Ahead of Bangladesh polls, verbal crossfire erupts between political parties over reforms

Dhaka, July 16 (IANS) As the general elections in Bangladesh approach, major political parties are engaged in a heated exchange regarding the need for reforms prior to the polls.

As the election approaches, the leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, and the newly formed National Citizens' Party (NCP) have been engaging in verbal attacks on each other, according to a report by the leading Bangladeshi daily, The Dhaka Tribune.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir claimed that the recent murder of a 43-year-old scrap trader Lal Chand Sohag in Mitford, Old Dhaka is a deliberate attempt to "create unrest" in the country and to pursue evil political agendas following allegations of involvement of its party leaders and workers in the gruesome act.

On the same day, Mohammad Selim Uddin, a member of Jamaat-e-Islami's Central Executive Committee, slammed the BNP without directly naming the party during a rally in Mirpur, Dhaka.

"Due to widespread public opposition, the people of the country had already shown a 'yellow card' to a certain political group. Now, following the incident at Mitford, the public has effectively shown them the 'red card," said the Jamaat leader.

"The August uprising gave them (BNP) a golden opportunity. They could have used it to train their party workers in moral values and guide them to follow Islamic discipline. But instead, they turned the country into a sanctuary for extortionists. Their current slogan seems to be: Reward for paying extortion, expulsion for refusing," he added, taking a jibe at the BNP.

Additionally, the NCP renewed its call for reforms and national reconstruction; however, the BNP has constantly rejected the demand.

According to the BNP, the idea of "reforms before elections" would not yield significant results.

However, the NCP raised the demand for electoral reforms and national reconstruction at a rally on Tuesday night.

Speaking at the rally, NCP's Chief Organiser (South) Hasanat Abdullah criticised the political parties of the country for showing what he called "selective outrage."

"When we speak against extortion, one party takes offence. When we call out vote rigging, another party is upset," he said.

He also accused the Election Commission (EC) of the country of double standards, pointing to its position on inclusive elections. This came as the EC had included the Awami League's boat symbol on its official website.

Abdullah had called for the immediate removal of the boat symbol from the EC's registered list, claiming bias on the part of the EC. Following this, the election body removed the symbol from the website.

He also criticised the rejection of the Shapla symbol (water lily) to the NCP following objections from an EC member, and further raised doubts on the effectiveness of the online nomination process.

"A credible election is not possible under this commission," he added, pledging to oppose the EC through political means. During the rally, the speakers reiterated their demand for overhauling the EC.

Meanwhile, BNP has firmly rejected the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government's justification of "justice and reforms before elections," asserting that it would no longer accept delays in the name of restructuring.

BNP Standing Committee Member Abdul Moyeen Khan, speaking at the party's new member recruitment and renewal campaign last week, stated that the only acceptable priority now is to ensure the people's right to vote through a free and fair election, leading Bangladeshi daily, Dhaka Tribune, reported.

"BNP will no longer accept the logic of 'first justice and reform, then elections," he said.

"Justice and reform are continuous processes," he added. "The primary responsibility of an interim government is to reestablish democracy. To achieve that, power must be returned to the people as soon as possible through elections."

The parties that collaborated with the student leaders and Yunus to overthrow the democratically elected Awami League government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are now lashing out at each other in public rallies and on social media platforms.

The much flaunted unity, which was on full display during the ousting of Hasina, seems to be fading gradually.

--IANS

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