Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy, son of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has said the people do not want to see any unelected government in power.
At a street rally on Friday on his way to a two-day trip to the country’s southern region, ahead of next parliamentary election, Joy recalled torture and repression of political leaders during the tenure of past caretaker government.
At a rally in Nimatala Bazar in Sirajdikhan, he said that his mother had proposed an all-party interim government with democratically and constitutionally elected representatives.
“We don’t want to see any unelected government,” he said.
The Prime Minister’s son referred to the telephone conversation between two leaders on Oct 26. He said his mother had called up the leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia and invited her to a dinner dialogue at Ganabhaban without any condition.
“But everybody knows what she (the Opposition Leader) said in her reply and how she quarrelled with the Prime Minister,” Joy said.
Khaleda Zia did not honour her own conditions, he said.
“The Opposition Leader had given (the government) 48 hours. My mother had called her up in 24 hours. But she resorted to violence by enforcing strike,” Joy said.
Khaleda Zia from a rally on Oct 25 had given the government a 48-hour ultimatum to initiate a dialogue. Failing which, she had said, the BNP-led 18-Party opposition alliance would call a nationwide 60-hour shutdown from Oct 27.
The Prime Minister called her up the next day and urged her to withdraw the strike but she did not call off the strike.
Joy alleged a spate of bomb blasts took place in many places across the country during the strike.
Joy recalled the ‘oppressive rule’ of the past caretaker government at another rally at Sree Nagar Bazar.
“Earlier the unelected forces occupied power in the name of the caretaker government. We have witnessed the torture perpetuated by them.”
He said his mother was kept in jail for 11 months in some false cases.
The Awami League President’s son said all local elections were held in a free and fair manner under the incumbent government.
He hoped that the national election under the all-party government would be held properly.
Joy embarked on a two-day trip to the country’s southern region, ahead of next parliamentary election to be held by Jan 24 next.
Joy’s motorcade left his mother’s official residence Ganabhaban for Gopalganj around 9:30am. Clad in a white panjabi and Mujib coat he boarded a white Mercedes-Benz.
Redwan Siddiui Bobby, son of the Prime Minister’s sister Sheikh Rehana and the Prime Minister’s cousin Sheikh Helal Uddin MP also accompanied Joy.
Activists of Awami League and its associate bodies welcomed Joy lining up with banners and posters on both sides of roads on the way to Gopalganj.
The Prime Minister’s son was also showered with flower petals at some places. He waved at them.
On way to his ancestral town, Joy is expected to address gatherings on Dhaka-Mawa highway at Munsiganj, Mawa and Madaripur. Street rallies and meetings with his party’s grassroots activists have also been lined up at Sreenagar, Mawa Jetty, Bhanga, Shibchar and Maksudpur.
Joy will pay tribute to his grandfather Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at latter’s grave at Tungipara. He will spend Friday night at Gopalganj.
Later, he will go to Jessore via Bagerhat and Khulna.
Joy’s visit to southern part of the country was preceded by a two-day trip to Mymensing on Sept 15 and 16 wherein he campaigned for the Awami League highlighting the government’s successes. From the rallies, he urged people to vote for the AL to keep the wheels of progress moving.
He has returned to the country on Oct 30 after spending the Eid in US.
Source: Bd news24