Dhaka, Feb 22 (UNB) – Claiming that the government staged a ‘farce’ on December 30 in the name of election, Jatiya Oikyafront convener Dr Kamal Hossain on Friday urged all to be united to take the country’s ownership back and ensure the voting rights of people.
“…this can’t be called an election. This is a farce. There was a ceremony on December 30 when the government staged a farce in the name of election, deprived the country’s people of their rights, violated the constitution and defamed democracy,” he said.
Dr Kamal, also Gono Forum president, made the comments while delivering his concluding speech at a public hearing arranged by Jatiya Oikyafront at the Supreme Court Bar Association auditorium.
The public hearing was arranged to depict the ‘irregularities in the 11th parliamentary election before the country’s people and the international community.
About the depositions made by 42 candidates in the public hearing, Dr Kamal said, “The speeches all of you delivered here depicted a similar picture across the country. The government had taken all the mechanisms and strategies so that a free and fair election was not held.”
He also demanded unconditional release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, saying the demand is justified and logical.
Dr Kamal led a seven-member jury panel at the hearing.
Other members of the jury panel were Prof Emajuddin Ahmed, ex-judge AKM Anisur Rahman Khan, Prof Nurul Amin Bepari, Prof Dilara Chowdhury, Prof Asif Nazrul and Advocate Mohsin Rashid.
The public hearing was originally rescheduled to be held on February 24. However, Oikyafront rescheduled it for February 22 as they failed to manage any venue in the capital to hold the programme on February 24.
