Forces supporting democracy should unite, says B Chowdhury

All political parties who believe in democracy should unite to restore the democratic institutions the Awami League government has destroyed, said Jukto Front Chairman AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury.

Chowdhury, the Bikalpa Dhara president who has been attempting to unite political parties to demand a poll-time non-partisan government made the remark during a Muslim League Council session on Saturday.

The ninth national council of Muslim League was held at the Diploma Engineers Institute auditorium in Dhaka.

"These deceptive election and election engineering will ruin the future of the country. Our democracy will be lost. Therefore, this is a struggle for the rights of the people," Chowdhury said.

"Those who support democracy should come forward and protest. We should assert that we'll not accept an engineered election. We're fighting to establish people's right to vote. This is the only way to pay our tribute to the country."

The head of the ruling party had said the 2015 election was simply to comply with the rules and had promised to conduct another election with the participation of all political parties, said Chowdhury.

"They never fulfilled the promise. It is said in the Holy Quran that a person who breaks their promise cannot be a real Muslim."

The former president suggested that Muslim League leaders move forward with their party in accordance with the needs of the present time.

"Many of the politicians had their first exposure to politics through the Muslim League. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a Muslim League member. Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy and Sher-e-Bangla Fazlul Huq were Muslim League members too. My father was involved in the Muslim League. Most of the leaders were related to the Muslim League at one point in time," he said.

"The political scenario changed and the Muslim League fell behind. You have to find out why that happened. Why don't you understand that the time has changed?”