Zahidur took oath under govt pressure: Fakhrul

Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday said that the party’s lawmaker-elect Md Zahidur Rahman from Thakurgaon 3 took oath as an MP under government pressure. 
Responding to a question from reporters after placing wreaths and offering prayer at the grave of the party founder Ziaur Rahman at Chandrima Udyan in the capital, Fakhrul alleged that such governments, having no popular support, always tried to cling to power through undemocratic tricks.
The allegation was, however, rejected by the Awami League-led government.
‘Zahidur Rahman has taken the oath in breach of the party decision. He has committed a serious offence. The party will take organisational steps against him,’ Fakhrul, himself an MP-elect, said.
He said that the party will take a decision about Zahidur in its next meeting.
Fakhrul said that he had no information whether any other BNP MP-elect would take oath.
If any individual or group of the party takes their decision on their own, there would be no big loss to BNP as it is a people’s party, he said.
Replying to another question whether there was any pressure from the government to break or divide BNP, the party secretary general said, ‘it is not abnormal in politics of Bangladesh. ...But none can gain by dividing BNP. This party always stood back on its own feet and went to people with its own appeal.’
After the 11th national elections on December 30, 2018, marked by widespread violence and ballot stuffing, BNP as well as the opposition alliance Jatiya Oikya Front has rejected the polls and has been demanding a fresh election under a non-party neutral government.
Eight candidates of the JOF – six from BNP and two from Gono Forum – have been elected in the election but BNP and JOF have decided that their lawmakers-elect will not take oath.
Prior to Zahidur, the two Gono Forum MPs-elect – Sultan Mohammad Monsur Ahmed and Mokabbir Khan – took oath, also disobeying their party decision.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina, also president of the ruling Awami League, speaking at a press conference at Ganabhaban to inform the media about her recent visit to Brunei, said that those who had joined the Jatiya Sangsad did it on their own and the government had no pressure on anyone to join the JS.
‘Rather, the people of their constituencies were creating pressure on them to join the parliament,’ she added.
She further said that they had no intention to break or divide any party.
 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net