Fakhrul criticises Daily Star, Prothom Alo over reaction to Khaleda's proposal

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has slated a section of the media over their reaction to Chairperson Khaleda Zia's proposal on forming the next Election Commission and asked them to specify the problems in the proposal.

He has asked the government, too, to think about the proposal again at a discussion in Dhaka on Sunday.

Fakhrul criticised Bengali daily Prothom Alo and English newspaper The Daily Star for terming the proposal 'unrealistic' and 'a strategy to protect Jamaat-e-Islami'.

He branded the dailies as 'supporting forces of the 1/11 episode actors'. 

The ruling Awami League has also been critical of these newspapers for a long time.

"Some newspapers, which had played a very proactive role in bringing the illegal 1/11 government in, have not only criticised the proposal in different ways, but also prepared the ground for it to be almost rejected in tune with Awami League," Mirza Fakhrul said.  

"I want to tell them to be specific, identify the problems and try to solve those through discussion," he said.

"But if you reject this outright, then we will clearly understand that the force you are supporting now is not democratic," he added.  

In his call to the government for a reconsideration of the proposal, he said, "Please take the proposal positively and organise a dialogue. Call the opposition and hold talks, solve the problems."

The former minister said the people are being repressed and they want 'freedom' and to see a 'truly democratic environment'.

Ahead of the end of current EC headed by Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, BNP chief Khaleda on Friday presented a 13-point proposal on constituting and strengthening the next commission.

The Awami League has rejected the proposal, by terming it 'without substance' and 'a joke to the nation'.

Mirza Fakhrul said, "They (Awami League) know that they won't be able come to power if the election is held freely and fairly. That's why they have rejected it."

He said foreign diplomats and organisations also supported Khaleda's move and lauded her.

"This is the only platform on which a free and fair election can be held," he added.

He also said the proposal was not final as his party will discuss it further in several fora.   

The BNP organised the discussion at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh to mark the 51st birth anniversary of Khaleda's son and the party's Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman.

The eldest son of late president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda was arrested on Mar 7, 2007 during the state of emergency. 

In September the following year, after securing a bail from the Supreme Court, Tarique went to the UK citing medical reasons. He has been in London ever since, even attending some BNP events in the British capital.

He is facing trial in Bangladesh in over a dozen of cases on a slew of charges.

The High Court in July ordered seven years in prison for him and slapped a Tk 200 million fine, overturning a trial court’s verdict that had acquitted him of money laundering charges.