Main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday said that the ruling Awami League wants to ‘score goals in an empty field’ but they will not get a walkover this time.
He said, ‘They [AL] started saying they will conduct elections according to the constitution and AL president [Sheikh Hasina] at a press conference at Ganabhaban said the elections will be free, fair and impartial.’
‘These are false talks to deceive people, to fool them and to reconstitute the government through a walkover type election, but there is an obstacle to do it.’
He came up with the remarks as he was addressing a solidarity rally arranged by a faction of Bangladesh Gono Odhikar Porishod, demanding democracy and voting rights at the intersection of Fakirapool Culvert Road in Purana Paltan area of the capital.
He said the democratic countries of the western world have put the obstacle saying that such walkover type elections will not be accepted. This time there should be a real free, fair and participatory election.
Fakhrul further said ‘We said if that election is to be held, it will not be held under Hasina, it is not possible. So our only point is that there cannot be any elections under this government.’
He alleged that the false cases were filed against 45 lakh leaders and activists of BNP in the last 15 years, 600 leaders and activists were made victims of enforced disappearance and several thousand people were killed without trial.
‘They [government] had kept these cases for so many years but now they have created a special cell for their quick disposal and punish the opposition leaders,’ Fakhrul said.
‘They [government] directed the magistrates and judges to complete speedy trials within two months and submit charge sheets in the cases of which probes are still going on.
Fakhrul also alleged that the government is not providing proper medical treatment to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia as they want to kill her.
They are also making indecent remarks about Khaleda Zia. It is clear that they want her to die, to kill her, he said.
Fakhrul also said, ‘We have formed the unity of the opposition political parties to drive home our one-point demand that elections must not be held under Sheikh Hasina. She must step down, parliament must be dissolved, power must be handed over to a non-partisan, neutral government and elections must be held through forming a new election commission abolishing the subservient election commission.’
Bangladesh Gono Odhikar Porishod [faction] president Nurul Haque Nur presided over the rally in which Syed Muhammad Ibrahim of Kalyan Party, lawyer Subrat Chowdhury of Gano Forum, Fariduzzaman Farhad of National People’s Party and Shahadat Hossain Salim of BLDP also spoke, among others.
