New demands raised deliberately to foil election: Mirza Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that new demands are being raised every day deliberately to thwart the election.
Mirza Fakhrul said that some political quarters are unfortunately making new demands in a very calculated way to foil and disrupt the election. They are raising demands that are unfamiliar to the people of Bangladesh.
He made these remarks today, Wednesday, as the chief guest at a discussion meeting marking the 10th death anniversary of Kazi Zafar Ahmad, one of the organisers of the Liberation War.
The discussion was organised by the Bhasani Janashakti Party at the Zahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall of the National Press Club in Dhaka.
Mentioning that political parties are fully cooperating with the interim government on reforms, Mirza Fakhrul said they have not created any obstacles anywhere. They have never embarrassed the government by raising major demands and taking to the streets.
The BNP Secretary General said the people of the country are familiar with the word ‘reform’. It will take time for them to understand the proportional representation (PR) system. It is very difficult to explain this to people. Moreover, voters would not know who they are voting for. Yet, many are talking about implementing these changes and issuing threats.
Mirza Fakhrul recalled that seven to eight days after the mass uprising, he had demanded elections within three months at a programme in front of the BNP central office.
He noted that he had to face a lot of criticism for this, adding that whenever there is a change, others try to take advantage of it.
The BNP Secretary General believes that if the national election had been held within three months of the mass uprising, the economy would not be in such a dire state.
If elections had been held within that time, an elected government with a mandate and public support could have swept away these forces.
He also said there are attempts to erase the memory of the great Liberation War. There is a strong effort to make us forget 1971, but that cannot be forgotten. Those who collaborated with the Pakistani occupation forces are the ones speaking loudly today. That is why we must remain very alert and cautious.
Mirza Fakhrul remarked that a quarter within the government is deliberately trying to prevent pro-democracy forces from coming to power. He stressed that much more needs to be done to achieve the desired goal.
Referring to S Alam Group, he said the group gave Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, who is staying in India, Tk 25 billion to foil the elections.
He alleged that plans are being made on how to use that money to block elections in Bangladesh and bring Sheikh Hasina back to the country.
Mirza Fakhrul urged the government to complete the formulation of the July Charter at the earliest without creating further complications and to arrange elections as announced.
The discussion was presided over by Bhasani Janashakti Party Chairman Sheikh Rafiqul Islam and conducted by the party’s Secretary General Abu Yusuf. Other speakers included Biplobi Workers Party General Secretary Saiful Haque, Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar) Chairman Mostafa Jamal Haider, and BNP Chairperson’s adviser Nazmul Haque Nannu, among others.