Opposition BNP on Friday threatened to pursue tougher programmes like
blockade after the countrywide shutdown to force the government to
reach an understanding over the polls-time administration. “If the government doesn’t come to the path of compromise, our ongoing
movement will be intensified through harsher line of actions. It won’t
be limited only to non-stop hartal programme,” warned BNP standing
committee member Moudud Ahmed.
He issued the threat at a discussion, styled ‘Importance of November 7
in the present context’, arranged by Swadhinata Forum at the Jatiya
Press Club with its president Abu Naser Mohammad Rahmatullah in the
chair. Referring to the Awami League-Jamaat joint movement during
1994-1995 seeking the introduction of the now-abolished caretaker
government, the former law minister said, “We didn’t forget the
programmes you’d given at that time. You’d pursued non-cooperation,
non-stop hartal and blockade programmes. We would also pursue the same
programmes.”
The main opposition BNP has been carrying out movement demanding the
restoration of non-party polls-time government since the government
scrapped it through the 15th amendment to Constitution. Criticising
the government for what he said its efforts to avoid dialogue, Moudud
said still there is time for holding dialogue. “Come to a compromise.
Take an initiative for talks to resolve the political crisis.”
He claimed that the government is speaking about the all-party
government to confuse people over the opposition’s movement for
restoration of the non-party caretaker government. “In fact, they’re
going to form a 14-party alliance government in the name of all-party
government. They’re doing this as part of their evil design to hold
the polls under a partisan administration,” Moudud added. He also
alleged that the government is staging a drama by speaking about a
polls-interim government while there is no provision of interim
government in the Constitution.
Moudud warned that the next election must be held under a non-party
administration, no matter how many tactics the government resorts to.
Former Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Emajuddin Ahmed, BNP
chairperson’s adviser Shamsuzzaman Dudu, noted filmmaker Chashi Nazrul
Islam, among other, spoke at the function. – UNB
