Dhaka: Liberal Democratic Party president Col (retd) Oli Ahmed, Bir Bikram, said the Awami League-led grand alliance government has been leading the country towards serious political confrontation through its repression on opposition party leaders and activists.

The LDP president said top leaders of the AL-led government have purchased houses abroad realizing the fact that the people of the country would put them to trial after fall of the repressive regime.

Dr Col (retd) Oli Ahmed in an exclusive interview with Prime News told this to its Senior Staff Reporter Mohsin Hossain on Thursday.

The leaders of the alliance always keep airplane tickets with them when the step out of their homes in fear that they might not even get the chance to be produced before the court after fall of the repressive regime. Some of the leaders have already sent their family members abroad amid such fear in their mind.

Top leader of the 18-party alliance has already procured a list of such leaders. So, the AL-led corrupt and repressive regime has been leading the nation towards confrontation fearing reprisals for their politics of revenge and vengeance. As a result the politics and politicians of the country are being tainted with this culture of revenge and vengeance in power politics. The country is in need of closing this black chapter of political confrontation as soon as possible for greater good of the nation. 

The LDP supremo also shared many revealing information with Mohsin Hossain during the talks on issues like the party’s triennial council session set for Saturday and present political situation.

Col Oli said, if the AL-led government fails to take the right decision paying heed to the democratic movement of the opposition, then the opposition alliance will have no other option but go for enforcing a countrywide sit-in demonstration at a time to force its ouster.

In response to a question regarding the role of the 18-party alliance to avert the political confrontation, Col Oli said, “The government itself is leading the country towards a political confrontation after Awami League supporter former Chief Justice Khairul Haque delivered a controversial judgement scrapping the caretaker government provision taking one and a half year and put the country on a confrontation path.

This is a world record that a justice put his signature on a verdict after one and half years of going into retirement. Moreover, the government has broken all records through politicization of all institutions and all sectors to perpetuate their one party rule in the country following the instance of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The AL-led government had scrapped the caretaker government provision by amending the constitution even before publication of the full verdict of the Supreme Court which is a glaring proof of their ill motive. If they did not have any ulterior motive, they would not have done that and shown their fear about the people, Col Oli questioned.

In response to query on new movement formula, Col Oli said, “We’ve been pushing for restoration of the caretaker government through democratic movement. We also want to bring back the price situation (price of essentials) to a tolerable level for people and generate employment for unemployed youths. We also want an end to corruption and misuse and keeping the prices of diesel, petrol, gas, water and electricity within reach of the common people for expediting overall development of the country.”

Col Oli also said, currently the country has been experiencing massive corruption by ruling party high-ups, tender manipulation by ruling party men, use of illegal arms, emptying banks through misuse of power, manipulation of share prices, deceiving people through fraudulent companies like Destiny, Hall-Mark, Uni-pay-2u which have embezzled around one lakh crore taka through fraud. And those companies have siphoned off the whole amount abroad by using their connections with high-ups in the government by sharing the booty. As part of the game, ruling party high-ups have purchased homes and villas abroad and are also engaged in business abroad, so that they could settle there after ouster from power and live in peace abroad.  

Col Oli said, “We believe, the government can avert such a serious confrontational situation by offering dialogue and bringing an amendment to the constitution for restoration of the caretaker government provision in this month of Victory.” 

In response to a critical question over possibility of his return to his old party BNP in which he was a founder member, Col Oli said, “Under the current legal framework ahead of the election, there is no score for staging a comeback to BNP at present.”

In reply to another question – what the 18-party alliance will do if the ruling AL goes for an unilateral election, Col Oli said, “At present the 18-party alliance has secured support of nearly 70 percent people, so we will not allow establishment of one party rule trampling the people’s mandate in any situation.”

When his attention was drawn to ‘third force’ and possibility of power grab by them, Col Oli said, “The country’s politics and politicians have become so corrupt and criminalized that election could not be held without money. Around Tk 1,000 crore is being spent by candidates of the country’s 300 constituencies. From where and how such huge amounts come from and where does it go? If we really believe in democracy, then why is it in such a weak and bad shape?

Col Oli added that nobody had ever taken any step to make the Election Commission independent in real sense and let it stay above party influence. Why is that? And the answer is obvious. Anti-Corruption Commission has been turned into a government institution, the judiciary has been exposed to politicization and put to question over its role as people have been failing to get justice. The situation has taken such a worst turn that corrupt, extortionists, tender manipulators, and power abusers are now calling all the shots and roaming scot-free in the country which is posing a real threat to democracy, its future and also rule of law.

Ends/AMA/02/12/12