July Oikya demands cancelling nominations of JaPa, alliance candidates

July Oikya has announced a two-day protest programme demanding the cancellation of the candidacies of the Jatiya Party, the 14-party alliance and the National Democratic Front (NDF) alliance in the upcoming 13th National Parliament elections.

The organisation declared the programme at a press conference held in front of Madhur Canteen on the Dhaka University campus on Monday noon.

As part of the programme, July Oikya will hold a “March to the Election Commission (EC)” on Tuesday at 12pm and submit a memorandum to the commission.

On Wednesday, the group will organise “March to Divisional Election Commission Offices” and submit memoranda in different divisional cities across the country.

Among those present at the press conference were July Oikya main organiser Mosaddiq Ali Ibn Muhammad, organisers Plaban Tarek, AB Zubayer, Israfil Farazi and Abdullah Al Mahmud (Munshi Borhan Mahmud).

Mosaddiq Ali Ibn Muhammad said the organisation has been demanding action against political parties directly and indirectly involved since the beginning.

However, he alleged that the EC has only suspended the registration of the Awami League instead of cancelling it and has failed to take a clear position regarding the Jatiya Party and the 14-party alliance.

He said that many leaders and activists of the Jatiya Party and the 14-party alliance- as associate organisations of the Awami League- are now participating in the elections despite their alleged involvement in repression over the past 15-16 years.

“Allowing these parties and individuals to contest the elections is a direct betrayal of the blood of the July martyrs,” Mosaddiq said.

He further alleged that the Election Commission has ignored repeated systematic demands and warnings from July Oikya and is instead “paving the way for the rehabilitation of fascism”.

Questioning the neutrality of the commission, Mosaddiq criticised its description of the killing of a candidate as an “isolated incident”, calling it evidence of clear bias.

Another organiser, AB Zubayer, who is also the social service secretary of DUCSU, warned that the EC would bear full responsibility if any unrest occurs across the country due to its failure to cancel controversial nominations.

“There is still time. Cancel the candidacies of those whose hands are stained with the blood of the July martyrs. Otherwise, people will be forced to take to the streets,” he said.

AB Zubayer also demanded justice for the killing of Shaheed Sharif Osman Bin Hadi and alleged that during the prolonged fascist rule, the AL acted like an armed militant organisation with the cooperation of the JaPa and the 14-party alliance.

On 6 January, July Oikya organiser Abdullah Al Mahmud (Munshi Borhan Mahmud) filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking directions to prevent candidates of the Jatiya Party (Ershad and GM Quader factions), Jatiya Party (part) leader Anisul Islam Mahmud and JP’s Anwar Hossain Manju from participating in the elections.

On Sunday (11 Jan), the High Court issued a rule asking why the candidates of the JaPa and the NDF alliance should not be barred from participating in the elections and why their candidatures should not be cancelled.

The order was passed by a bench comprising Justice Razik Al Jalil and Justice Md Anwarul Islam. Barrister ASM Shahriar Kabir represented the petitioner during the hearing.

Leaders of July Oikya said they will announce their next movement observing the court’s directives and the steps of the EC.