JOF leaders, activists protest at ‘vote robbery’ [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

JOF leaders, activists protest at ‘vote robbery’

Local February 07, 2019

Jatiya Oikya Front went on demonstration wearing black badges in the Dhaka city on Wednesday protesting against the vote ‘robbery’ in the December 30 parliamentary elections.
Leaders of the alliance of opposition parties also said that they would go for tough movement for fresh general elections and release of Khaleda Zia.
The JOF leaders issued the caution addressing an hour-long programme of wearing black badges in front of the National Press Club at 3:00pm.
It was the first street programme of the Oikya Front after the parliamentary polls marred by widespread ‘fraud’.
The JOF rejected the results of the general election and demanded immediate re-election under a neutral government cancelling the poll.
Oikya Front would hold a mass hearing of candidates and victims over the election in Dhaka on February 24.
The Oikya Front’s component Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal faction president ASM Abdur Rob addressing the the day’s programme as chief guest said the front would not confine to the programme of protest through forming human chain and demonstration wearing black badges but it would build up resistance along with people against the ‘autocrat’ government and release of Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s imprisoned chairperson Khaleda Zia and thousands of jailed leaders and activists of the opposition and withdrawal of the cases.
Rob said the opposition leaders and activists should join protests without staying at house.
He said that no election was held on December 30 but forcibly occupied the power.
Rob alleged that police and administration were involved in the vote robbery of the 11th parliament polls.
He said those were involved in election duty were bribed for committing vote fraudulence.
Rob said now those persons were being awarded by the government for the misdeeds.
The JSD leader said the JOF during its mass hearing programme on February 24 would expose the incidents of misdeeds and vote robbery.
He doubted whether parliamentary democracy would exist or not and voting may not be necessary in future.
Rob said the Oikya Front would have to keep alive, busy and strong, saying it was not possible for alone to win against an autocratic government.
The JSD chief said top leaders of the front Kamal Hossain, president of Gono Forum, could not participate in the day’s programme for illness while BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Nagorik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna and Gono Forum general secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu could not attend as they went abroad for treatment.
Krishak Shramik Janata League president Abdul Kader Siddique could not join the programme due to a family programme, Rob said.
BNP standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan addressing programme said the last general election had proved that fair and neutral election is not possible under a partisan government.
He demanded immediate transfer of power to a neutral government for making arrangement to hold a fair and neutral election.
Gono Forum executive president Subrata Chowdhury said the democracy was in life-support after holding ‘one-sided’ general election in January 2014 while it became lifeless after the December 30 parliament poll.
JOF Dhaka City coordination committee chief coordinator, Abdus Salam, also BNP chairperson’s advisory council member, presiding over the black badge wearing programme urged the government to immediately hold the fresh election under a neutral government and free Khaleda Zia, otherwise, he warned that the front would be compelled to go for tougher programme like hartal.
Gonoshashthya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury said rights of people were seized on December 29 while it was completely destroyed on December 30.
Leaders of the Jatiya Oikya Front including Selima Rahman and Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal of BNP, Subrata Chowdhury of Gono Forum and Abdul Malek Ratan of JSD, among others, addressed the programme, jointly conducted by BNP publicity secretary Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee and assistant organising secretary Abdus Salam Azad.