforms became the de rigueur and is curiously similar to the suggestions the current government is making — I am confident that he will ensure the freedom of expression and opinion. We all remember how @ProthomAlo and @dailystarnews ran amok with their imaginary stories in the name of journalism against Mrs Khaleda Zia, Mr Tarique Rahman and the party with unreserved impunity when the BNP was last in power.

"You may recall how a section of the media once published unfounded stories against me and then-prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, engaging in media trials and propaganda. Yet, as it is now well documented, the former BNP government did not suppress media freedom, harass journalists or imprison any editor in retaliation back then,” he said in the speech.

Today, I must say one of those two papers (The Daily Star) somewhat redeemed itself by giving this elegant, progressive speech the treatment that it deserves, which is front page lead coverage. Try as it might, the other paper just can’t hide its overwhelming dislike for BNP and Tarique Rahman — it stuck the report on the back page.

The business community must also feel encouraged by the speech in which he pledged to create a rules-based structure. The complete and utter disregard for the rule of law under the Awami League has been the primary reason for Bangladesh's failure to attract foreign direct investment of note. If Mr Rahman can improve the situation by even a third, Bangladesh’s business climate will improve by leaps and bounds and so will our economy.

I am positively encouraged by the speech. It’s about time we look at Mr Rahman with new eyes and as a credible future leader with his finger on the pulse and a vision of Bangladesh that matches our aspirations.

PS. I hope Mr Rahman works on his speech delivery — right now, he comes across as a tad bit robotic. He needs to loosen up and come across as if he's enjoying the moment.

[Sami @ZulkarnainSaer]

আগামী ১০ নভেম্বর বিশেষ কর্মসূচির পরামর্শ দিলেন শেখ হাসিনা, বিস্তারিত পড়ুন/শুনুন।

[* ডোনাল্ড ট্রাম্পের রঙ্গিন ছবি A4 সাইজের প্রিন্ট করে সাথে রাখবেন যারা সেদিন আসবেন সবাই। যাতে বুঝা যাবে ট্রাম্প নির্বাচিত হওয়ায় তাকে বাংলাদেশের পক্ষ থেকে অভিনন্দন জানানো হচ্ছে।

* সবার কাছে ক্যামেরা আছে এমন মোবাইল সাথে রাখবেন। যাতে রাস্তায় কেউ হেনস্থা বা গ্রেফতার করতে আসলে ট্রাম্পের ছবি সহ ভিডিও করতে পারেন। যাতে প্রমাণ করা যায় ট্রাম্পকে অভিনন্দন জানাতে আসা লোকজনকে অবৈধ ইউনুস সরকার বাঁধা দিচ্ছে। সারাবিশ্বে এটি ছড়িয়ে যাবে।

* আন্তর্জাতিক গণমাধ্যম সব কিছু কাভার করবে,ভিডিও চিত্র তুলে ধরবে।

* ১০ নভেম্বরে প্রোগ্রামে কোন মঞ্চ থাকবে না, হবে গণজমায়েত ও পদযাত্রা।

* রিক্সায় মাইক থাকবে, হ্যান্ড মাইক থাকবে।

* দলীয় কোন প্রকার ব্যানার ফ্যাষ্টুন বহন করা যাবে না। একবারে সাধারণ মানুষের মতো আসতে হবে।

* দলের শীর্ষ নেতা সহ কোন নেতারই ছবি ব্যবহার সম্পূর্ণ নিষেধ।

* মহিলাদের ব্যাপক উপস্থিতি নিশ্চিত করা গেলে ভালো।

* একটু আগেভাগে এসে বায়তুল মোকাররম সহ আসে পাশের মসজিদ গুলোতে অবস্থান নেয়া।

* ৫ আগস্টের পর যেহেতু এটাই আমাদের প্রথম প্রোগ্রাম সেহেতু সকল ভেদাভেদ ভুলে ঐক্যবদ্ধ হয়ে আসুন লাখো জনতা একত্রিত হই।

একবার ভয় কেটে গেলে ইনশাআল্লাহ আমরা ঘুরে দাঁড়াবই।]

[Sami @ZulkarnainSaer]

১. মেজর সাহেবের সাথে তর্কে জড়ানোর অপরাধে পুলিশের দু'জন কর্মকর্তাকে সেনা ক্যাম্পে নিয়ে নির্যাতনের যে ভয়াবহ ছবি বিভিন্ন সূত্রের মাধ্যমে হাতে এসেছে (প্রকাশ যোগ্য নয়) তা অত্যন্ত নিন্দনীয় এবং এর সাথে জড়িত প্রত্যেককে সেনা আইনে সর্বোচ্চ শাস্তি নিশ্চিত করা উচিত। নিরাপত্তা বাহিনীর সদস্যরা যারা একে অপরের প্রতি এতটা প্রতিশোধপরায়ণ — আপনারা এত প্রাইড নিয়ে ঘুমান কিভাবে?

২. বিশেষ একটি ইংরেজি পত্রিকা সম্ভবত আগামী কাল দুবাইতে সম্পদ রয়েছে এমন কিছু বাংলাদেশীদের বিষয়ে প্রতিবেদন প্রকাশ করবে। আমি জানি তাদের কাছে যা তথ্য রয়েছে তা কেবল ২০২২ সাল পর্যন্ত, এবং গতকাল যখন পাবলিকলি জানাই যে আমি সম্পূর্ণ ফাইলটাই প্রকাশ করে দিবো, তখন তারা বেশ বেকায়দায় পড়ে দ্রুততার সাথে তাদের প্রতিবেদনটা শেষ করে। সাংবাদিকতা পেশার প্রতি সম্মান বজায় রেখে তাদের এই এক্সক্লুসিভ স্কুপ মোমেন্ট থেকে বঞ্চিত করতে চাইনা। সে কারণে আমি ওই তথ্য প্রকাশ করা থেকে বিরত থাকলাম।

৩. দুবাইতে বিনিয়োগ করেছেন এমন বাংলাদেশিদের বিস্তারিত সর্বশেষ (২০২৪ সাল পর্যন্ত) তথ্য শিঘ্রই প্রতিবেদন আকারে আপনাদের সামনে তুলে ধরা হবে।