The Awami League says the Jatiya Oikyafront has to be joking with the nation by including the continuation of war crime trials and drives against corruption in their manifesto while they share a platform with anti-liberation forces and those charged with graft.
Awami League Joint General Secretary Abdur Rahman made the remarks at a press briefing in the party’s Dhanmondi office following the announcement of the opposition alliance’s manifesto.The journalists asked him how the ruling party perceives the inclusion of war crime trials and drives against corruption in the Oikya Front’s manifesto.
“They are contesting the election with the disciples of war time criminals sharing the paddy sheaf symbol. They patronise those accused of war crimes. Therefore, it is unbelievable and hilarious to think that they will continue the proper trial of war crimes,” Abdur Rahman said.
BNP leaders have never responded to calls to drop their allies in Jamaat-e Islami, the party that opposed the Liberation War and committed war crimes in 1971, and have instead criticised the process of the war crime tribunals.
A few former Awami League leaders joined the Jatiya Oikya Front, which includes the BNP, last October, drawing flak from the ruling party leaders who called it a ‘communal alliance.’
Oikya Front chief Kamal Hossain had said at the time that he would never opt for a ‘bigger unity’ with Jamaat.
But the BNP gave more seats to Jamaat candidates than other allies in the Oikya Front when it came to dividing up constituencies prior to the parliamentary election.
At least 22 Jammate Islami candidates are contesting the election with the BNP’s paddy sheaf symbol after their party lost its registration. Although Kamal Hossain is not contesting the election, his party members from Gono Forum and allies from the Oikya Front are contesting the election with the same symbol.
“How can those who patronised war criminals and even nominated them for the election work against those same criminals? It is nothing but an attempt to hoodwink the people of our country,” Abdur Rahman said on the BNP and Jamaat alliance.
The Oikya Front is ‘staging a farce’ through their manifesto and ‘misleading’ the voters, the ruling party leader remarked.
“Tarique Zia is convicted in a corruption case; Khaleda Zia had established a den of corruption in Hawa Bhaban while she remained in power. She is also convicted in corruption cases. It doesn’t suit them when they talk about eliminating corruption,” he said.
Abdur Rahman called the Oikya Front’s election manifesto ‘a mean political strategy.’
“The nation will never believe that they will end corruption. It is just a simple strategy to mislead the people during the election.”
The Awami League leader believes a conspiracy is being hatched by Kamal Hossain to cast doubt on the possibility of a fair election to happen after attacks on BNP candidates in different parts of the country.
“They have caused some stray incidents. Those BNP leaders and activists who agitated because of the nomination business have attacked the BNP leaders and now they are blaming us for it in order to sabotage the election,” he said.
“They have been plotting to disrupt the election. We want to warn them that the election will take place on Dec 30 regardless of what happens,” said Abdur Rahman.
