Former BNP leader Nazmul Huda backs Hasina government on fair elections

Former BNP leader Nazmul Huda has said he believes fair general elections will be held under the Sheikh Hasina-led government.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 22 April 2016, 03:37 PM
Updated : 22 April 2016, 05:33 PM

“I firmly believe that she (Prime Minister Hasina) will certainly oversee fair and free elections someday,” he said on Friday while announcing the new committee of the Trinamool BNP, the party he now leads.

A minister in two previous BNP governments, the maverick politician praised Awami League chief Hasina and said she was making the dreams of her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman come true.

“All developments are evident. We can see flyovers and the mega project Padma Bridge being built. The country is moving ahead in different ways,” he added.

A barrister by training, Huda was the most junior member of the BNP’s policymaking National Standing Committee when military ruler Gen Ziaur Rahman formed the party in 1978.

He secured Cabinet berth during BNP chief Khaleda’s governments.

Khaleda sacked him from her Cabinet in 1996 after he had proposed a caretaker government roadmap. The BNP expelled him on charges of breaching party discipline in 2010 when he was a vice-chairman.

Huda revived his BNP membership a year later after he apologised to Khaleda but left the party in 2014.

He floated two more parties – Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) in 2010 and Bangladesh Manabadhikar Party (BMP) – in late 2014.

Huda said at the Friday event, “I firmly believe that the people, who own this State, will get back their power. Only the champion of democracy Sheikh Hasina can make it happen.”

Also a leader of the 31-party Bangladesh National Alliance (NDA), which includes his Trinamool BNP, Huda expressed his willingness to sit with the ruling 14-party combine in the interest of fair general elections.

He said Awami League leader and Health Minister Mohammed Nasim, while attending a Trinamool BNP anniversary event, had hinted that the ruling alliance would work with the NDA.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) joined the NDA at the event.