Gonoforum and Bikalpadhara Bangladesh Presidents Dr Kamal Hossain and
Prof AQM Badruddoza claimed on Sunday the country was not doing well and
called for political unity to emerge from the situation.
Kamal and Chowdhury who broke away from the ruling Awami League and opposition BNP, respectively, did not outline what should the basis of the unity be or with whom it should be forged, however.
The senior politicians emerged from a programme titled 'Announcement of a greater national unity' at Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel to speak to reporters but would not make it clear whether their parties were mulling over joining forces.
Columnist Syed Abul Maksud and Ganasashthya Kendra chief Jafrullah Chowdhury also spoke at the programme.
"Our politics and governing system are infected with disease. But there is always a cure however serious the disease is," said Hossain, also a former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh.
"The people of Bangladesh have that strength. And the strength is political unity. Let us come together to forge a unity to make ailing politics healthy."
Chowdhury, the former President of Bangladesh, said, "Greedy politicians, some selfish businessmen and bureaucrats are pulling the country from behind. All must stand up against them."
"That's why politics of unity needs be pursued. The unity can be built without dissolving respective political parties.
Referring to their past records of rubbing shoulders with chiefs of the AL and BNP, a journalist asked whether they planned alliances with any of them again.
"There is no chance of making a scapegoat (out of people)," said Dr Kamal, who had joined the Awami League-led 14-party alliance formed to wage movement against BNP.
"There is no question of having Iftar until they (BNP) swear over the Quran that they would not get involved in criminal activities or corruption anymore, endanger democracy and unleash torture on the opposition," said Chowdhury who recently showed solidarity with several BNP programmes.
Badruddoza Chowdhury, the founding Secretary General of BNP, had Iftar with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia last Ramadan and is supporting the BNP in its demand for reinstating caretaker government for overseeing the next parliamentary elections.
Parting ways with the Awami League, Hossain floated Gonoforum about two decades ago, but joined a coalition with the party once again in 2004.
Both Gonoforum and Bikalpadhara were with the Awami League-led alliance until the forestalled parliamentary elections of Jan 22, 2007. But they moved away from the Awami League in the 2008 elections.
Regarding his party's support for reinstating caretaker government system, Chowdhury said, "The verdict cancelling the constitutional amendment said two more elections can be staged under caretaker government. We had gone there only to express our support for caretaker government system."
When asked whether his efforts for unity are only election-centric, Hossain said, "The 2008 elections were the result of the coalition we had formed, the demands we had raised in 2004, though I did not join the coalition at the last moment."
Answering a question over the format of next caretaker government, the Gonoforum chief said, "A civil uprising, public hearing and the demand of the masses will decide what the government will look like and what the election process will be."
The programme was moderated by former Organising Secretary of Awami League Mahmudur Rahman Manna.
Manna was excluded from Awami League's central committee after his role during the immediate-past military-backed caretaker government earned him the tag of one of the reformists, who are widely believed to have supported then the rulers' idea of getting riding of Hasina and Khaleda from politics.
Senior journalist ABM Musa and Prothom Alo's Associate Editor Mizanur Rahman Khan also spoke at the programme.
Maksud backed the statements of the two senior political figures and commented that "they should be assisted" in their new effort.
Musa was optimistic that the leaders will "fulfil expectations of the people".
Kamal and Chowdhury who broke away from the ruling Awami League and opposition BNP, respectively, did not outline what should the basis of the unity be or with whom it should be forged, however.
The senior politicians emerged from a programme titled 'Announcement of a greater national unity' at Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel to speak to reporters but would not make it clear whether their parties were mulling over joining forces.
Columnist Syed Abul Maksud and Ganasashthya Kendra chief Jafrullah Chowdhury also spoke at the programme.
"Our politics and governing system are infected with disease. But there is always a cure however serious the disease is," said Hossain, also a former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh.
"The people of Bangladesh have that strength. And the strength is political unity. Let us come together to forge a unity to make ailing politics healthy."
Chowdhury, the former President of Bangladesh, said, "Greedy politicians, some selfish businessmen and bureaucrats are pulling the country from behind. All must stand up against them."
"That's why politics of unity needs be pursued. The unity can be built without dissolving respective political parties.
Referring to their past records of rubbing shoulders with chiefs of the AL and BNP, a journalist asked whether they planned alliances with any of them again.
"There is no chance of making a scapegoat (out of people)," said Dr Kamal, who had joined the Awami League-led 14-party alliance formed to wage movement against BNP.
"There is no question of having Iftar until they (BNP) swear over the Quran that they would not get involved in criminal activities or corruption anymore, endanger democracy and unleash torture on the opposition," said Chowdhury who recently showed solidarity with several BNP programmes.
Badruddoza Chowdhury, the founding Secretary General of BNP, had Iftar with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia last Ramadan and is supporting the BNP in its demand for reinstating caretaker government for overseeing the next parliamentary elections.
Parting ways with the Awami League, Hossain floated Gonoforum about two decades ago, but joined a coalition with the party once again in 2004.
Both Gonoforum and Bikalpadhara were with the Awami League-led alliance until the forestalled parliamentary elections of Jan 22, 2007. But they moved away from the Awami League in the 2008 elections.
Regarding his party's support for reinstating caretaker government system, Chowdhury said, "The verdict cancelling the constitutional amendment said two more elections can be staged under caretaker government. We had gone there only to express our support for caretaker government system."
When asked whether his efforts for unity are only election-centric, Hossain said, "The 2008 elections were the result of the coalition we had formed, the demands we had raised in 2004, though I did not join the coalition at the last moment."
Answering a question over the format of next caretaker government, the Gonoforum chief said, "A civil uprising, public hearing and the demand of the masses will decide what the government will look like and what the election process will be."
The programme was moderated by former Organising Secretary of Awami League Mahmudur Rahman Manna.
Manna was excluded from Awami League's central committee after his role during the immediate-past military-backed caretaker government earned him the tag of one of the reformists, who are widely believed to have supported then the rulers' idea of getting riding of Hasina and Khaleda from politics.
Senior journalist ABM Musa and Prothom Alo's Associate Editor Mizanur Rahman Khan also spoke at the programme.
Maksud backed the statements of the two senior political figures and commented that "they should be assisted" in their new effort.
Musa was optimistic that the leaders will "fulfil expectations of the people".
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