Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal holds its first national conference at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, on Saturday. – New Age photo.
The Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal on Saturday held its first national conference at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, promising to work for the restoration of voting rights of the people and democratic rule.
The Bangladesh JSD was formed in 2016, splitting from the JSD faction led by Hasanul Haq Inu, a partner in the ruling alliance led by the Awami League.
The conference was inaugurated at the IEB premises in the morning by hoisting the national and party flags.
Party president Ambia chaired the opening session.
Addressing the session as a guest, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal faction president ASM Abdur Rob said that the Awami League had seized the voting rights of the people and also failed to fulfil their aspirations.
He urged the opposition political parties to forge unity for the restoration of democracy and democratic rule in the country.
‘We shall introduce a bicameral parliament in the future to ensure the participation of professionals in the state ruling system,’ Rob said.
‘We not only want a change in the ruling party but want to bring radical changes in the ruling system,’ Rob added.
Ambia said that his party would not remain in the Awami League-led alliance as the alliance had deviated from its ideal of the formation of a non-communal, democratic Bangladesh.
He also urged other partners in the alliance to leave it and wage movements against the Awami League government for the restoration of democracy.
He called on all democratic and progressive political forces to forge greater unity for the restoration of democratic rule in the country.
Mostafa Mohsin Montu, president of a Gono Forum faction, said that the Awami League had deviated from the ideals of the war of independence of 1971.
He called on all opposition political parties to wage a movement demanding the formation of a non-party neutral government to hold the next general elections in a free, fair, and credible manner.
For the restoration of democratic rule in the country, Communist Party of Bangladesh president Mohammad Shah Alam called for the formation of an alliance out of the influence of the Awami League and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
The Socialist Party of Bangladesh's general secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz said that the people of the country would not accept a farcical general election like 2014 and 2018 anymore.
Bangladesh JSD general secretary Nazmul Haque Prodhan condemned police attacks on the leaders and activists of opposition parties.
Oikya NAP presidium member ASMA Sabur and labour leader Abdul Kader Hawlader spoke among others in the opening session. The opening session was followed by a closed-door council session to elect the new central committee of the party.
Several hundred councillors and delegates from across the country took part in the council session.
