Behave with manners, Kamal tells govt after attack

Behave with manners, Kamal tells govt after attack

Dhaka, Dec 14 (Just News): Jatiya Oikya Front chief Dr Kamal Hossain has asked the government to stop giving illegal orders to the law enforcement agencies and ruling party activists.

“You (Awami League) are in power only for next 16 days. No one knows what will happen next, so be patient and stop giving illegal orders,” Kamal said on Friday afternoon.

The leader of the recently formed opposition platform was addressing an urgent press briefing held at Oikya Front’s office at Purana Paltan, Dhaka, in response to an attack on his motorcade allegedly carried by ruling Awami League men at Mirpur.

“It is an insult to the martyrs,” Dr Kamal said at a press conference today pointing out that the attack was carried out near Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in Mirpur.

‘Behave with manner during these 16 days of your tenure before election,’ he warned the government.

Kamal, Gono Forum president, called upon the Election Commission to create a level-playing field to hold the upcoming election in a free, fair and inclusive manner.

He blamed supporters of Awami League candidate Aslamul Haque Aslam, launched the attack on him leaving 25 to 30 of his followers and leaders injured.

Dr Kamal and other Oikya Front leaders were returning from the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial after paying homage in the morning, when the attack took place.

He said that at least seven or eight vehicles, including those belonging to him and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rab) President ASM Abdur Rab, were vandalized.

He added that at least 25-30 people, including Oikya Front’s candidate in Dhaka 14 constituency Shahjahan Saju, were injured during the attack.

Dr Kamal, also heads Gono Forum, alleged that the attack was carried out by the followers of Awami League leader Aslamul Haque, who is contesting the 11th general election from the same seat with the ruling party’s ticket.

He urged the police not to follow illegal orders from the government, and added: “I am not blaming you [police]. But your duty is to serve the people and also not to follow illegal orders.”

He also added that it was their constitutional right to engage the people to campaign. “And we will continue to do that. Let see who arrests us.”

Dr Kamal, who was one of the authors of the country’s constitution, said that barring them campaigning would be a violation of the constitutional rights.

Condemning the attack, he again urged the Election Commission to ensure a level playing field for all parties for a free and fair parliamentary election, slated for December 30.

Nagori Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna blasted the EC for its partisan role against the Oikyafront and said it has already gone in the government’s pocket.

BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan said the Election Commissioners should step down from the constitutional body shouldering responsibility of the attack.

A large group of Awami League men had attacked the Oikya Front leaders’ motorcade while it was exiting the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial earlier in the day.

Darussalam police station Officer-in-Charge Selim-uz-Zaman said that they had witnessed a scuffle near the memorial’s entrance when Dr Kamal’s convoy was leaving the premises.

He said: “We were positioned near the memorial, which is roughly 50m away from the gate. By the time we went toward to the gate to investigate, everything had been resolved.”