The Jatiya Party has announced it mayoral candidates for elections to the Dhaka City Corporations (DCCs).
Published : 08 Mar 2015, 09:35 PM
The party’s northern Dhaka unit General Secretary Bahauddin Babul will run the race in the Dhaka North City Corporation, while Presidium Member Saifuddin Ahmed Milon in the Dhaka South City Corporation.
Chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad announced the names at his office at Banani on Sunday.
“We’ve announced the names of the mayor candidates. The names of those who will contest for councillors’ seats will be announced gradually,” he said.
The ruling Awami League has nominated business leader Annisul Huq and former Dhaka mayor Mohammad Hanif’s son Sayeed Khokon for Dhaka North and South respectively.
Now the Jatiya Party, which is the main opposition in Parliament without the BNP, has announced the nominations.
The participation of the BNP in the local government election is uncertain.
The BNP boycotted last parliamentary election overseen by the Awami League government.
Ershad feels the BNP’s shying away from polls gives his party a chance to assume greater importance in politics.
“Keep in mind that Allah has given us a chance. We’ll have to utilise the opportunity,” he said.
“Otherwise,” he added, “we will be liable for this to Allah.”
Ershad to revive democracy!
Former military strongman Ershad said both the Awami League and the BNP, the parties that led the movement to topple him in 1990, sent democracy in Bangladesh to the grave.
“The tomb of democracy in Bangladesh was made in 1991. There had been presidential system of government. All brought parliamentary democracy through conspiracy in 1991.
“...kept me in jail for six years. And then what did we see in the past 24 years? Every Parliament was inactive.
“Crime, confrontation, arsons...are these your democracy! How can you fool the people by speaking about democracy?” Ershad asked.
“You do not love the people. You only love power,” he said, referring to the Awami League and the BNP.
“Then Ershad was called autocrat, the most powerful. Now the prime minister is more powerful than I am. What is the difference?” asked Ershad, a special envoy of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
He claimed the people did not want democracy similar to Westminster system of the UK.
“We don’t need ‘Westminster-system democracy’. We need real democracy. The historical duty to revive democracy they put in the tomb in 1991 has returned to Jatiya Party,” he said.
“Our candidates will prove through victory that it is us who will rescue the democracy,’ he added.