Staff Reporter :
Attorney General (AG) Md Asaduzzaman said on Friday that there were no obstacles to the BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia to contest the next national election as all of the cases filed against her were fake and fabricated.
“All of the so-called ‘fake’ and ‘conspiratorial’ cases against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia have been resolved, clearing the way for her to participate in the upcoming election,” he said.
“The participation of the Awami League is not a prerequisite for an inclusive election. Sheikh Hasina and other Awami League leaders would be disqualified from contesting if convicted in the murder cases related to the July revolution.
Following the devastation brought by Sheikh Hasina, no one in her party has the courage to stand by her,” the AG stated.
The attorney general made these remarks during a shadow parliament session organized by Debate for Democracy on Friday.
“Those who dismantled the electoral system, manipulated the Constitution, and stripped people of their rights have been exposed as the villains of history. They will face justice, be jailed after trials, and ultimately be discarded into the pages of history,” he added.
The attorney general referred to those killed in the July revolution as ‘martyrs.’
“They will be remembered as the heroes of history. This revolution was a commitment to building a Bangladesh rooted in the ideals of the Liberation War, where inequality would not exist.
Although conspiracies are underway to undermine this achievement, none will succeed. The revolutionaries will remain steadfast in their pursuit of establishing the people’s rights,” he declared.
Describing the Awami League as “fascist,” the attorney general accused the party of depriving the people of their voting rights.
“From 1973, when ballot boxes were seized from Cumilla and transported to Dhaka by helicopter to ensure their favored candidate’s victory, to the recent electoral ‘farces,’ the Awami League has repeatedly tainted elections.
Those responsible for this erosion of democratic practices must face exemplary punishment,” he remarked.
Debate for Democracy Chairman Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiran criticized former Chief Justice Khairul Haque for abolishing the caretaker government system with the alleged motive of securing perpetual power for the Awami League.
“The arrest and trial of Khairul Haque for manipulating the verdict on the caretaker government system is a demand of the times. The ousted Awami League government deprived people of their voting rights and staged mockery elections to destroy the democratic process,” he stated.
Hasan Ahmed further alleged that the Election Commission, administration, police, returning officers, polling officers, and others involved in the last three elections were complicit in rigging the polls. He emphasized the need for justice against those who played roles in undermining the electoral process.