Nagarik Oikya calls for free, fair polls

The Nagarik Oikya holds a press conference at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity in the capital on Thursday. 

Bangladesh desk: Leaders of opposition parties, including the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist party on Thursday at a programme demanded a free and fair election, saying that people of the country rejected the January 7 election as it was a ‘farcical’ and ‘one-sided’ election.

The leaders also vowed to continue their simultaneous movement until their one-point demand for the resignation of the ruling Awami League government and holding a free and fair election under a neutral government were met.

They came up with the remarks at a press conference arranged by the Nagarik Oikya at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital, rejecting the January 7 election and its results.

The leaders also said that their movement was a success as the people abstained from casting their votes on January 7, supporting the opposition’s ongoing movement and relying on their leadership.

BNP standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nagarik Oikya president Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh general secretary Saiful Huq, Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD general secretary Shahid Uddin Mahmud Shapon, AB party member secretary Mujibur Rahman Manju, and Gono Odhiker Parishad president Nurul Haque Nur also spoke at the conference, among others.

The Left Democratic Alliance, meanwhile, urged people of various professions to continue their movement to establish the voting rights of the country people.

In a statement sent by Ruhin Hossain Prince, coordinator of the LDA, it was also said that the disgraceful chapter, which started at the beginning of the year by organising a ‘farcical’ election unilaterally by the government, ignored opinions of all the opposition political parties.

‘The level of authoritarian, fascist misrule in the government will increase. Corrupt trends in politics, corruption, looting, and money laundering will increase, which will make lives of the people of the country miserable,’ it said.

At the same time, the foreign imperialist-hegemonic powers will be active in taking various steps to protect their interests against an undemocratic government, the statement added.