In a scathing attack, National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Coordinator and Jamaat-led 11-party alliance candidate for Dhaka-8 Nasiruddin Patwary on Saturday described BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman as a ‘paper tiger’ and Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal ‘terrorist organisations’.
“Tarique Rahman’s pressure sometimes leads the government to open fire on the July movement activists, and sometimes on its own people. Tarique Rahman is actually a paper tiger. There is nothing to fear about him,” Nasiruddin said while addressing a rally titled ‘Rally for Bangladesh’ organised by July Oikya at the Central Shaheed Minar in the afternoon.
Criticising both Tarique Rahman and Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, he said, “Yunus Sir, out of fear of Tarique Rahman, went to London and made a deal with BNP. There is nothing to fear about him. Tarique Rahman. The real Royal Bengal Tiger is the Inqilab Moncho.”
Alleging manipulation of the electoral process, Nasiruddin said the Election Commission was moving towards ‘selection in the name of election’.
“To ensure Tarique Rahman’s victory, the government has made elaborate arrangements to bring him back to the country. Tarique Rahman and the BNP are being provided with so many facilities and support. This is not a democratic election; this is a selection in the name of an election,” he said.
Nasiruddin went on to say, “Those who are loan defaulters and hold dual citizenship were not supposed to be eligible for elections. But by creating mobs in front of the Commission with terrorist organisations like Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal, extortionists and loan defaulters have been given the opportunity to contest.”
Referring to slain Dhaka-8 aspirant and Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Osman Hadi, Nasiruddin quoted him as saying, “Hadi bhai had said that if he went to Parliament, he would deprive extortionists of sleep. Today Hadi bhai is no more, but thousands of Hadis have been born. We will not only keep the extortionists awake—we will make their lives unbearable. If they die, we will put up signboards on their graves saying ‘extortionist’.”
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Nasiruddin also claimed that the attack on Inqilab Moncho activists at Shahbagh and in front of the Chief Adviser’s official residence Jamuna on Friday—during protests demanding justice for Osman Hadi’s killing—was aimed at thwarting the national election scheduled for February 12.
“An influential group within the interim government itself wants to derail the election,” he alleged, adding, “No matter what, the election must be held on February 12.”