report in Prothom Alo, Aug 18, 2023
GM Quader, chairman of Jatiya Party (JaPa) and deputy leader of the opposition in parliament, has warned the people that they might have to live a slave’s life if the current rule continues.
“The people have lost their sense of ownership over the country and turned to a type of slave. A Lathial Bahini (thugs equipped with sticks) has been formed with the beneficiaries, to manage the slaves,” he told a party meeting in Dhaka on Thursday.
The party’s Dhaka City (North) unit called the meeting at their office in the Banani area in the afternoon. Addressing the event, GM Quader said the authorities have deployed additional members of intelligence agencies and the police force to surveil the people. The government intends to keep the people under its surveillance through the concept of Smart Bangladesh.
“They are turning the country into a prison and its people into slaves. Who is doing what, eating where – all are being taken under their control,” he alleged.
Expressing his utter disappointment over the current rule, the JaPa chairman said, “If this trend continues, the country will transform into a prison where we have to live as slaves. We cannot lease out the country, which we attained through the sacrifices of tens of thousands of martyrs, to a certain quarter and become their slaves. We want a democratic Bangladesh, and there is no alternative to a free and fair election for a democratic system.”
Regarding their alliance with the ruling party, GM Quader said, “We had supported Awami League that battled for the people’s right to vote and food.”
He also recalled the glorious history of Awami League when it was a party for the people.
He also revealed their negotiation with the ruling party and said, “We were supposed to uproot corruption and stop extrajudicial killings. All are well-aware of the current state of voting rights. The people are struggling for their right to food. They are constantly losing their purchasing power, but their income remains stagnant.”
The JaPa leader accused the ruling party of robbing the people’s right to vote, citing numerous allegations reported by the people, candidates, and political activists.
“The common people, candidates, and political leaders and activists are coming up with allegations that they could not cast their votes. If they somehow manage to cast their votes, the government changes the result. The right to vote is the key to the people’s ownership of the country,” he said.
GM Quader further alleged that the government is destroying the spirit of the liberation war by robbing the people’s right to vote with the name of the liberation war and independence.
He also said a one-party rule has emerged in the country.
https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/politics/jlddzwem62
