DHAKA: Senior BNP leader and ex-minister MK Anwar Wednesday threatened to launch an “oust-government movement” if any kind of rigging took place in Chittagong City Corporation elections Thursday.

The BNP standing committee member sounded the note of warning while addressing a roundtable discussion titled ‘Black day for newspapers: Today’s Bangladesh’ at the national press club.

Alleging that many government officials are working for ruling Awami League-backed mayoral candidate ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, he said the government had taken action against only three for “eyewash”.  

“ The CCC election is going to be held tomorrow. We’re apprehending vote rigging in the election like the Bhola by-election. If any such occurrence is found, we’ll begin the oust-government movement from Chittagong,” said MK Anwar.

“We requested the Chief Election Commissioner Tuesday to visit Chittagong to observe the election atmosphere. But we didn’t get any response from him,” he told his audience.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary-General Mirza Faqrul Islam Alamgir, who also attended the discussion, said taking advance of their majority ‘Baksali’ style has again been introduced in the country.

He deplored “unwritten censorship” has been imposed on the media for the first time. “Democracy means freedom of the press. The government destroyed democracy through its interference with the media.”

Chaired by Labour Party president Shamsul Huda Mamun, the roundtable was also attended, among others, by Adviser to the BNP Chairperson and Press Club president Shawkat Mahmud, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh leader Abdul Kader Mollah and secretary general of Bangladesh Islami Oikya Jote Abdul Latif Nezami.

BDST: 1600 Hrs, June 16, 2010
AZ/SA/LY/MUA