Interim govt must announce an election roadmap: Hafiz Uddin

BNP standing committee member Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed today (29 September) called on the interim government to announce an election roadmap.

"This government should have tried from its beginning to constitute a good election commission. But there is no talk about the commission. They don't announce any roadmap. They also don't say when the election will be held," he said at a discussion in the capital.

The discussion was held at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity with Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal president Ishtiaq Aziz Ulfat in the chair.

At the event, Hafiz Uddin said the interim government talks about the reforms in the six sectors, but it remains silent on other reforms.

"We would say, one month is enough time [to start these reform tasks]. Those who are here [in the interim government] are talented sons of the country, they have talent," he said.

He said, "Only the elected representatives have the right to amend the constitution in this country. Don't forget it.  You can't amend the constitution, no matter how many PhD degrees you have. You can make recommendations."

If the political parties find the recommendations acceptable, they will take the mandate of the people by including these in their election manifesto, he added.

Citing that Dr Yunus is a respected person, Hafiz Uddin said but he should have been more careful to form the advisory council. 

"More than half of [the members of] this advisory council don't bear the spirit of this mass uprising," he said.

The BNP leader said the families of every martyr of the July-August mass uprising should be given the freedom fighter allowance.

He said many say that Bangladesh has been made independent for the second time, but the independence happens only once. "We'd made the country independent once (in 1971). We've relentlessly fought for the establishment of democracy and will continue to do so more," he added.

"This government can't be allowed to fail. We want their success. But we want to give them the right advice," he went on.

Noting the freedom fighters are bright sons of this country, he said this government should have sat in a meeting with the freedom fighters at first.

"The dreams of the Liberation War were not fulfilled yet. But they (this government) have no such spirit and mentality, which is very unfortunate," said Hafiz Uddin.  

He said another thing that surprised them is Prof Yunus said the students appointed him as the chief adviser of the interim government. 

"It is not only students, rather the people of the entire country appointed him," he said.

The BNP standing committee member said the country didn't become independent due to only the August revolution. 

"BNP has been waging movements on the streets for the last 17 years," he said.

He hoped Prof Yunus would talk to political parties and freedom fighters soon alongside holding view exchange meetings with the representatives from various classes and professions.

"A corruption-free and elected government can implement the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War," said Hafiz Uddin.  

The BNP leader demanded the Anti-Corruption Commission be transformed into a constitutional body and its chairman should be recruited jointly by three persons -- the leader of the House, the opposition leader and the chief justice.

BNP chairperson's advisory council members Abdus Salam and Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, BNP liberation war affairs secretary Zainul Abedin and Gono Odhikar Parishad Convener Nurul Haque Nur, among others, spoke at the discussion.