Zillur skeptical about polls in due time
Friday, 27 July 2007
Awami League's acting president, Zillur Rahman, Thursday aired his doubt about holding of a free and fair general election in due time, as he pointed out delays in the preparation, reports UNB.
"The Election Commission has not yet started to prepare a voter list. Then, how the government could hold election in time? But the caretaker government has earlier pledged to hold election in proper time," he told reporters at his Gulshan residence.
Zillur Rahman said their leader Sheikh Hasina earlier had expressed her concern and skepticism about holding election in time and now it seemed that her apprehensions turned out to be true.
Citing 13 years' imprisonment of his party's detained presidium member Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, he vented his concern and said, "As far as I know, Mohiuddin is an honest and educated person."
About the restrictions facing the relatives of AL chief Sheikh Hasina in meeting her at the sub-jail, the AL leader said, "Sheikh Hasina's case is under trial and according to the jail code relatives can meet with any accused person. But Hasina's relatives don't get this scope."
He drew the conclusion from the circumstances that "this proved that the case filed against Sheikh Hasina was preplanned and motivated."
The acting AL chief demanded her "immediate" release.
About Communications Advisor MA Matin's remark that 'maybe, Jamaat leaders were not involved in corruption', the acting AL president said he wouldn't take this remark of the Advisor. "Are Jamaat leaders angels and we devils?" he posed a question.
He informed that the party would appeal to the higher court for quashing Sheikh Hasina's case.
"The Election Commission has not yet started to prepare a voter list. Then, how the government could hold election in time? But the caretaker government has earlier pledged to hold election in proper time," he told reporters at his Gulshan residence.
Zillur Rahman said their leader Sheikh Hasina earlier had expressed her concern and skepticism about holding election in time and now it seemed that her apprehensions turned out to be true.
Citing 13 years' imprisonment of his party's detained presidium member Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, he vented his concern and said, "As far as I know, Mohiuddin is an honest and educated person."
About the restrictions facing the relatives of AL chief Sheikh Hasina in meeting her at the sub-jail, the AL leader said, "Sheikh Hasina's case is under trial and according to the jail code relatives can meet with any accused person. But Hasina's relatives don't get this scope."
He drew the conclusion from the circumstances that "this proved that the case filed against Sheikh Hasina was preplanned and motivated."
The acting AL chief demanded her "immediate" release.
About Communications Advisor MA Matin's remark that 'maybe, Jamaat leaders were not involved in corruption', the acting AL president said he wouldn't take this remark of the Advisor. "Are Jamaat leaders angels and we devils?" he posed a question.
He informed that the party would appeal to the higher court for quashing Sheikh Hasina's case.