Bangladesh News

The leaders of the Awami League (AL)-led 14-party alliance yesterday said President and Chief Adviser of the caretaker government Iajuddin Ahmed would be responsible if election process is hampered due to his ‘unconstitutional and partisan’ activities.

“If you [president] fail to act neutrally as the chief of the caretaker government, confrontation is must and the election will be uncertain. If such a situation is created, you will be responsible,” 14-party coordinator Abdul Jalil quoted his conversation at the press briefing at AL’s Dhanmondi office following a meeting with Iajuddin.

“We have told him [chief adviser] to carry out the 11-point demand to create a congenial atmosphere for a free and fair election,” he said, adding, “We have also told him that non-stop countrywide blockade programme will resume if he fails to meet our demand.”

Prior to the briefing the 14-party held a meeting there with AL President Sheikh Hasina in the chair and discussed details of the current political situation.

Earlier a three member AL delegation — Abdul Jalil, Suranjit Sengupta and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim — met the president and chief adviser (CA) to the caretaker government (CG) and asked him to realise the 11-point demand within Sunday to prove his neutrality.

At the press briefing, Jalil said they have also told the chief adviser that if he fails to take proper action, people will build up resistance and create mass upsurge in the country to press home the demands.

If the partisan president cannot function without directives from a special quarter, he has to appoint a non-partisan person as the CA as per the constitution, the AL leader said.

All the political parties except the BNP-Jamaat alliance and people from all walks of life have reached a consensus that a free and fair election is not possible without resignation of the CEC and reconstitution of the EC, he said.

There are 1.40 crore fake voters in the draft voter roll, he said, adding that the chief adviser should take immediate steps to stop printing of the faulty voter lists and inclusion of eligible persons in the voter list.

Jalil demanded immediate removal from the civil and police administration the officials who are beneficiaries of and loyal to the BNP-Jamaat alliance and replacing them with honest and eligible officials.

He posed the question how an officer assigned by the former prime minister enters into the Bangabhaban at night easily without any prior permission.

Transfer order of a number of police officials were postponed after the officer met the president while an APS of BNP Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman has given a list of 15 officers-in-charge (OCs) to the chief adviser to make sure their posting in Gopalganj, Faridpur, Madaripur and Shariatpur districts, Jalil said.

Without taking any effective action in last 17 days, the president and chief adviser himself has been brought the CG under question, he said.

Senior 14-party leaders Obaidul Quader, Rashed Khan Menon and Hasanul Haque Inu were present at the briefing.