Swarnomoyee Mostafa Oishy:

BNP Standing Committee Member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said, “There is no scope to delay in holding national parliament elections on excuse of reform. No one has been able to vote in the last 16 years duy to Awami League’s misrule.”
He told these while addressing as chief guest at a meeting with the stakeholders at the Abdullah-Al-Mahmud Memorial Library Auditorium of Sirajganj Bar Association on Saturday afternoon.
He said, “Fascist Hasina was ousted through massive movement of students-public for the sake of nation with the aim to hold a free, fair and transparent national election in the country. Therefore, there is no point in stopping the elections in the name of reforms.”
Referring to the stance of BNP, he said, “We are in favour of reform. But, there is no need of spending so much time in the name of reform. It is easily possible to hold elections by December. This is why, there is no need to take time until June. People of the country are eagerly waiting to cast vote on behalf of their chosen candidates after a long time. So, the interim government should arrange a free, fair and accountable election as soon as possible.”
Stating that Hasina’s fall has awakened the youth, he said, “All the outlines of reforms have been attached in the BNP’s 31-point manifesto. Of them, the matter of a bicameral parliament, balance of power between the Prime Minister and the President, no one can be the Prime Minister more than twice and all kinds of economic reforms have been mentioned there.
Referring to the reforms in the judiciary, he further said, “In the past, judges were not able to deliver right justice according to the laws. They were forced to deliver verdicts on the signal of the Awami League government.”
He said, everyone wants the trial of Sheikh Hasina and her associates. We want it too. But it takes at least 4-5 years to complete a trial properly. Therefore, the election should not be stopped for the trial.
Tuku said, Sheikh Hasina destroyed the country and the nation when she came to power to avenge the murder of her father. The coming to power of the Awami League means that the distortion of history has begun. According to the UN’s calculations of the history of 71-75, the Awami League killed 1500 people in just five days.
Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku also said, “Some people say that, what the Awami League had been done in the last 15 years, BNP will do the same, if it comes to power. But, this is not true for BNP. Those, who compare the Awami League with the BNP, are lying. Basically, they are afraid of BNP’s popularity. The Awami League has done atrocities since coming to power; BNP has not done a single drop of it, while in power. BNP is a peace loving party.”
Referring to the Awami League’s torture, Tuku said, “Begum Khaleda Zia went to jail on foot and came out in a wheelchair. Thousands of leaders and activists have been tortured and oppressed by Awami League. Thousands of crores of taka have been looted in the name of development.”

Sirajganj District BNP General Secretary Saidur Rahman Bachchu spoke as a special guest at the view-exchange meeting chaired by District Bar Association President Shakil Mohammad Sharifur Haider Rafiq Sarkar.
At the time, BNP Central Executive Committee Village Government Affairs Secretary Saiful Islam Shishir, local leaders, journalists and lawyers, and professional leaders from all walks of life were also present there.