Common man’s party to be floated in Bangladesh

Sucess of India’s Aam Admi Party in recent elections in Indian state of Delhi has inspired a group to float an Aam Janatar Dal –Common Man’s Party –in Bangladesh.

Engineer M Inamul Haque said they would officially announce their aim and objectives on Jan 17 at National Press Club.

A member of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources, Power and Port, Haque is the convenor of the party.

He had served as the director generals of Water Resources and Planning Organisation (Warpo), Haor and Wetland Development Board and Water Resources Planning Directorate before retiring in 2008.

Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani would be their guiding principle, he said. Bhashani was a rural-based politician in British India, Pakistan and later in Bangladesh. He is revered for his selflessness and solidarity for the oppressed.

“But we will do politics for power,” Haque told bdnews24.com and that “unless you come to power you cannot ensure people’s basic rights”.

Earlier he faxed an invitation letter for his Jan 17 event on Saturday, a day before 10th parliamentary elections in which major opposition BNP did not join making the political atmosphere volatile.

He termed these elections “temporary” and said in the 11th parliamentary elections they would be a “stakeholder”.

In his invitation letter, he said Bangladesh’s 99 percent people are “aam janata (common people)”, but the rest one percent “corrupt politicians, bureaucrats and loan defaulters” grabbed all assets.

“We, the 99 percent common people, want a remedy to this,” he said.

He said they had thought of naming the party “Desh Premik Dal (patriotic party)” “but we did not have enough confidence then.”

“But the Delhi’s success really inspired us and we decided to give this name. Now we have a formula for success,” he said voicing his optimism.

He, however, did not divulge further details about his party as they would formally announce it on Jan 17.

Arvind Kejriwal leads the Aam Admi Party (Common Man’s Party), that emerged out of the anti-corruption movement, in Delhi in recent months.

He became Delhi’s chief minister and took the Metro rail on his first day to office sending a message across that the privileges the political class has become so used to must end and the process must start with him.