History won't forgive Justice Khairul Haque for scrapping caretaker system: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday said history will never forgive former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque for "unethically' creating a ground for the Awami League to revoke the caretaker government (CG) system to conduct general election.

Speaking at a discussion, he also said the political and economic future of the people of Bangladesh and their existence are closely related to the issue of a caretaker government. 

"The parliament passed the law (revoking the caretaker government system), but justice ABM Khairul Haque created the ground for it. History will never forgive him for it. He first gave a short verdict and later unethically gave the full verdict changing the short version as a civilian 16 months after his retirement," the BNP leader said. 

Sachetan Nagorik Foundation arranged the discussion on the caretaker government issue in the current context of Bangladesh at a city hotel, marking its fresh journey as a civic platform for raising awareness among people about their rights and the welfare of the country. 

Fakhrul welcomed the new platform and hoped it will play a proactive role in creating awareness among people about democracy and the independence of the judiciary as most of its members are involved with the legal profession.

About the necessity of the polls-time neutral government, he said the Awami League first came up with the demand for a neutral interim government in 1994 and enforced hartal (general strike) for 173 days to establish their logic that the election could not be fair under a partisan government.

Later, Fakhrul said the then BNP government, led by Khaleda Zia, introduced the caretaker government system through the 13th amendment to the constitution considering the political culture in Bangladesh as the democratic institutions were not developed properly after the liberation of the country. 

He said four acceptable elections were held under the caretaker government, but later it was annulled by Awami League as part of a plot for depoliticisation and staying in power without people's votes until 2041. 

Stating that around 65% of the population of the country are youth, Fakhrul said it is necessary to organise the young people for the restoration of the caretaker government to establish peace, stability and a healthy political structure in Bangladesh.

He said the misrule of the Awami League government – which has been staying in power by force and using the state machinery – has crossed all the previous colonial and Pakistani rules and HM Ershad's autocratic regime. "The Awami League government has completely turned Bangladesh into a failed state through its misrule."

Quader should quit

About Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader's comment that Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project has turned into a major concern for the government, Fakhrul said commuters have long been facing serious ordeal due to this unplanned project.

"I see shops and ticket counters are being made in the middle of the road of the BRT project… I can't understand what they're exactly constructing. Mr Obaidul Quader said today (Sunday) that it (BRT) has become a matter of deep worry. It's a shameless comment. He should have resigned before making such a remark as they themselves took this project," he taunted.

The BNP leader said the government has been inflicting unbearable suffering on Dhaka city dwellers for nearly 10 years through the BRT project from Gazipur. 

He said the journalists and civil society members are not raising their voices against the misdeeds of the government and the Digital Security Act.  "What a terrible situation this government has created that we're now afraid of expressing their opinions and writing freely. A reign of terror has been established. We never imagined seeing such a situation in Bangladesh."

Fakhrul urged the young lawyers to play an active role in freeing the judiciary from politicisation and restoring democracy and people's rights.