Awami League has blasted the Emergency Government for favouring corrupts belonging to the erstwhile BNP-Jamaat government. It questioned the neutrality of the incumbent government's anti-corruption drive terming it an eye-wash and an activity to pull BNP and their alliance(The Bangladesh Today)
out of the deep hole they had plunged into before one-eleven.
"The government amid its controversial activities further proved that they were not sincere and impartial against widespread corruption. Their anti-corruption drive was merely an eye-wash and ill-motivated. The main aim of the interim government is to bring BNP-Jamaat to the same level as us," stated acting Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam posing a question, "If a world champion corrupt individual like Tarique Zia can get released from jail, why should other prisoners belonging to different political parties be behind bars?"
He briefed the newsmen at Gulshan in the capital on Saturday after coming out from the party Presidium meeting with the acting AL President Zillur Rahman in the chair.
Referring to Tarique's bail on different graft cases, Syed Ashraful said, "If the release of Tarique is ensured, the government has no legal as well as moral right to keep other detainees, arrested earlier on charges of so-called corruption cases, in jail at all."
He strongly condemned the activities of the authorities concerned to allow detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to hold a meeting with BNP Secretary General Khandoker Delwar Hossain and Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mojaheed inside the jail.
Terming the three-hour meeting in the makeshift jail in the Parliament Complex on Thursday the worst-ever unlawful incident, Ashraful said, "The erstwhile BNP-Jamaat government destroyed all the institutions one after another and later this incumbent government has driven the last nail in the coffin of rule of law in the country."
"The meeting would have been allowed after releasing BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia either finally or on parole. This has raised a question of the neutrality of the government in its activities," he added.
About the outcome of the Presidium meeting, acting AL General Secretary said, the polls to Upazila Parishad, lifting of the State of Emergency, Representation of People's Order (RPO) Ordinance -2008 and prevailing political situation dominated the discussion and the decision would be finalised in the AL Working Committee meeting today (Sunday).
"As per the letter of the Election Commission, AL would sit for discussion with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on September 4 and subsequently on September 9. On the first day we will highlight our logics, merits and demerits of the Upazila polls before those of Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament). On the second day, we want to discuss RPO provisions like 'No' vote system, scrapping of front organizations and foreign chapters of the political parties, and timeframe for party registration," he said hoping that all debate would be ended through an open conversation with EC and the government.
He further proposed the government and the EC to resolve the crises of the country through dialogues with all political parties across the country which would bring good for the country, elections and democracy.
Replying to a query, he said, "Before taking the oath, the AL-backed mayors-elect would resign from their party's portfolios abiding by the law of the Election Commission."
The AL General Secretary said, "We hope to sit with the representatives of the Caretaker Government to discuss the above mentioned issues at convenient time any day after September 9."
Amir Hossain Amu, Suranjit Sengupta, Motia Chowdhury and BM Mojjammel Haque were present in the two-hour meeting while Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed and Ataur Rahman Khan Kaiser failed to attend due to their illness.
Source :
News from bangladesh
