President of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) ASM Abdur Rab on Friday said people are now confused whether the general election would be held after the end of the five-year term the ruling Awami League (AL).“After the defeat of the ruling party backed candidates in five city corporations recently, the Prime Minister herself said that she won’t give the national elections. So, people are now confused whether the election will be held,” Rab said while addressing an iftar mahfil of the party at its office at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city.
The JSD chief termed the victory of the opposition BNP backed candidates in the city corporation polls as the people mandate against the establishment. “It was an outburst of the resentment of the people against the ruling AL,” he added.
Rab, however, called upon the party leaders and activists to get prepared for the next general elections and selecting fielding candidates in all the 300 constituencies, including the 14 seats in the city.
He said the JSD has been continuing talks with like minded parties to create a third alternative force to the two major political parties.
“An announcement on formation of third force is likely to be made after the Eid-ul-Fitr,” he said.
Criticising the role of the Election Commission (EC), the JSD leader said the EC has been working apparently with a view to bringing back the ruling party to power instead of taking measures to hold a free and fair election, which would be acceptable to all.
“It is not accepted that the ruling party can take part in the election campaign by utilising all government facilities and the opposition candidates to carry out campaign on their own arrangement,” he said.
The JSD leader accused the grand alliance government of politicising of all key institutions including the EC.
He rejected the ruling party proposal to hold the next election under the supervision of the incumbent government saying that confidence of the political parties is needed for such election.
Rab mentioned that the Prime Minister of Bangladesh is more powerful than President Obama as the latter had no power to be vice chancellor of the universities and to interfere in the works of EC and Anti-Corruption Commission.
He extended support to the demand for holding the next general elections under a non-party caretaker government.
The JSD leader said people do not want to see any of the two major political parties anymore in power they want to send a third force to power.
Referring to the statement of Sajib Wazed Joy, the son of the Prime Minister, that he has the information that the AL would return to power, he said somebody from abroad might have assured him in this regard but it won’t be possible by only by showing Hatirjheel and Jatrabari flyover projects.
He reiterated the party demand to divide the country into nine provinces, establish a double-chamber Parliament and strengthen the local government at every tier.
JSD general secretary Abdul Malek Raton said the major political parties failed to find out the way to resolve the political impasse.
He called upon the city leaders and activists of the party to get preparation to hold rally in every thana after the Eid.
JSD leaders–Ahmed Hossain, Jahangir Alam, Shahiduddin Mahmud Swapan, Zia Khandaker, Mosharraf Hossain, Abdus Sattar and Abdul Khaleque, among others, also spoke on the occasion. – Staff Reporter
