National Citizen Party chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary on Thursday said that the ousted Awami League was gaining an advantage from the ongoing cycle of counter programmes separately announced by Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
‘One day BNP announces a programme, the next day Jamaat responds with another. This back-and-forth and division between the two parties are ultimately giving Awami League an advantage,’ he said while speaking at an event organised by the NCP’s farmers’ wing at the party’s temporary office in Banglamotor.
He warned that without fundamental reforms, Sheikh Hasina’s governing structure will return, affecting all.
Expressing doubt over the election commission’s capability, Patwary said, ‘There’s no issue if the referendum and the national election are held on the same day, but the problem lies in the EC’s capacity. We urge the government and all political parties to strengthen the commission. If it remains weak, holding both the referendum and the national election on the same day will put the process at risk.’
Patwary also said the government has become disconnected from people due to several decisions that alienated it from its popular base. ‘The moral foundation of this government was built on public uprising and revolution. The government should have sworn before the people that’s where it made a mistake.’
He alleged that the Awami League has been spreading panic both online and offline. ‘Those who made money during the past 15 years of Awami League’s rule are now using that wealth to create instability, throwing cocktails and setting buses on fire.’
Referring to the verdict in Sheikh Hasina’s trial, Patwary said the verdict delivery is scheduled for November 17 and it will mark ‘a new milestone for Bangladesh’s judiciary’.
