BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has asked his party men to take a fresh vow to intensify movement to force the government to meet the people’s demand for polls under a non-party caretaker government (CG). Terming the ruling Awami League autocratic, Alamgir accused the government of killing at least 20 democracy loving people during the last 60-hour nationwide hartal. “We will have to take a fresh oath to wage an intensive movement on the streets so that the ruling Awami League is forced to accept the CG demand,” he added. He was talking to media before joining the Ghaibana Namaj-e-Janaza for those killed during hartal in front of the party’s Naya Paltan central office in the capital on Friday afternoon.
“We will have to be organised under the leadership of Khaleda Zia for waging movement on the streets. There is no alternative but to go for a tough movement to realise our CG demand,” he said.
The sacrifice of party leaders and activists will also encourage us to gear up the antigovernment movement, he added.
BNP leaders Moudud Ahmed, Mahbubur Rahman, MK Anwar, Aman Ullah Aman, Salauddin Ahmed, Barkat Ullah Bulu were present at the programme.
Besides, leaders of the 18-party alliance including Islami Oikya Jote chairman Abdul Latif Nezami, central working committee member of Jamaat rafiqul Islam Masud and others also attended the Namaze-e-Janaza.
Earlier, at a separate programme, BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed warned that the antigovernment movement would continue in full swing until the demand for holding of the next general poll under a non-party caretaker government (CG) is met.
“Dialogue between the two major political parties can take place to overcome the prevailing political impasse on CG issue. At the same time, antigovernment movement will go on. No compromise will be made until the CG demand is met,” he said.
He was speaking at a discussion meeting, organised by Shawdesh Jagaran Parishad, at the National Press Club on Friday.
Moudud said the antigovernment campaign over CG issue will get momentum soon. At one stage, the ruling Awami League-led grand alliance will be forced to meet the CG demand in the face of the mass movement, he added.
“We are still showing tolerance over the CG issue though Awami League observed a total of 173 days hartal for establishment of such a system when it was in the opposition during 1991 to 1996 tenure,” he said.
BNP does not believe in Awami League politics. The government has failed to gain
people’s trust during its five-year administration. In this context, BNP will never take part in the next general election under its management, he opined.
He criticised the government for leaking out the tele-conversation between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia and said the premier was not keen to hold talk with her counterpart to remove the country’s political standoff.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s motive was not honest. Her telephone call to Khaleda Zia in the name of dialogue was just an eyewash,” he said. The government has created political crisis in the country in a bid to hang on to power forever. To make the mission a success, the non-party CG provision in the constitution has been annulled, he alleged.
“I believe that the government will commit a big mistake if tries to hold a unilateral general poll under its own management,” he opined.
Moudud, also a former law minister, hoped that the government would refrain from holding the one-side general election.
He said the people from all classes have started taking to the streets enthusiastically. The countrymen will have to remain prepared even for supreme sacrifice for safeguarding the country’s democracy, he added.
About the speculation that he is preparing to form a political party ahead of the next general poll, Moudud said a group of vested quarter has created misunderstanding.
“I am one of those who founded BNP. The vested group, which is spreading the speculations to tarnish my political image, is just an agent of the government. People don’t believe them,” he added.
Moudud also criticised the Election Commission for its loyalty to the government and said its reformation will be ensured soon after restoration of the non-party CG provision to the constitution.
BNP leaders Shamsuzzaman Dudu and others spoke at the programme with Kamruzzaman Selim president of the forum in the chair.
-With The Independent input
