Nazmul Huda announces new party

Former BNP leader Nazmul Huda has announced the formation of a new political party named ‘Jatiya Manabadhikar Party’ (National Human Rights Party).

His announcement on Saturday during a media briefing at his Topkhana Road office in Dhaka follows his failure in the Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) last year, after which he tried returning to the BNP, which had expelled him.

But during Saturday's briefing he went flat out against the BNP, which had once made him a Cabinet member.

He ruled out returning to the BNP, though he admitted his 'weakness' for it.

Huda said he wants to stay away from 'nasty politics'.

"I was with them when the BNP was into non-violent politics. The party is now in deep crisis due to repeated wrong moves over and over again," he told the briefing.

The former BNP vice chairman claimed that BNP is not picking the qualified people for providing leadership.

"There are now two major political alliances in Bangladesh. The third is Bangladesh National Alliance. The Manabadhikar Party will act as the driving force of this third alliance," said Huda.

Asked whether his party would press the demand for an early election like the BNP, he said: "We are not feeling the urge for an interim poll. We will force the government to concede to our demand by creating public opinion for human rights and will participate in the next (general) election."

Replying to a query on whether he wants to topple the Awami League-led government, Huda said:"We want to make them fulfill our objectives, rather than topple them."