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Download PDF The 14-party alliance yesterday extended the November 3 deadline by a week and asked the president to appoint a non-partisan person as the caretaker government chief in addition to carrying out the previous 11-point task.
The alliance warned President Iajuddin Ahmed that otherwise they would enforce indefinite blockade programmes across the country.
“The chief adviser sought time to implement our demands. We are giving him another seven days to see what effective measurers he takes to hold a free and fair election,” Awami League (AL) chief Sheikh Hasina told a huge rally at Paltan Maidan in the capital.
“If he fails to do that, non-stop countrywide blockade programmes will be enforced from November 11,” Hasina warned.
They gave Iajuddin the November 3 ultimatum to carry out their demands, but the interim administration could not show much success by then, she told the rally held amid unprecedented security.
“The chief adviser sent representatives to me seeking more time for reconstituting the Election Commission. We have agreed to extend the time. But the chief adviser will have to show that they are taking measures to reconstitute the Election Commission,” Hasina said.
In her 35-minute speech, the AL president also emphasised distribution of election related ministries to other advisers, making Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) strong and independent, and investigation into corruption, politicisations, militancy, looting, price hike, torture and repression by the BNP-Jamaat coalition after the 2001 elections.
She also pledged, if voted to power, to give the deprived government officials and employees their due promotion, to follow the constitution and rules and regulations in appointing and promoting other officials, to keep administration out of political influence and check price hike, curb militancy, corruption and crimes, and alleviate poverty.
Hasina repeatedly told the rally the president has become the chief adviser to the caretaker government violating the constitution’s jurisdiction of a non-partisan interim government.
The AL chief demanded the charges of the ministries related to elections should be handed over to other advisers. “What are the duties of these advisers otherwise?” she said.
On the chief adviser’s holding the portfolios of nine ministries, she questioned how he would perform this huge task in addition to his duties as the president.
Eminent jurist and Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain in his speech echoed the same sentiment. He alleged the immediate past government is controlling the president behind the scenes and said the previous home secretary is now controlling the police administration.
“You [president] are BNP-partisan. You could never be a neutral person. They [BNP-Jamaat] will not let you be neutral and alive. So you have only one way to escape yourself to be alive,” he said.
“Please appoint a non-partisan person as the chief adviser as per the constitution to hold a free and fair election,” Dr Kamal, also a senior leader of the 14-party alliance, added.
AL presidium member Suranjit Sengupta urged the president to appoint a new chief adviser without delay. “Otherwise, the president’s takeover of the office of chief adviser would be declared unconstitutional and thousands of writ petitions would be filed against him,” he said.
The AL president in her speech also demanded transparent ballot boxes in polling stations, a voter list with voters’ photographs and cancellation of appointments of district, upazila and thana election officers, who were appointed on political considerations.
She demanded that the caretaker government publish a white paper of corruption by the previous BNP-Jamaat government after ousting party loyalists from the ACC.
She also put emphasis on investigation into corruption of every former ministers and lawmakers by forming impartial investigation committees at every ministry.
Hasina stressed making a list of those who plundered money, the amount of money and where those were plundered. She said if use of black money continues, there would be no free and fair elections in the country.
Hasina, supreme leader of the 14-party alliance, also demanded that the chief adviser should carry out impartial and international investigations into the rise of militancy.
“Find sources of finance, arms and ammunition and its patrons and bring them to justice.”
She also asked the president to transfer the death convict top militant leaders from the sub-jail to condemn cells immediately.
Referring to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s speech, she said if anyone tries to resort to criminal activities, people will resist them.
Pointing to the 14-party’s tolerance, Hasina said the BNP-Jamaat and the caretaker government should not think it is due to weakness.
Accusing the BNP-Jamaat hoodlums of killing 18 people since October 26, Hasina asked the law enforcers to arrest the killers. She also urged the police, Rapid Action Battalion, Bangladesh Rifles and army to stand beside the people and not to protect the ‘looters’ and the ‘corrupt’ in the BNP-Jamaat.
She said the BNP-Jamaat regime wanted to eliminate her party but failed. “Despite so much of bloodshed, we exercised restraint and wanted to resolve the problem through dialogues,” she said.
“But they ditched the dialogue as they knew any agreement would bar them from stealing people’s vote.”
She also recalled national leaders Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, Captain M Monsur Ali and AHM Quamruzzaman and paid rich tributes to them as yesterday was the historic Jail Killing Day.
The AL chief said she is ready to sacrifice her life to establish people’s rights and build a poverty and crime free Bangladesh that the four leaders and her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman dreamed of.
Earlier, tens of thousands of AL-led 14-party workers and supporters thronged the Paltan Maidan. The enthusiastic workers and supporters chanted slogans carrying colourful banners, festoons and placards. Many carried dummy boats, the AL’s electoral symbol, during the rally.
Senior leaders Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed, Abdul Jalil, Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud, Obaidul Quader, Rashed Khan Menon, Hasanul Haque Inu, Mohammad Nasim, Syed Ashraful Islam, Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Asaduzzaman Nur, Nurul Islam and Dilip Barua, among others, also spoke.
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