Pradip Chowdhury
bdnews24.com correspondent
Satkhira, Dec 18 (bdnews24.com) – Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad has fired yet another broadside at the BNP and its allies, saying they had pillaged and conspired to sell the country when in power and yet they are seeking vote on the excuse of saving the country.
"How come BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami talk about saving the country and the people? They smuggled the money they had got from kickbacks out of the country. Don't they feel ashamed to seek vote on the excuse of the country?" Ershad said at an election rally on Thursday at Bhadrakali High School ground under Kaliganj Upazila in Satkhira.
He sought vote for HM Golam Reza, a Jatiya Party candidate under grand alliance for Satkhira-4.
"Who disgraced the country by rearing up militant activists in the country? Who created (banned Islamist outfit) Jama'atul Mujahidin Bangladesh? We don't want any more militancy," the former president said.
"If the grand alliance comes to power we will place a proposal to declare Bangabandhu (independence architect Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) the father of the nation."
Earlier at another rally, he said Muslims faced no problem in practising religion while Sheikh Hasina was in power for five years, in a sharp rebuttal of claims by the rivals of the Awami League chief.
He asked people to be careful about the 'false, misleading statements' dished out by Jamaat-e-Islami, a key component in the BNP-led four-party alliance, that is playing the religion card.
He debunked Jamaat's claims for the past several days that Muslims would not be allowed to sport beard, sacrifice animals, pray five times a day and call to prayer would no be heard in the mosques if the grand alliance went to power.
"During my time in power I made Islam the state religion and Friday the weekly holiday," the former president, who governed the country for nine years from 1981, said at a rally at Shimulia Government Primary School ground in Satkhira.
He sought vote for Awami League candidate AFM Ruhul Haque, who is running from Satkhira-3.
"If the grand alliance goes to power it will ensure the right to religion of all people. This is not a matter of Hindu and Muslim. This is a fight for survival now. The grand alliance will have to win the battle."
He also mentioned the initiatives his government had taken for Hindus including institution of Hindu Welfare Trust, declaring Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna, a public holiday and a freeze on the anti-Hindu Vested Property Act.
The Jatiya Party chairman is set to address another public rally at HP Pilot High School in Shyam Nagar.
Ershad headed for Khulna in the afternoon and is scheduled to address public meeting at Peoples Jute Mill.
The former president spoke at seven public meetings on his way to Satkhira from Dhaka. In every meeting he claimed himself the older brother of Hasina and sought vote for 'grand alliance' candidates.
Jatiya Party is running the Dec. 29 general election under the AL-led 'grand alliance'.
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