Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser (South) of the National Citizen Party (NCP), has called for unity among the public here while campaigning for the upcoming national polls to build a corruption-free and manipulation-free Bangladesh.
He cautioned that if another manipulated election is held, the resulting public uprising would be uncontrollable. "When people wake up, they cannot be stopped by bullets, cannons or foreign powers," he said.
He urged law enforcement officials to come down to the side of the people in the February 12 election, assuring that the people would ensure their security.
He also alleged that many journalists are unable to publish reports of their choice due to interference by what he termed "broker-owned media houses.
"Many journalists come to us and share their pain and frustration. They want to publish certain news, but their broker owners do not allow them to do so," he said while addressing an election rally organised by the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance at Phultala upazila in Khulna this afternoon.
The meeting was also addressed, among others, by Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General and Khulna-5 constituency candidate Mia Golam Parwar.
Hasnat Abdullah claimed that after August 5, when they formed the government and ensured security of temples and mosques by standing beside minority communities, a group allegedly took control of television channels and state institutions.
He said only a few media outlets spoke for the people during the July movement. "When people rise, no media is needed. The people themselves become the media," he added.
Addressing media owners, Hasnat said when a media outlet promotes a particular political party through its news coverage, it loses its credibility and turns into an instrument of brokerage and servitude. "Media should not be BNP's media, Jamaat's media or NCP's media. Media must be objective," he said.
He recalled that during the July movement, some television channels failed to perform journalism freely and were rejected by the people when they appeared with cameras.
Referring to past struggles, Hasnat Abdullah said thousands of people were martyred and many were subjected to enforced disappearances to achieve the present election.
"Those who could not be arrested lived in an open prison across the country," he said, alleging widespread repression.
He also accused law enforcement and administration of conducting previous elections in an irregular manner, including holding day-time votes at night and staging "dummy elections". He said district and police officials were witnesses to those anti-people activities.
Expressing hope for change, Hasnat urged police personnel to stand with the people in the upcoming February 12 Polls.
MSH
