Staff Correspondent, Dhaka
Nasiruddin Patwary, the convener of the National Citizen Committee, declared that no elections would be attended unless those responsible for opening fire on protesters, as well as Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League, are brought to justice.
Speaking on Wednesday at a rally held in the National Press Club auditorium, Patwary talked about the need for accountability. The event, titled "Demand for the Reinstatement of City and Municipal Councilors in the Public Interest Against Student Genocide and Anti-Fascist Movement," was jointly organized by the Bangladesh City Corporation Councilor Association and the Bangladesh Municipal Councilor Association.
“For the past 15 years, our votes have been toyed with,” Patwary said. “If any party or faction participates in the upcoming election without addressing the rightful claims of those who have been abducted, murdered, or disabled in these 15 years, we will consider them national enemies. They will be recognized as traitors to the people.”
Patwary also criticized the lack of clarity regarding the role of Jamaat-e-Islami in the Liberation War of 1971 and the unfulfilled promises of Bangladesh’s major political parties following the anti-autocratic movement of the 1990s. “We have not yet fully achieved the justice of 1971,” he remarked. “Even after the anti-autocratic movement of the 1990s, the two major political parties that attempted to establish a new system in Bangladesh failed to fulfill their commitments. As a result, for 15 years, we have been subjugated by fascists.”
Looking ahead, Patwary announced plans for the National Citizen Committee, alongside anti-discrimination forces, to spearhead a new political initiative. “We seek your utmost cooperation with this political party,” he said. “We hope your sacrifices will be acknowledged in this new party. We will stand by you in fostering a fraternal bond among the people. If we can move forward with this commitment, we will be able to establish a strong party in Bangladesh. Through this party, whether at the central or local level, we can create a robust electoral framework, liberate future Bangladesh from fascism and foreign conspiracies, and engage in politics that solves people's problems.”
The rally was presided over by Advocate Nazrul Islam Khan, president of the Bangladesh City Corporation Councilor Association, and moderated by Zahidur Rahman Zahid, General Secretary of the organization.
Prominent attendees included Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad, joint member secretary of the Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party; Sarjis Alam, general secretary of the July Martyrs Memorial Foundation; Hasnat Abdullah, convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement; Saiful Islam Modhu, president of the Bangladesh Municipal Councilor Association; Kazi Golam Kibria, general secretary of the Bangladesh City Corporation Councilor Association; and councilors from various regions across the country.
