Wanted to point out BNP's mistakes: Moudud

Senior BNP leader Moudud Ahmed says his comments were not to please the government but to pick apart the party’s ‘failures and mistakes’ so that it can 'correct' itself.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 15 Sept 2014, 10:36 AM
Updated : 15 Sept 2014, 11:15 AM

File Photo

Reacting to the party's Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi's criticism over his recently published book, he said he believed the BNP will be able to come to power if it corrected those 'mistakes'.
Speaking to reporters on Monday at the Supreme Court premises, the BNP leader said:"There is no relation between the book and pleasing the government or saving my house.
“The book portrays our party's failures back then and the reasons behind its not winning the 2008 election.
"I believe we will return to power under the leadership of Khaleda Zia, if the mistakes I pointed out are corrected. Democracy will return in the country."
Modud's recent book 'Bangladesh Emergency and the Aftermath (2007-2008)', published on Saturday, touches on issues like allegation of large-scale corruption by BNP leaders, coalition with Jamaat-e-Islami leaders accused of war crimes in 1971, involvement of some ministers of the BNP-Jamaat alliance government with the rise of terrorism, power abuse of Khaleda Zia's family members and handing over power to Iajuddin Ahmed after 'failing' to resolve the issue of forming a caretaker government.
According to the BNP leader, these were the reasons behind voters 'turning their backs' on the BNP during the 2008 polls.
A lawyer by profession, Moudud is a member of the BNP's Standing Committee, the highest policymaking body.
He wrote the book while being in jail during the military-backed caretaker regime.
Senior BNP leader Rizvi came down hard on him on Monday.
"I don't know whether his comments came to save his house or to please the ruling party. I think they are unfortunate."
Moudud and his brother Manjur Ahmed are standing trial at a Dhaka court in a case in which the Anti Corruption Commission has accused them of illegally occupying a house at Dhaka's upscale Gulshan.
On Sunday, the court indicted them and issued an arrest warrant for the duo.
"There is no relation between the book's content and Rizvi's comment. I am hurt by his comments. He should have commented after reading the whole book. I did not expect such comments from him," said Moudud while speaking to reporters on Monday.
"The book's key focus is on the 2008 election...There were a lot of reasons behind our failure while being in power and losing the election, which I have indicated in this book," he added.
In his book, Moudud dubbed the results of the 2008 polls as a 'silent revolution'
According to the senior BNP leader, Sheikh Hasina's stance against terrorism and for secularism as well as her pledge to build a digitalised Bangladesh attracted the 15 million young voters.
Following Rizvi's harsh words on Monday, he, however, said the ballot was not 'fair'
"The 171,000 polling stations saw a vote cast in every one minute on that day, which is unbelievable," said Moudud.
"I have portrayed the facts how the Fakhruddin-Moeen Uddin government tortured politicians, how the Awami League conspired to weaken our party, how they came to power with the cooperation of that illegal caretaker government and other issues," the BNP leader said.
Reacting to Rizvi's comments, Moudud said: "I thought it was the government who would be displeased and I will have to go to jail. But now I see a colleague in the party is displeased.
“He (Rizvi) commented without reading the book. He should not have commented over media reports. I admire him a lot."
The former law minister said he thought Rizvi would congratulate him after reading the book.