Opposition alliance Jatiya Oikya Front has pledged to wage strong, heated movements demanding re-elections and BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s release.
The coalition leaders said that the protests cannot be limited to rallies and adorning black badges but movements have to be waged against autocratic regimes.
Their call came on Wednesday (Feb 6) during a rally in front of the National Press Club where the leaders adorned black badges.
Jatiya Shamajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rab) President ASM Abdur Rab, who was the chief guest at the programme, said that everyone has to stand united in order to free Khaleda and thousands of leaders who have been imprisoned in politically motivated cases.
“The cases against them must be withdrawn and protests must be built up in order to do that,” he said, adding “We have to stand up against autocracy.”
The JSD chief said that in the past autocratic regimes of Hitler, Ayub Khan and Yahya Khan did not fall due to the effort of just one political party and for that Oikya Front must be kept alive.
“We are demanding re-elections but the truth is, no election took place,” Rab said.
He added that the state and nation must be saved and the wrongdoers brought to justice.
Claiming that “votes were snatched” during the Dec 30 polls by bribing the administration, he said, “The idea of state becomes non-existent when the administration takes bribe to snatch votes.”
Rab’s message to the government was: “All of the government’s misdeeds will be published on Feb 24.”
Meanwhile, BNP’s policymaking National Committee member Dr Moyeen Khan, who was the chief speaker, in a clear reference that ballots were stuffed the night before the polls said that people have boycotted the “Dec 29 or Dec 30 polls.”
“We are demanding election under an impartial government because elections of the past have shown that the polls can never be fair under a partisan government,” Khan said.
The BNP top brass accused the Awami League of abusing their power to bribe the administration and rig the polls in order to extend their regime for another five years.
“But they will never be able to get rid of the existing political stalemate in Bangladesh by remaining in power by force.”
Oikya Front steering committee member Shubrata Chowdhury on the other hand termed the Sheikh Hasina-government as “shameless” saying that it should be awarded the Noble Prize for the Dec 30 polls.
Another top Oikya Front leader Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury said that people were robbed of their rights during the polls and that “Democracy was buried without a funeral.”
Oikya Front leader Abdus Salam said, “Many journalists and AL leaders are saying that Oikya Front can’t wage strong movements. They can’t blame us when we announce programs and strikes.”
Salam called on the government to release Khaleda and soon announce new elections.
