Jatiya Oikyafront leaders want to meet President Abdul Hamid and seek his intervention to improve the current political situation in the run-up to the December 30 polls.
On Thursday, the party sent a letter in this regard to the Bangabhaban which sought an appointment with the president for the leaders of Oikyafront -- alliance of the BNP and several other opposition parties -- on December 17, alliance sources said.
A 10-member delegation, led by Oikyafront's top leader Dr Kamal Hossain, also the president of Gonoforum, will meet the president if they get the appointment, the sources added.
"We will draw his [president] attention to the continued attacks on opposition candidates and activists during electioneering and the mass arrest of opposition activists. We will seek his intervention to improve the situation," Mahmudur Rahman Manna, a top leader of the Oikyafront, told The Daily Star yesterday.
The BNP and the Jatiya Oikyafront have been accusing the government of using law enforcement agencies to arrest and harass their nominees, leaders and activists across the country.
Since the announcement of the election schedule, the BNP has kept lodging complaints with the Election Commission (EC) seeking its action to stop the arrests and harassment.
But according to opposition leaders, this has not helped improve the situation.
Against this backdrop, the Oikyafront leaders have decided to meet the president, who they think can play a significant role in advising the EC to take necessary measures to ensure equal opportunities for all candidates, party leaders said referring to section 5 (2) of the Representation of the People Order (RPO).
The section 5 (2) of the RPO says: "All executive authorities of the government shall assist the commission in the performance of its functions, and for this purpose the president may, after consultation with the commission, issue such directions as he may consider necessary."
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The families of two teenagers killed in Mohammadpur during a clash of Awami League factions ahead of the general election have been robbed of justice.
The family members of one of the victims said police submitted the final report in the case without talking to them. The report mentioned no clash even though it was widely covered by the media at that time. It termed the incident an “accident”.
Councillor Tarequzzaman Rajib of ward-33 also threatened the father of one of the victims not to file a murder case, they said.
A case was filed after the November 10, 2018, incident and the father of one of the teens was made the plaintiff.
The father maintains he did not file the case and that the signature on the case document could not be his since he is illiterate. He said Councillor Rajib put a gun to his head and told him to do as he said after the incident.
The families opened up to this paper only after Rajib was arrested this week.
On the morning of November 10, 2018, a procession of vehicles, largely comprised of flatbeds, with supporters of AL leader Sadek Khan was going towards the AL Dhanmondi office to buy nomination paper for Sadek’s candidacy in the polls.
Mohammad Sujon, 19, and Arif Hossain, 14, were on one of the pickup trucks when the procession was attacked allegedly by the men of rival AL leader and then lawmaker Jahangir Kabir Nanak.
During the melee Sujon and Arif fell off the vehicle and the driver, trying to avoid the brick chunks being hurled at the pickup, reversed and ran the two over, according to case documents, news reports, witness accounts, and statements of the families.
Sujan and Arif died in hospital.
Arif’s father Faruk Hossain was taken to a community centre in Mohammadpur when he was on his way to the hospital. He was confined there for 12 hours by Rajib’s men, Faruk told The Daily Star.
Late at night, Rajib, reportedly Nanak’s ally, at the community centre told Faruk to go to the police station to talk about getting the body of his son.
Faruk then went to the police station, gave his details, and told the officials there what he knew about the incident. He had no idea that police were filing a case making him the plaintiff. The police officials there asked him to identify the body at the Suhrawardy hospital, Faruk said.
On his way to the hospital from the police station, two men stopped him near Shia Masjid and took him to Rajib’s home.
Rajib told him at gunpoint to do as he said regarding the matter, Faruk told The Daily Star.
“You wouldn’t get anything if you file a murder case. Instead, you will be harassed and face the same consequences as your son. You are from Lalmonhon of Bhola and so am I. Do what I say. You will get a good compensation,” Faruk quoted Rajib as saying.
Faruk eventually identified his son’s body the next day.
Faruk said, “After the incident, I thought it was police who were the plaintiff in the case.
“This is my NID, sir. See, I can’t sign,” Faruk showed his NID to this correspondent which had his thumb print.
Faruk said not a single police officer talked to him about the investigation since then.
Sujon’s uncle Md Riaz told The Daily Star last night that the police never talked to them either.
He said councillor Rajib had promised them compensation and jobs for family members but he never delivered.
Sujon’s family did not know that the final report was submitted. They heard it first from The Daily Star correspondent.
After “investigating” the case for 11 months, police submitted the final report terming the incident an “accident”.
Police had arrested convener of Jubo League’s Adabar Thana unit Arifur Rahman Tuhin in connection with leading the attack but in the final report police said they found no evidence of Tuhin’s involvement.
Rajib, on behalf of then MP Nanak, had given Arif’s family Tk 30,000 and Sujon’s family Tk 25,000 as burial cost.
After the incident, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader said the prime minister directed the authorities concerned to submit a probe report over the incident within two days.
Whoever is found involved would be given exemplary punishment, he had said, adding that the prime minister wanted to know “who destroyed the peaceful election environment”.
Sub-Inspector Mukul Ranjan of Mohammadpur police station, investigation officer (IO) of the case, said they submitted the final report of the case in the first week of this month as they could not find any evidence or witnesses.
Police also could not identify the pickup truck and its driver.
In the final report, police said the two factions of the ruling party came “face to face” near Mohammadi Homes Ltd on November 10 when the unidentified driver reversed in a hurry and could not see what was behind him. This led to the two getting run over.
The SI in his investigation found no evidence of the clash. He only said the two faction came “face to face”. The media, however, had extensive coverage of the incident.
They reported that the attackers, armed with hammers, sharp weapons and brick chunks, swooped on the procession of vehicles.
The IO said said Faruk did not know what had actually happened and had “filed the case” based on hearsay.
Taking to this newspaper, the SI claimed that he did not find anything in CCTV footage and no local wanted to be a witness.
Asked why the IO never contacted Faruk, the IO first claimed that he had contacted him but later said they could not reach him.
The IO claimed that Faruk had indeed filed the case.
At one stage of the conversation with this correspondent, the IO said he had written the final report with direction from a superior officer of Tejgaon Division Police.
Anisur Rahman, deputy commissioner (Tejgaon division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told The Daily Star that he had no knowledge about the development of the case as he joined the division only a few months ago.
“I will have to see the documents,” he added.
In November last year, Nanak said he had nothing to do with the attack on the procession.
Sadek had said that he did not want to blame anyone and demanded a proper investigation.
The Daily Star could not reach Nanak and Sadek for comments over the last few days.
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Jatiya Oikyafront leader Dr Kamal Hossain's motorcade came under attack near the Martyred Intellectuals' Memorial in the capital's Mirpur yesterday.
At least 25 people were injured in the attack carried out allegedly by ruling party men around 9:45am when the eminent jurist was returning home after paying tribute to the martyred intellectuals, alleged leaders of the opposition alliance.
Seven to eight cars were vandalised, they said.
Dr Kamal, also president of the Gonoforum, was unhurt.
Photo: Collected
Armed with rods and sticks, some supporters of Aslamul Haque, Awami League candidate for Dhaka-14 constituency, attacked Dr Kamal's car after he boarded it at the memorial's main gate on his way home, said Latiful Bari Hamim, media wing member of the Oikyafront.
The attackers vandalised vehicles carrying Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President ASM Abdur Rob, Gonoforum leader Jaglul Haider Afrik, and Oikyafront's candidate for Dhaka-14 Abu Bakar Siddique Saju, he mentioned.
They also beat up BNP and Oikyafront leaders and activists who tried to resist them. At least 25 people, including Saju and Rob's driver, were injured. The driver was taken to a local hospital, Latiful added.
Contacted, Aslamul refuted the allegation and said the claim was made as part of a conspiracy against him.
Jatiya Oikyafront leader Dr Kamal Hossain addresses a press conference at the alliance's Nayapaltan office in the capital yesterday, hours after his motorcade came under attack near the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in Mirpur. Several people injured in the attack are standing behind Oikyafront leaders. Photo: Star
Earlier around 9:30am, about 50 alliance leaders, including Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, BNP chairperson's adviser Abdus Salam, Gonoforum leaders Afrik and Reza Kibria paid homage to the martyred intellectuals.
As Dr Kamal got into his car after talking to journalists at the memorial, around 40 to 50 people, who had gathered there since morning, hurled brick chips at the cars carrying him and other Oikyafront leaders, and chased those. The vehicles then sped up, according to witnesses.
The attackers beat up around 10 people. A photojournalist was assaulted for taking pictures, they said.
A number of locals told this newspaper that most of the attackers were activists of Swechchasebak League and Chhatra League units in the area.
Several shopkeepers there said they didn't see any policemen during the incident.
Selimuzzaman, officer-in-charge of Darussalam Police Station, said they rushed to the spot sensing troubles but did not find any of the attackers.
Asked about the attack, Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said he was unaware of the incident.
"We have not yet received any written complaint in this regard," he told this newspaper in the evening.
Attackers beat up an alliance activist. Photo: Star
Speaking at a press conference at Oikyafront's Paltan office in the afternoon, Dr Kamal condemned the incident and said the attackers showed disrespect to the martyrs by launching an attack near the memorial.
"We went there to pay tribute to the martyred intellectuals. We are not much bothered about what happened to us ... They showed disrespect to the martyrs. It cannot be accepted."
He alleged that hired goons were used to launch the attack on them.
"How much money did you get to carry out the attack? It cannot be a patriot's act,” the noted jurist said, adding that he would give them money for not committing such an act.
"Today is martyred intellectuals day, but they forgot it."
He said they would write to the inspector general of police (IGP) in this regard.
"I request you [the IGP] to listen to us with due importance. You will be given all information ... Please conduct a probe by trusted officials. We will help you with the investigation."
Dr Kamal said he wants details of all the arrests of alliance leaders and activists.
A damaged car, bottom right, of the motorcade is parked in the area. Photo: Star
He further said the country must be freed from the clutches of plunderers and those who are working against the spirit of the Liberation War.
The Oikyafront leader also called upon the Election Commission to create a level playing field for holding the December 30 polls in a free, fair and inclusive manner.
BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan alleged that ruling party men carried out the attack.
The election commissioners should resign from the constitutional body, shouldering the responsibility for the incident.
JSD President ASM Abdur Rob said the attack would not have happened if military personnel had been deployed.
Blasting the EC for its “partisan role”, Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna alleged that the commission is favouring the ruling party.
Jatiya Oikyafront leader Dr Kamal Hossain’s motorcade was allegedly attacked at the Martyred Intellectuals Mausoleum in Mirpur area of Dhaka on December 14, 2018. Photo: Collected
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Jatiya Oikyafront leader Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday expressed “sincere regret” for his sharp reaction to some reporters' queries regarding the combine's position on Jamaat-e-Islami.
"If my words hurt or embarrassed anyone in anyway, I sincerely regret that," he said in a statement.
On Friday morning, Kamal, along with other leaders of the opposition alliance, paid homage to the martyred intellectuals at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in the capital's Mirpur.
When asked by a reporter about the participation of some Jamaat leaders in the December 30 polls despite the cancellation of the party's registration, he apparently lost his temper.
"How much have you been paid to ask these questions? Who pays you to ask such a political question at such a place?” he asked the enquirer.
When the question was repeated, Kamal asked the reporter to “shut up”.
In the statement, Kamal explained, “Standing at the altar of the memorial, I was talking about how we achieved our independence after losing so many meritorious sons. That is when I was suddenly asked about Jamaat's position in the Jatiya Oikyafront.”
Kamal said he initially responded humbly by saying he didn't want to make a comment on the issue at that moment and repeated this answer the second time he was asked the same question.
"But when I heard the word 'Jamaat' for the third time from the crowd, I felt very bad and tried to stop the enquirer," his statement read.
"All my life I have spoken for the freedom of the press and the rights of journalists," he added.
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The Daily Star has launched a new series of talk show ‘The Election Talks 2018’ where experts analyse all aspects of the upcoming general elections, contemporary politics, events and incidents.
In today’s episode chief editor of Ekushey TV Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul talks with the show host Journalist Golam Mortoza.
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Bangladesh Nationalist Front President SM Abul Kalam Azad today said that the national election will not be free and fair under this Election Commission.
"Our supporters, voters, activists are feeling insecure," Azad, who is contesting from Dhaka-17, was speaking to reporters after a meeting at the commission.
Azad is currently a lawmaker of the current parliament and his party BNF is also a component of the Awami League-led ruling 14-party alliance.
"Our constitution says an election will be held under the Election Commission. But, we don't see it. It is heavily influenced by the ruling party," he said.
Speaking after meeting Election Commission Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed, he claimed 55 BNF candidates were attacked by Awami League and Oikyafront men.
"We want to stay in the election till the last day, but it should be held under a neutral Election Commission," he said.
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