“There had been huge enthusiasm among students and political leaders over the Ducsu election as it was held after 28 years. But, unfortunately, the nation today (Monday) witnessed the repetition of Dec-30 election incidents in the Ducsu polls,” said Oikyafront’s spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
He came up with the remarks while speaking at a press briefing after a meeting of Oikyafront steering committee at Dr Kamal Hossain’s Motijheel chamber.
Fakhrul said the Dhaka University students strongly protested the vote “robbery and terrorism’ by the ruling party students with the help of the university authorities”.
“We condemn and protest the election irregularities in the Ducsu polls and we extend our all-out support to the student’s justified demand,” he said.
Fakhrul, also the secretary general of BNP, said the Ducsu polls and recent upazila election have demonstrated once again that the country’s entire election system has collapsed.
The voting in the long overdue election to Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) and its hall unions was held on Monday.
Fakhrul said people did not join Sunday’s first phase of upazila elections as they did not go to the polling stations to cast their votes. “We think people refrained themselves from taking part in the upazila polls registering their silent protests against the unprecedented vote robbery in the December-30 national election.”
He, on behalf of Jatiya Oikyafront, demanded BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s release from jail and immediate steps for ensuring her treatment in any specialised hospital as per her will.
The Oikyafront spokesman also said their alliance wants the government to withdraw all the ‘false and fictitious’ cases filed against opposition leaders and activists, and the release of those arrested in those cases.
Fakhrul said Oikyafront is against the government’s move to hike gas tariffs as it will only create a heavy burden on people who are already struggling to cope with the growing prices of essentials.
He urged the government to refrain from increasing the tariffs of any utility service.
The Oikyafront leader said they have decided to hold rallies in divisional cities and district towns to drum up public support.
Apart from Fakhrul, BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, JSD president ASM Abdur Rob, Krishak Sramik Janata League president Abdul Kader Siddiqui, Gono Forum executive president Subrata Chowdhury and general secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu were, among others, present at the meeting with Dr Kamal Hossain in the chair.