Terming the January 7 general election farcical and dummy, Ganatantra Mancha, an alliance of six political parties supporting the BNP's movement, has renewed its demand for fresh polls under an interim and neutral government.
The alliance made the call in a rally in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Friday afternoon. It also staged a protest march in the area.
This came amid continued protests by the BNP and like-minded parties that boycotted the January 7 election, anonymously won by the Awami League, sealing the party’s fourth straight term. The ruling party formed the cabinet on Thursday.
Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Mannan chaired the rally, where Revolutionary Workers Party General Secretary Saiful Huq and Ganosamhati Andolan Chief Coordinator Zonayed Saki, Rashtra Sanskar Andolan Chief Coordinator Hasnat Qaiyum, among others, also spoke.
Shahidullah Kaisar, general secretary of Nagorik Oikya, moderated the rally.
The opposition leaders claimed that the people boycotted the election and so did “the democratic world.”
And that is why the MPs-elect took the oath so hastily, the leaders said, adding that the swearing-in of the lawmakers and the formation of the government will not work.
The leaders went on to say that the ethical power that the people showed through the boycott is actually the power of democracy, human dignity and justice.
“Our ongoing movement against the government will be further bolstered based on the people’s decision to boycott the election,” said one of the leaders.
The leaders of the platform said that the new government will have to resign following mass protests.
They demanded that the 12th parliament be dissolved and a fresh elec be held through dialogues involving all political parties of the country.
Other than the Awami League and the Jatiya Party, 26 out of 44 registered political parties participated in the election that saw a 41.8% turnout.
Despite criticism by some major Western powers citing violence and ballot stuffing during the election, the new government has been congratulated by more than 30 countries, including India, China, Russia, Japan and Germany.
