In the wake of Awami League-supported mayoral candidates’ defeat in the recently held city corporation polls to their opposition rivals, partners in the 14-party grand alliance have suggested the Awami League to concentrate more on public issues to woo the voters. While talking to UNB on Saturday, they said though the government has successes in many sectors and carried out huge development activities, it has failed to address some basic problems like electricity crisis, corruption and the high prices of essentials.
They also suggested the government to take immediate steps to project government development activities among the mass people ahead of the next national election apart from forging a strong unity among the pro-liberation forces.
“We need to forge a strong unity among the pro-liberation forces as the anti-liberation elements are very united and strong,” President of Workers Party of Bangladesh Rashed Khan Menon told UNB.
Menon also said they also need to take a strong stance against the use of religion in politics as it becomes a big issue during electioneering.
To ensure the grand alliance’s success in the next polls, Menon said the ruling party should also regulate and monitor the activities of its associate bodies as their activities have already created controversies.
Contacted, Samyabadi Dal general secretary and Industries Minister Dilip Barua said, “We’ve six months in our hands to participate in the next polls. We need to deeply analyse why the voters have turned their back from Awami League-blessed candidates.”
“The candidates during their tenures carried out many visible development activities. It’s now necessary to see why people didn’t vote for them. It has been proved with these polls that people cast their votes not only seeing the development activities,” he added.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal general secretary Sharif Nurul Ambia said, “It’s true that the city corporation polls results have given a wake-up call to the alliance, but I don’t think they’ve taken a decision on the national election. The alliance has to address many things, mainly its electoral pledges, before the people’s decision for the next polls.”
He also said the government has to decide how they will implement their election pledges. “We’ll also have to take a political stance in reply to Jamaat and Hefajat’s campaign.”
Ganotontri Party general secretary Nurur Rahman Selim said the government has to solve problems relating to public life to ensure its success in the next parliamentary polls.
“The government has to resolve problems like power crisis and the high prices of essentials, as it still has some more time to work on this. The government must also strongly act against corruption and question leakage in recruitment tests, otherwise people will take into account these failures while casting their votes in the next parliamentary polls,” Selim said.
“Alongside highlighting its successes, the government should also explain its failures with logic,” he added.
The elections to the four city corporations — Rajshahi, Barisal, Sylhet and Khulna -– were held on June 15 where all the four Awami League-led alliance candidates were defeated by the BNP-blessed candidates by big margins.
The Awami League led alliance government assumed office on January 6, 2009 through a landslide victory in the ninth parliamentary polls held on December 29, 2008. (Source: UNB)
