Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has extended his party’s support to a “greater national unity,” an alliance initiated by AQM Badruddoza-led Juktofront and Dr Kamal Hossain’s Gono Forum on September 15.
His party’s move came yesterday at a rally organized by the new alliance - Jatiya Oikya Prokriya - at Mahanagar Natyamancha in Dhaka’s Gulistan.
“Through the rally, the process to forge national unity has gone one step closer,” Fakhrul said.
With this, almost all the parties, who oppose the Awami League-led government, have joined a single platform.
Fakhrul dubbed the Awami League-led government as “autocratic” and said it should step down. “There will be no independence if the government is not removed and a government of the people is installed,” he said.
Gonosonhoti Andolon Chief Coordinator Zonayed Saki, was also present at the program, said he was invited by Kamal to learn about the unity process.
Gono Forum chief Kamal told the rally that the goal of ‘National Oikya’ is to forge a national alliance to “establish effective democracy, ensure the rule of law and the people’s voting rights.”
Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh President AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, also chairman of the unity process, said the national alliance is needed “to protect the country.”
“After 47 years of independence, we have to decide whether we want an end to autocracy or not. If we want democracy, then we need this alliance,” he said.
Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna said no-one can stop the process.The former Awami League leader accused the government of attempting to stage another election like it did in 2014 to hold on to power.
Former DUCSU VP Sultan Md Mansur and Zafrullah Chowdhury, BNP Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed and Abdul Moyeen Khan; former caretaker government adviser barrister Mainul Hosein; BJP Chairman Andaleeve Rahman Partho; Jamiate Ulamaye Islam Secretary General Moulana Noor Hossain Kashemi joined Dr Kamal and Nagarik Oikya Member Secretary Mostafa Amin on stage.
‘Form polls-time non-partisan govt by Sep 30’
The demanded for forming a non-party government by September 30, before the announcement of the national election’s schedule was also raised at the rally by Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah, the convener of National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power, and Ports.
When reading out the declaration, he said all the parties involved in the process have agreed with the five-point demand and nine-point goal of the process.
He also demanded reconstitution of the current Election Commission and dissolution of the 10th Parliament before the election.
Almost all the speakers at the rally made similar demandsto ensurea congenial atmosphere for the national election. They also demanded the release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia along with all the other leaders and activists of the opposition parties.
Shahidullah also announced that the alliance members would sit later and decided on ways to continue the movement, if necessary, and form committees in every village and city wards. He said that rallies and meetings would be held from the beginning of October across Bangladesh.
Badruddoza questioned why a political party needs to take permission from police to organize a rally and accused the government of using the law enforcers for its own political gains.
“We are not going to wait for permission. We will practice our political rights spontaneously. If the people are with us, then no one would be able to anything to us,” he said.
At the rally, Saki expressed his solidarity with the alliance and demanded a non-partisan government along with a national commission to ensure a congenial atmosphere for the national polls and tackle post-election violence. “No election can be held under a partisan government,” he added.
Mirza Fakhrul said some 3,776 cases have been filed this month so far, implicating 79,000 people and more than 300,000 unnamed accused.
Moudud demanded stopping the arrests of political activists before the election and an end to what he described as police harassment.
‘Install CCTV camera instead of using EVMs’
Bikalpa Dhara chief Badruddoza made a proposal to tackle irregularities during the election – installing surveillance cameras in and around polling stations instead of using electronic voting machines.
He said the people of the country are not familiar with EVMs and wondered whythe government was so eager to use the machine when the rest of the world has already stopped using it.
The former president said the government is “wasting Tk3,800 crore of the people’s money” to buy the EVMs.
“If you want a free and fair election, install CCTV cameras all over the polling centre except at polling booths instead of EVMs. The voters will see what is happening,” he said.
About foreign observers, he said they should be invited a month before the election so that they can understand the environment. “Theyshould leave a week after the polls so that they can observe if any post-election violence has taken place,” he added.
