A total of 245 eminent citizens of the country including former Chief Justice, bureaucrats, retired major generals, university teachers, artists and writers in separate statements on Tuesday and Monday called for preventing ill-attempts of foiling the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) election slated for January 7, 2024.
In a joint statement, 91 prominent citizens on Tuesday said, as part of the democratic process, the 12th national election is going to be held in the country in line with the constitution achieved through a long bloody struggle.
The Election Commission (EC) and others concerned have been working to make the polls free, fair, peaceful and participatory but a vested quarter is trying to foil the elections, the citizens said.
In continuation of that, unruly BNP men killed a cop in the capital on October 28 in the name of mass rally and even BNP workers carried out attack on the residence of the chief justice, they said, adding that the BNP-Jamaat men also burned a sleeping transport worker dead.
The eminent citizens said a terrible train accident took place in Gazipur on December 12 as the terrorists of BNP-Jamaat removed rail tracks, leaving a passenger killed and many others injured, while in latest incident, saboteurs set fire to Monhanganj express in between Airport Rail Station Tejgaon Station on December 19 (today), burning four innocent people alive.
The main aim of these sabotage was to halt the democratic progress of the country by foiling the next general elections, they said, calling upon the country's people to make the next polls a success by exercising their voting rights.
Those 91 signatories of the statement included former Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, former vice chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Dr AASM Arefin Siddique, former principal secretary Abdul Karim, Mahbub Uddin Ahmed, Bir Bikram, Professor Muntassir Mamoon, former governor of Bangladesh Bank and Emeritus Professor Dr Atiur Rahman, former inspector general of police Muhammad Nurul Huda, former ambassador Munshi Foyez Ahmed, former chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission Iqbal Mahmood, former principal secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, former vice chancellor of Dhaka University Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman, Professor Imtiaz Ahmed of Dhaka University, major general (Retd) Alauddin Mohammad Abdul Wadud, major general (Retd) Abdur Rashid and major general (Retd) Salahuddin Miazi.
Earlier on Monday 154 more prominent citizens from various professions, including teachers, artists and writers released a joint statement condemning the evil attempts of a specific group to disrupt the 12th JS polls.
In the statement, they said, “The Anti-liberation forces are engaged in hatching a conspiracy to catch fish in troubled water by creating a constitutional crisis in the country. We are deeply concerned over the conspiracy being hatched both at home and abroad.”
The prominent citizens also urged all authorities concerned to conduct the 12th parliamentary election within the stipulated time frame by thwarting all conspiracies.
“We attained independence as a nation through our supreme sacrifices and steel-solid unity. But, it is a matter of great regret that even after 52 years of the country's independence, we are still engaged in a struggle against the anti-liberation forces," they said.
The vested group has been engaged in carrying out arson attacks from 2014 to 2018. This group became active again following the announcement of the schedule for the 12th parliamentary election, according to the statement.
They are on a destructive spree in the country, resorting to acts of vandalism and arson attacks on people's lives, properties, and public transportation, including trains, by announcing hartal from a secret location, they said.
Their aim is to disrupt and cripple the country's economy by destroying rail tracks at various locations in the name of anti-government movement, read the statement.
The close allies of colonial forces are actively undermining the country's economy just as Bangladesh is progressing towards self-sufficiency, reducing dependence on foreign aid, they said.
“Those indulged in committing such sabotage have been identified. We urge the government to bring the monstrous force to book for tougher punishment. At the same time, we expect that the Election Commission will show its boldness in fulfilling the constitutional responsibilities to hold the upcoming national election in a free, fair and credible manner.”
The country may face consequences similar to those experienced by many nations, including Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Afghanistan if the conspiracy against its independence, sovereignty, and development succeeds, they said.
The eminent citizens also called upon all pro-liberation forces to form a unity imbued with the spirit of the Liberation War in a bid to wage a strong resistance against the evil forces, said the statement.
They also hoped that the Election Commission would undertake all necessary measures so that people from all walks of life in the country can exercise their franchise without fear.
They also called upon the voters to cast their votes in the election amid festivity.
working to make the polls free, fair, peaceful and participatory but a vested quarter is trying to foil the elections, the citizens said.
In continuation of that, unruly BNP men killed a cop in the capital on October 28 in the name of mass rally and even BNP workers carried out attack on the residence of the chief justice, they said, adding that the BNP-Jamaat men also burned a sleeping transport worker dead.
The eminent citizens said a terrible train accident took place in Gazipur on December 12 as the terrorists of BNP-Jamaat removed rail tracks, leaving a passenger killed and many others injured, while in latest incident, saboteurs set fire to Monhanganj express in between Airport Rail Station Tejgaon Station on December 19 (today), burning four innocent people alive.
The main aim of these sabotage was to halt the democratic progress of the country by foiling the next general elections, they said, calling upon the country's people to make the next polls a success by exercising their voting rights.
Those 91 signatories of the statement included former Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, former vice chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Dr AASM Arefin Siddique, former principal secretary Abdul Karim, Mahbub Uddin Ahmed, Bir Bikram, Professor Muntassir Mamoon, former governor of Bangladesh Bank and Emeritus Professor Dr Atiur Rahman, former inspector general of police Muhammad Nurul Huda, former ambassador Munshi Foyez Ahmed, former chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission Iqbal Mahmood, former principal secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, former vice chancellor of Dhaka University Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman, Professor Imtiaz Ahmed of Dhaka University, major general (Retd) Alauddin Mohammad Abdul Wadud, major general (Retd) Abdur Rashid and major general (Retd) Salahuddin Miazi.
Earlier on Monday 154 more prominent citizens from various professions, including teachers, artists and writers released a joint statement condemning the evil attempts of a specific group to disrupt the 12th JS polls.
In the statement, they said, “The Anti-liberation forces are engaged in hatching a conspiracy to catch fish in troubled water by creating a constitutional crisis in the country. We are deeply concerned over the conspiracy being hatched both at home and abroad.”
The prominent citizens also urged all authorities concerned to conduct the 12th parliamentary election within the stipulated time frame by thwarting all conspiracies.
“We attained independence as a nation through our supreme sacrifices and steel-solid unity. But, it is a matter of great regret that even after 52 years of the country's independence, we are still engaged in a struggle against the anti-liberation forces," they said.
The vested group has been engaged in carrying out arson attacks from 2014 to 2018. This group became active again following the announcement of the schedule for the 12th parliamentary election, according to the statement.
They are on a destructive spree in the country, resorting to acts of vandalism and arson attacks on people's lives, properties, and public transportation, including trains, by announcing hartal from a secret location, they said.
Their aim is to disrupt and cripple the country's economy by destroying rail tracks at various locations in the name of anti-government movement, read the statement.
The close allies of colonial forces are actively undermining the country's economy just as Bangladesh is progressing towards self-sufficiency, reducing dependence on foreign aid, they said.
“Those indulged in committing such sabotage have been identified. We urge the government to bring the monstrous force to book for tougher punishment. At the same time, we expect that the Election Commission will show its boldness in fulfilling the constitutional responsibilities to hold the upcoming national election in a free, fair and credible manner.”
The country may face consequences similar to those experienced by many nations, including Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Afghanistan if the conspiracy against its independence, sovereignty, and development succeeds, they said.
The eminent citizens also called upon all pro-liberation forces to form a unity imbued with the spirit of the Liberation War in a bid to wage a strong resistance against the evil forces, said the statement.
They also hoped that the Election Commission would undertake all necessary measures so that people from all walks of life in the country can exercise their franchise without fear.
They also called upon the voters to cast their votes in the election amid festivity.
