Step down, hand over power to interim govt: AB Party 

Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) held a protest meeting ain Dhaka, demanding the immediate resignation of the current regime and the transfer of power to an election-time interim government to ensure a smooth and peaceful transition of power in the national interest.

The protest gathering was presided over by Adv Tajul Islam, joint convenor of AB Party, and addressed by party leaders, including Mojibur Rahman Monju, member secretary, and Asaduzzaman Fuaad, a barrister-at-law and joint member secretary of AB Party, read a press release. 

During the protest meeting, Mojibur Rahman Monju underscored the urgency of the regime stepping down and handing over power to an interim election-time government. He cautioned that any attempts by the current government to prolong their stay in power through false pretexts would only worsen the ground reality in the country. 

Monju asserted that it is the unanimous consensus of the nation that the current illegal authoritarian government should leave immediately.

Asaduzzaman Fuaad highlighted the historical context of holding free, fair, and credible elections under a caretaker government, a political settlement that has been in place since 1991 and was constitutionalised in 1996. But the ruling party unilaterally repealed the provision without seeking a mandate from the electorate or holding a referendum. 

Fuaad deemed this action a betrayal to the nation and accused the ruling party of prioritising their petty political interests over the country's national interest, sovereignty, and independence. 

Tajul Islam, expressing solidarity with the one-point demand, said the current regime not only repealed the caretaker provision but also eliminated the provision of referendums, which is a crucial legal tool for seeking legitimacy for constitutional amendments. 

He criticised the judiciary, including the chief justice, for failing to align with the national sentiment at the time, leading to the current political deadlock. He noted the shocking fact that the nation has been sanctioned twice by the USA under this regime, in addition to the countless cases of extrajudicial killings and false charges against political opponents.