The Awami League (AL) does not agree with the statement of the chief election commissioner (CEC), KM Nurul Huda, that BNP founder Ziaur Rahman had established multi-party democracy in the country. Taking to this correspondent, several ruling party central leaders said yesterday that they do not agree with the CEC’s statement and described it as his personal opinion. The AL leaders said the party will seek an explanation from the CEC during the party’s dialogue with the Election Commission (EC), due on Wednesday.    

However, party insiders said it might be a strategy of the CEC to convince the BNP to join the next general election.

  The BNP had boycotted the last parliamentary elections in 2014, as the then AL-led government rejected its demand for holding the elections under a neutral election-time government.

 On Sunday, in his welcome speech during talks with the BNP, the CEC had lauded Ziaur Rahman and its chairperson, Khaleda Zia, for their contribution to the country. He had also said Ziaur Rahman had restored multi-party democracy in the country.

 When contacted, AL presidium member Kazi Zaffarullah and AL joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif declined to make any comment on the CEC’s statement.

 Talking to the media, AL general secretary Obaidul Quader said yesterday that his party would seek an explanation from the CEC.

Another joint general secretary of the AL, Abdur Rahman, said: “We do not agree with the CEC’s statement on Ziaur Rahman. It was his personal opinion. I will say that Ziaur Rahman gave chance to Razakars, Al-badar, Al-sams to do politics in the name of restoring multi-party democracy.”

 AL presidium member Abdur Razzak said the AL does not support the CEC’s statement. He claimed that all political parties were included in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s BAKSAL. Therefore, BAKSAL was not a one-party rule. It is a different matter that BAKSAL did not become popular, he added.  “But how could a military dictator restore multi-party democracy!” Razzak wondered.     

 Another AL presidium member Lt Col (retd) Faruk Khan said there is no need to give importance to the CEC’s statement, as the people know it well that Ziaur Rahman was a military dictator.  

 “The CEC made such a comment to satisfy the BNP so that they join the next general election. The CEC earlier praised the Jatiya Party (JP-Ershad), and I hope he will do the same during his talks with the AL,” he said.  Earlier in the day, the Krishak Sramik Janata League president, Abdul Kader Siddique, demanded that Nurul Huda resign for lauding Ziaur Rahman.  “He should withdraw his statement and resign,” Kader told journalists after holding talks with the EC.  The EC will hold talks with the ruling party on Wednesday. The commssion initiated dialogue with 40 registered political parties on August 24 to take their opinion on its preparation for the next general election.