Leaders of most of the opposition political parties on Tuesday agreed on boycotting the elections under the partisan government, bringing down the ruling Awami League government and forming national unity to repair the state.
The leaders also urged the mass people to occupy the streets to topple Sheikh Hasina’s government and resist the January 7 election.
They gave the calls at a ‘national dialogue’ arranged by the Islami Andolon Bangladesh at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital on Tuesday.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said at the dialogue, ‘If the government resigns before January 29 and dissolves parliament, according to the constitution, there will be still time for elections till April.’
He said, ‘If the prime minister tells the president even on January 27, “dissolve the parliament”, then according to the constitution, if the parliament is dissolved for any reason before the expiration of the term, elections will be held within the next 90 days.’
Nazrul Islam also said that the government should have discussed with everyone, held dialogue long ago and facilitated elections according to the wishes of the people.
‘They [AL govt] passed the 15th Amendment in Parliament before the full verdict came out, which created crisis in the politics of Bangladesh since that 2011 amendment.’
He further said that the AL refused to participate in elections in 2006 under former chief justice KM Hasan, who was once involved with the BNP, even though he was outside politics for 25 years.
How the BNP and other opposition parties could then join the polls under the Sheikh Hasina government, Nazrul Islam Khan asked.
Nazrul also likened the current government›s development activities to showing lights in the graveyard and called on the mass people to raise a tough movement to oust the government.
IAB amir (chief) Mufti Syed Mohammad Rezaul Karim made a 3-point demand in his written statement to hold a free and fair election.
The 3-point demand are—release of leaders and activists of opposition parties, cancellation of the one-sided election schedule, dissolution of the parliament and holding the election under a national unity government and introducing the proportional representation electoral system.
Revolutionary Workers Party general secretary Saiful Haque said ‘The AL government is going to hold an election keeping all opposition parties outside the polls, which is cheating with the rights of the country›s people.’
He said ‘No election is going to be held on January 7 as the AL has already proved it through giving dummy candidates.’
He said, ‘The prime minister also agreed to give dummy candidates in the election from her party which is a shame for all. The people have no confidence in the AL government.’
Chairman of a faction of Jatiya Party Mostafa Jamal Haider said, ‘We have no weapons, no RAB, no police but have the power of unity.’
Rejecting the polls schedule, Nagorik Oikko general secretary Shahidullah Kaysar said that no polls will be held in Bangladesh in any undemocratic means.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal general secretary Shahiduddin Mahmud Swapon urged the mass people to come out of home and join a greater street movement to fight against the fascist government to build a democratic state.
‘The government is only giving attention to extending their tenure instead of giving attention to the people who are struggling to survive amid runaway prices of the essentials,’ said Bacchu Bhuiyan, a leader of Ganosamhati Andolan.
Bhashani Onusari Parishad member secretary Habibur Rahman Riju also called on the mass people to raise a fierce moment to topple the government.
AB Party member secretary Mojibur Rahman Monju called on the people to come to Dhaka carrying a week of food and raise the strongest movement against the government.
Jatiya Ganatantrik Party vice-president Rashed Prodhan said, ‘We were divided which was our crisis, but the crisis is resolved as all the political parties including left, right and Islamist are united now and our key demand is to compel Sheikh Hasina to step down.’
Terming the ongoing anti-government movement as the war of liberation, Gana Odhikar Parishad (faction) president Nurul Haque Nur said that Sheikh Hasina will not step down through dialogue, leaving no alternative but to force the government to resign.
Subrata Chowdhury of Gono Forum said, ‘Some politicians have turned summersaults to go to Sheikh Hasina but what greed attracts them I don’t know.’
Criticising India for supporting Sheikh Hasina, he said that Bangladesh has been turned a province of India and it will be part of India if Sheikh Hsian’s tenure is extended.
‘A festival will be held in the country on January 7 through the stepping down of Sheikh Hasina from power,’ Subrata said.
Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish joint secretary general Mustafizur Rahman Faysal said that now the constitutional bodies of the government is not functioning, while the government itself is ineffective.
National Democratic Party chairman KM Abu Taher said, ‘No people except the AL leaders and activists are getting justice. They don’t even recognise the common people’s rights.’
‘Standing united, we will prevent the January 7 election,’ he said.
Liberal Democratic Party secretary general Shahadat Hossain Selim said that thousands of people cannot sleep as they face fake cases and torture by the AL government.
Rastra Sanskar Andolan chief coordinator Hasnat Quaiyum said, ‘People are not getting justice. The government is going to hold selection in the name of election.’
BNP law affairs secretary Kawsar Kamal, journalists Mostafa Kamal, M Abdullah, former AL lawmaker Gulam Mowla Rony also spoke, among others, at the dialogue.
New Age
