Staff Reporter :
Jatiya Oikyafront leader and Gano Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain on Saturday called upon the supporters of the newly floated political alliance to guard the polling centres instead of boycotting the 11th Parliamentary election scheduled to be held on December 30.
Dr Kamal, a veteran jurist, came up with the call while speaking as the chief guest at a rally organised by Jatiya Ainjibi Oikyafront on the premises of Supreme Court Bar Association in Dhaka in the afternoon.
He said that a huge loss has been incurred for boycotting the parliamentary election in 2014 and called upon the alliance leaders and supporters to ensure that no more such harm is done.
“You should guard the polling centres instead of calling for boycotting the election. Nobody can do anything if people are with us. We earned the independence of our country with our martyrs’ sacrifices; it is not a simple matter. We cannot betray with the blood of our martyrs,” Dr Kamal said.
He said, “When the government talks about the constitution, I get a smile. It is unconstitutional to have power in this government. They are violating the Constitution day and night. But they are showing us the Constitution.”
Jatiya Oikyafront’s spokesperson and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was the keynote speaker at the rally.
Expressing doubt over holding of a fair election by the incumbent Election Commission, Fakhrul said, “The Election Commission could not even hold fair local government polls, how would they hold the national election in a fair manner?”
He called upon the EC to ensure a level playing field for all political parties ahead of the national election.
Fakhrul said, “When we cannot stand anywhere, when we are not allowed to speak, when we are not allowed to campaign for the election, when our leaders and activists are sent to the jail by filing ghost cases, then we will defeat this monster by uniting the people as a challenge to this election.”
“We have very short time in our hand. So, we have to appear in the vote fight right now to save the nation, to save the country. This is the perfect time to save our independence. We will defeat them by this fight,” he said.
Fakhrul said on the issue of Barrister Mainul Hosein, “We live in such a state where the lawyers are also being harassed by fake cases. Dr Kamal brought the matter to the attention of the court, but no solution has come out yet. More than four hundred and fifty cases were filed till now after the election schedule has been declared. “
Barrister Moudud Ahmed said, “We are in the election and we will be there. People want to vote. But people are afraid of going to the polling station and to vote. If a there is fair vote, the Awami League will lose with a huge margin. This time you have to vote in a fighting environment.”
Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain said, “Parliament election should be held under a neutral government. Otherwise, the election will not be fruitful.”
Advocate Zainul Abedin placed 11-point demand at the rally. The demands include release of Khaleda Zia from jail, cancellation of conviction of Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman, independence of judiciary, withdrawal of ‘ghost’ cases against the activists of the opposition political parties, cancellation of Digital Security Act, 2018, cancellation of the decision to use EVM in the Parliamentary election etc.
Jatiya Ainjibi Oikyafront’s Convener and also the Supreme Court Bar President Advocate Zainul Abedin presided over the rally.
BNP’s Standing Committee Member Barrister Moudud Ahmed and Barrister Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar, Vice-Chairman Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain, Jatiya Ainjibi Oikyafront’s Member Secretary and also SCBA Secretary Barrister A M Mahbub Uddin Khokan, Ainjibi Oikyafront’s leader Advocate Subrata Chowdhury, Advocate Jaglul Haider Afric, Advocate Nitay Roy Chowdhury, among others, spoke at the rally.
Besides, lawyers’ representatives from the 64 bars across the country also spoke.
Advocate Moazzem Hossain Alal, Advocate Mozibur Rahman Sarwar, Adovcate Sanaullah Miah, Advocate Masud Ahmed Talukder, Advocate Taimur Alam Khandaker, Advocate Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin, Dr Arifa Jesmine Nahin, Advocate A K M Ehsanur Rahman, among others, were present at the rally.
