Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina can resolve the ongoing political crisis in a minute if she wants, Dr Kamal Hossain has said as he believes her role is ‘major’ here.
He said this at a press conference on Wednesday, expressing concern over the political crisis in Bangladesh.
A six-member civil society delegation, led by Akbar Ali Khan, Dr Kamal Hossain and Sultana Kamal, had on Tuesday told the President of their concerns on the current political crisis.
BNP-led 18-Party alliance had been agitating for the installation of a caretaker government to oversee the next general election.
The ruling Awami League, on the other hand, insists on going by the Constitution. It says the caretaker government is unconstitutional.
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Despite the Opposition’s ‘no’, the government is going ahead with the formation of an ‘all-party’ government to hold the next election under its oversight.Dr Kamal, who was once an Awami League leader, said people could not be made to accept an election held under a party-led government. Dr Kamal had floated his own party, Gonoforum, after quitting the Awami League.
“People have given her (Prime Minister Hasina) the mandate; she is enjoying it. There has cropped up such a situation that she should now consider resigning.”
The BNP-led 18-Party alliance has been demanding the Prime Minister’s resignation.
Many BNP leaders also believe that the current crisis would be resolved only if Hasina resigned from her Prime Ministerial post.
Referring to the Awami League, Kamal said, “It does not go well with those who had moved against the staged election in 2007 to go against the election in 2008.”
“We do not want any election staged under any party person, election commissioner and administration.”
“We want the election to be neutral as was in 2008. We want the government, Election Commission and administration to be like that (in 2008).”
Gonoforum President Kamal was also with the Awami League-led forum that had moved against the government in 2007.
Recalling the legal battle for the election in 2007, he said legal steps would be taken if the current crisis was not politically resolved.
“(We) must take legal steps. Meanwhile, writs have been filed over the election schedule, appointment of the advisors and RPO. More will follow.”
Saying that he would not play any role in resolving the current crisis, the Gonoforum President said, “I do not want to be the umpire. I am staying away.”
Asked if there was a chance for any third power to take over, he said, “There are many apprehensions. But we are agitating for a fair election and will remain in it.”
It is not possible to create a level-playing field without ensuring a neutral role of the Election Commission, election-time government, he said.
Electoral laws, code of conduct and deposit money and limit of election expenditures should also be acceptable to all for a neutral election, he added.
Gonoforum General Secretary Mostofa Mohsin Mantu, among others, was present at the press conference held at Dr Kamal’s House at Baily Road in capital Dhaka.
Source: Bd news24