No legal bar on Khaleda Zia taking part in election: AG

Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman has said the false and conspiratorial cases filed against former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, have already been disposed of and there is no legal obstacle to her participation in the next election.

"Fascist Awami League deprived people of their voting rights. From robbing ballot boxes from Cumilla and bringing those to Dhaka to make the candidate of their choice win in 1973 to making the last three national elections farce, Awami League did it all. Those who tarnished these elections should be brought to justice and given exemplary punishment," he said.

The attorney general said these while addressing a shadow parliament organized by Debate for Democracy at the FDC in the capital. Presided over by Debate for Democracy chairman Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury, the programme was also attended by Prof Abu Mohammad Rois, Dr SM Morshad, journalists Ekramul Haque Sayem, Saidur Rahman and Moniruzzaman as judges. 

The attorney general said many leaders of Awami League, including its president Sheikh Hasina, will become ineligible to contest in polls if they get convicted for the July-August killings. 

"So, Awami League's participation is not important for a participatory election. None from her party is being able to gather the courage to stand by Sheikh Hasina. Those who destroyed the electoral system scissored the constitution and trampled people's rights have been identified as the villains of history," he added.

Debate for Democracy chairman Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury in his speech said then chief justice ABM Khairul Haque cancelled the caretaker government system with the malicious intention of keeping the fascist Awami League in government forever.

"It is now the demand of time to arrest ABM Khairul Haque and make him stand trial for forgery of caretaker government judgment. The then Awami League government had deprived people of their voting rights. They destroyed the electoral system completely by dummy, one-sided and night-time polls," he said.