BSS-46 Black Day observed protesting voter-less polls in 1996

182

ZCZC

BSS-46

FEBRUARY-BLACK-DAY-OBSERVANCE

Black Day observed protesting voter-less polls in 1996

DHAKA, Feb 15, 2021 (BSS)- Awami League and its associate bodies today
observed ‘Black Day’ protesting the voter-less farce national election held
by the then BNP government on February 15 in 1996.

Dhaka City North unit of AL held a rally on Russel Square, Dhanmondi, in
the capital in the morning.

AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader
joined the rally as the chief quest through a videoconference from his
official residence here.

Speaking at the rally, he said BNP now becomes the hawker of democracy,
though they snatched votes in the election on February 15, 1996.

Quader said after assuming power in 1991, BNP started breaking all the
election pledges that it gave to people over reestablishing democracy in the
country.

AL Presidium Members Lt Col (retd) Muhammad Faruq Khan and Agriculture
Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque, AL Joint General Secretary and Education Minister
Dr Dipu Moni and its Organising Secretary Mirza Azam, among others, spoke at
the rally with AL Dhaka North City President Sheikh Bazlur Rahman in the
chair.

Dhaka South City Unit of AL also arranged a rally on the premises of AL’s
Bangabandhu Avenue Centre Office in the afternoon.

AL Advisory Council Member Begum Matia Chowdhury joined it as the chief
guest while AL Presidium Member Jahangir Kabir Nanak, AL Joint General
Secretary and Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Joint General Secretaries
– Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni and AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Cultural
Affairs Secretary Asim Kumar Ukil addressed it as the special guests.

AL Dhaka South City President and valiant Freedom Fighter Abu Ahmed Mannafi
chaired it moderated by its General Secretary Humayun Kabir.

Awami Jubo League’s Dhaka City South unit held a rally in front of central
office of Jubo League at Bangabandhu Avenue in protest of the February 15,
1996 voter-less farce election.

Awami Jubo League’s Dhaka City South unit Vice-President Sohrab Hossain
chaired the rally while its acting general secretary HM Rezaul Karim Reza
moderated it. After the rally, a protest procession was brought from the
Bangabandhu Avenue and it marched different city streets.

Awami Swechchhasebak League also staged rally in front of its central
office at Bangabandhu Avenue with its president Nirmal Ranjan Guha in the
chair.

Swechchhasebak League General Secretary Afzalur Rahman Babu, Vice-
Presidents M Abdur Razzak and Tanvir Shakil Joy, MP, Swechchhasebak League
Dhaka City South President Kamrul Hasan Ripon also spoke.

Later, the organisation also brought out a procession from Bangabandhu
Avenue.

Krishak League also held protest rally in front of AL’s central office at
Bangabandhu Avenue with its president Samir Chanda in the chair.

Krishak League general secretary Umme Kulsum Smriti, MP, Vice-President
Jahangir Alam, Joint General Secretary Biswanath Sarker Bitu, among others,
addressed it.

On February 15 in 1996, the then BNP government held an election of farce,
putting the country’s electoral system and democracy in dark.

Awami League rejected the election and conducted an indefinite non-
cooperation movement until demands for a new and free election was met.

BSS/PR/BKD/MKD/RY/20:05hrs