Bangladesh News

Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday instructed her party leaders and workers to initiate door to door campaign to make the people aware about a free and fair election to resist vote rigging and holding of a ‘farcical’ election.
The AL-led grand electoral alliance tried its level best to participate in the elections slated for January 22 and for this they submitted nomination papers in all the constituencies, she said.

“But when we understood that a farcical election is going to be held without a proper voter list, we stepped back and decided not to participate in any farcical election,” she added.

Voter list is the main prerequisite for holding a fair election but the caretaker government and the Election Commission are trying to hold a parliamentary election without a proper voter list, she said at a view exchange meeting with the leaders of her party’s student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) marking its 59th founding anniversary at her Dhanmondi office in the capital.

Reiterating that a free and fair election is not possible under the jurisdiction of President and Chief Adviser (CA) Iajuddin Ahmed, Hasina asked Iajuddin to quit the office of the CA and form a new caretaker government for holding a free and fair election.

“We did not want Justice KM Hasan as the chief adviser and he had to go. We did not want MA Aziz as the chief election commissioner and he had to go too. Now it is Iajuddin’s turn and he must quit the office of the chief adviser, or else no election will be held,” said the AL president.

Iajuddin wants to hold a blueprint election only to serve BNP-Jamaat’s interests but he will not be able to hold such an election, she said, adding that people will never allow any election of vote rigging.

Hasina demanded a flawless voter list with voters’ ID cards and photos, and transparent ballot box for holding elections in a free and fair manner.

She called upon Iajuddin to accept the demands of the grand alliance to create a congenial atmosphere for holding a free and fair election. She also called upon the people to be united to resist vote stealing and continuing movements for a free and fair election.

“Till I am alive, I will not let them [Iajuddin and BNP-Jamaat] play with the fate of the countrymen,” Hasina said. She instructed her party leaders to go to every village and ward to make the countrywide blockade programmes for January 7-8 a complete success.

About BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s remark that the AL doesn’t want election sensing defeat, Hasina said her party has support from the majority people and wants to establish people’s voting rights and for this they want a free and fair election.

Rather, the BNP-led four-party alliance does not want fair election in the country as they fear certain debacle for their widespread corruption and misrule, Hasina said.

She said they will decentralise the administration and make the education free up to the honours level if her party-led grand alliance is voted to power. The AL chief directed her party’s student leaders to concentrate in studying and work for the welfare of the nation.

AL Joint General Secretary Obaidul Quader, BCL President Mahmud Hasan Ripon, General Secretary Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Ratan, among others, spoke.