Thursday • January 11, 2007

Grand alliance leaders urge people

Resist one-sided election

Awami League-led grand alliance leaders yesterday called on the people from all walks of life to resist the one-sided January 22 elections in order to restore democracy in the country.

There will be no election under Chief Adviser to the caretaker government Iajuddin Ahmed, they asserted at a grand rally held at Paltan Maidan in the capital.

"The chief adviser must be removed, all attempts to implement the election engineering be stopped and the rejected nomination papers be accepted before any elections can take place," said Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad.

The nation now feels helpless in the face of a conspiracy, he said, adding that Awami League President Sheikh Hasina is spearheading a campaign to restore democracy and a democratic government will return to power.

HM Ershad said there is a conspiracy to arrest himself. "I have surrendered my fate to the grand alliance, now it is up to them and the people to decide what lies in store for me," he added.

"This might be the last time I come onto this stage, but if the conspiracy can be foiled and I can be freed, I will come back here again for you," the JP chairman said.

"My last word to you is that I can promise that the one-sided elections will be resisted with the last drop of our blood," he stated.

Badrudozza Chowdhury, president of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said the nation is facing the greatest crisis since independence as the people are being deprived of their basic right to vote through a conspiracy.

The people who have struggled to earn their freedom in 1971 are again being robbed of their rights by the BNP-Jamaat alliance through an evil design being implemented by the president/ chief adviser, he said.

He also criticized the chief adviser, saying that President Iajuddin Ahmed himself has violated the constitution to become the chief adviser, but now he (Iajuddin) is citing the provisions of the constitution to defend his decision to hold the one-sided election.

"As 70 percent of candidates have withdrawn their nomination papers, how can a credible election take place?" Badruddoza asked.

He accused the chief adviser of being the protagonist of the conspiracy to destroy democracy. Therefore, he has to bear all the consequences, Badruddoza added.

He appealed to the police and the army to stand by the people to help prepare a correct and updated voter list.

Worker's Party President Rashed Khan Menon said that giving the army the power to arrest anyone from any place without a warrant is part of a conspiracy to bring back the BNP-Jamaat coalition to state power.

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President Hasanul Haque Inu called on the activists to make allout efforts to resist the 'farcical' elections.

Zaker Party Chairman Mostafa Amir Faisal said President Iajuddin Ahmed became the chief adviser by violating the constitution only to hold a 'one-sided' election in order to bring back the BNP-Jamaat coalition to power.

Awami League General Secretary and 14-party coordinator Abdul Jalil said the people would resist the election at any cost to prevent the communal and undemocratic forces from forming the government.

Awami League (AL) presidium member Amir Hossain Amu said no election with Iajuddin as Chief Adviser. People will resist all sorts of conspiracy.

Abdur Razzak said, "We will erect a wall of resistance to protect the bid to hold a fake election on January 22."

Tofail Ahmed said there would be no election on January 22, as we know how to face the attempt of a farcical election.

Awami League leaders Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Motia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and Suranjit Sengupta, JP leaders Kazi Zafar Ahmed and Ruhul Amin Hawlader and LDP leaders Oli Ahmed and Maj (retd) Abdul Mannan also spoke at the grand rally.

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