Politics
Unhappy with senior leaders, BNP’s JS polls’ candidates seek Khaleda’s release first
Dhaka, Feb 22 (UNB) – BNP’s candidates of the 11th parliamentary election who joined Jatiya Oikyafront’s public hearing on Friday, slammed their party senior leaders for not announcing any action programme to get their chairperson Khaleda Zia released from jail.
They also want the party to arrange a hearing of its own candidates to identify its mistakes in the elections and work out its next course of action.
The BNP contestants criticised the Oikyafront senior leaders for not announcing any protest programme before the voting against the repression and biased role of the Election Commission (EC) and the administration.
The public hearing began at the Supreme Court Bar Association auditorium around 10am and continued till 5:30 pm with a one-hour break from 1pm.
Oikyafront convener Dr Kamal Hossain led a seven-member panel during the hearing. Other members of the panel were Prof Emajuddin Ahmed, ex-judge AKM Anisur Rahman Khan, Prof Nurul Amin Bepari, Prof Dilara Chowdhury, Prof Asif Nazrul and Advocate Mohsin Rashid.
Pointing at party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP’s Noakhali-2 candidate Zainul Abedin Farroque said, “I can forget everything of what happened in the election, but I can’t forget you’re not announcing any programme to free our mother (Khaleda).”
He questioned why there had been no programme after the election demanding her release. “I would like to humbly tell our secretary general we can’t tolerate such inaction anymore.”
Farroque suggested that Fakhrul hold a hearing of the BNP candidates who participated in the elections to find out the party’s faults and asses its election strategies.
He also asked Dr Kamal Hossain why they could not understand beforehand that Awami League was going to hold such an election after the continuous repression and attacks on Oikyafront candidates and their supporters and the EC’s biased role.
“We had lodged many complaints with the Election Commission, but they didn’t respond to any of those. Dr Kamal should have said we wouldn’t go to polls if we’re not allowed to hold a rally in Dhaka on December 27,” he said.
Farroque also criticised BNP senior leaders for not accepting party standing committee member Moudud Ahmed’s proposal to stage a sit-in in front of the Election Commission demanding a proper election atmosphere.
Chattogram-9 seat BNP candidate Dr Shahadat Hossain also raised the same question as to why the alliance did not announce any protest programme when minimum election atmosphere was not created before the voting.
He urged the party leaders to take action programmes immediately to force the government to release Khaleda Zia from jail.
Shama Obaid, BNP’s Faridpur-2 candidate, said it will not be possible to oust the current government unless Khaleda is released from jail.
Cumilla-10 BNP candidate Monirul Haque Chowdhury said their party should hold meetings with its all candidates to identify the reasons behind their failure in the polls despite having vast popularity.
BNP’s Narayanganj-2 candidate Nazrul Islam urged party leaders to announce action programmes seeking Khaleda’s release and give the BNP candidates responsibility to implement those.
Sardar Sakhawat Hossain Bakul, BNP candidate for Narsingdi-4, urged Dr Kamal Hossain to announce programmes from Oikyafront to mount pressure on the government to free Khaleda Zia.
Out of 42 candidates who spoke at the public hearing, around 30 demanded action programmes to free Khaleda Zia as soon as possible.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan joined the hearing, but other party standing committee members did not turn up.
Dec-30 election was a farce: Dr Kamal
Dhaka, Feb 22 (UNB) – Claiming that the government staged a ‘farce’ on December 30 in the name of election, Jatiya Oikyafront convener Dr Kamal Hossain on Friday urged all to be united to take the country’s ownership back and ensure the voting rights of people.
“…this can’t be called an election. This is a farce. There was a ceremony on December 30 when the government staged a farce in the name of election, deprived the country’s people of their rights, violated the constitution and defamed democracy,” he said.
Dr Kamal, also Gono Forum president, made the comments while delivering his concluding speech at a public hearing arranged by Jatiya Oikyafront at the Supreme Court Bar Association auditorium.
The public hearing was arranged to depict the ‘irregularities in the 11th parliamentary election before the country’s people and the international community.
About the depositions made by 42 candidates in the public hearing, Dr Kamal said, “The speeches all of you delivered here depicted a similar picture across the country. The government had taken all the mechanisms and strategies so that a free and fair election was not held.”
He also demanded unconditional release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, saying the demand is justified and logical.
Dr Kamal led a seven-member jury panel at the hearing.
Other members of the jury panel were Prof Emajuddin Ahmed, ex-judge AKM Anisur Rahman Khan, Prof Nurul Amin Bepari, Prof Dilara Chowdhury, Prof Asif Nazrul and Advocate Mohsin Rashid.
Public hearing arranged to show respect to Constitution: Kamal
Dhaka, Feb 22 (UNB) – Jatiya Oikyafront convener Dr Kamal Hossain on Friday said they are holding the public hearing on the ‘irregularities in the 11th parliamentary election to show respect to the Constitution.
“We’re not judges, and we don’t have any judicial authority or responsibility to hold any trial. In the public hearing, the candidates (of December-30 election) will present their statements before people and people will judge it. But, the trial will be held in the election tribunal,” he said.
Joining a public hearing as the head of a seven-member jury panel, he also said, “The main objective of the public hearing is to show respect to the Constitution as people are the owners of the country as per the Constitution. We had waged the Liberation War to protect our voting rights.”
The public hearing began at the Supreme Court Bar Association auditorium around 10am and it will continue till 4-5pm with a one-hour break from 1pm.
Mentioning that their many candidates have already lodged complaints about election ‘frauds’ with the High Country’s election tribunal, Dr Kamal said their alliance is holding the public hearing to let people know what happened in the election.
“As the owners of the country, people wanted to elect their representatives through the election. They should be informed what actually happened in the election,” he observed.
Kamal, also the president of Gono Forum, said the election candidates will give their statements in the hearing. “All the statements will be recorded and later published in a book.”
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said a ‘so-called farcical’ election was held on December 30 in the country.
He alleged that the government is ruling the country as per its whim in absence of a democratic atmosphere. “The government has now no accountability to people.”
Fakhrul also read out a condolence motion in memory of those killed in Chawkbazar fire incident.
The Oikyafront leaders and activists paid homage to the fire victims by observing a one-minute silence.
A munajat was also offered seeking salvation of the victims’ departed souls and praying for the early recovery of those suffered injuries.
Other members of the jury panel are Prof Emajuddin Ahmed, ex-judge AKM Anisur Rahman Khan, Prof Nurul Amin Bepari, Prof Dilara Chowdhury, Prof Asif Nazrul and Advocate Mohsin Rashid.
Senior leaders of BNP, Gono Forum, JSD, Nagorik Oikya and Krishak Sramik Janata League, Oikyafront’s candidates of 11th parliamentary polls and activists and supporters of the alliance joined the programme.
The public hearing was originally rescheduled to be held on February 24. However, Oikyafront rescheduled it for February 22 as they failed to manage any venue in the capital to hold the programme on February 24.
All the candidates of the Oikyafront and the left democratic alliance were invited to join the public hearing.
Dec-30 polls: JOF’s public hearing begins in city
Dhaka, Feb 21 (UNB) – Jatiya Oikyafront’s public hearing on the ‘irregularities’ in the 11th parliamentary election began in the city on Friday morning.
Dec-30 polls: JOF’s public hearing Friday
Dhaka, Feb 21 (UNB) – Jatiya Oikyafront will hold a public hearing in the city on February 22 to depict the “real scenario of vote robbery” in the 11th parliamentary election before the country’s people and international community.
Jamaat can’t go away with apology: Hasan Mahmud
Dhaka, Feb 20 (UNB) - Resignation of some Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and talks about apologies for the party’s 1971 role are part of its plot to tackle local and international pressures, Information Minister Hasan Mahmud said Wednesday.
Fakhrul, Moudud face party followers’ wrath over Khaleda’s release
Dhaka, Feb 20 (UNB) – Two BNP senior leaders -- Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Moudud Ahmed -- came under fire by the party rank and file at a discussion programme here on Wednesday for lack of action programmes to free its chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.
Get ready to make sacrifices for success: Fakhrul to party colleagues
Dhaka, Feb 20 (UNB) – Terming Awami League a fascist force, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday urged their party leaders and activists to get ready for making huge sacrifices imbued with the spirit of Amar Ekushey to face it.
4th phase UZ polls on March 31: EC
Dhaka, Feb 20 (UNB) – The Election Commission on Wednesday announced schedule for holding election to 122 upazila parishads of 16 districts in the fourth phase on March 31.
Now BNP wants Jamaat to apologise for 1971 role
Dhaka, Feb 20 (UNB) – BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan on Wednesday said Jamaat-e-Islami should apologise to the nation for its anti-liberation war role in 1971.