National Citizen Party’s (NCP) northern region chief organizer Sarjis Alam has alleged that the Awami League (AL) looted thousands of crores of taka from the people and laundered it abroad, using those funds to arrange “terror-style” rallies with hired street children.
He made the remarks on Saturday noon while speaking to journalists at Mokbular Rahman Government College field in Panchagarh, where he attended a debate competition program.
“Awami League’s supposed twenty–thirty percent people—these people never existed at all,” Sarjis said. “At different times Awami League has arranged programs with hired people. If Awami League had so many people, then where were they in July–August when students and people took to the streets? Now, by sending money from abroad, they are hiring street kids, making them run around once or twice at dawn, recording videos, and posting on social media to brag. The people of Bangladesh understand which is a real political program and which is staged. Those who carried out genocide in this uprising—their political reality has ended here. The chapter of Awami League’s politics in Bangladesh is closed.”
On the issue of the Election Commission (EC) not allocating the Shapla (water lily) symbol, Sarjis said, “In fact, they have no reason. Since there is no logical or legal reason, they cannot explain. We think, since they do not have any legal reason, surely, they are not giving the mark from their place under some kind of pressure. In this post-uprising Bangladesh, if an independent institution like the Election Commission is defeated over giving a symbol under pressure, then even before the election starts, the transparency from them or the neutrality we expect from them is already being questioned.”
The NCP leader further said, “This symbol is not on their list, but the responsibility to add it to the list is theirs. We applied for registration a few months ago, they should have added it then. Even after that, we applied anew for inclusion. We think they will show freedom and professionalism in their institution. Since there is no legal barrier, in that case NCP will get the Shapla as its symbol from their place.”