Acting Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and former lawmaker Professor Mujibur Rahman has issued the following statement on 13^th January, 2018 reacting to the address of Prime Minister that she has delivered to the nation on 12^th January evening.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has grabbed the office through a voter less, farcical election, has addressed the nation on 12^th January evening. In that address, she disavowed the neutral caretaker government system and termed her own government as the interim government for election and voiced to hold election under the same government which has disappointed the countrymen. Such address is not acceptable to the fellow citizens. 

The peoples of the country demanded for holding a free, fair and credible election under a neutral caretaker government. Without such a credible and participatory approach, no polls would be accepted either in home or abroad. The farcical and voter less election of 5^th January, 2014, under the incumbent government clearly proved that fair and credible election is not possible without a neutral government.

The way she ignored the provision of neutral caretaker government, also indicates that the present government is not keen to hold a fair and credible election. They want to stay in office in order to facilitate another farcical and controversial election. But the countrymen will not recognize any one sided election. Democracy can never be established by force. It must be enforced through dialogue and discussions. The countrymen are eagerly waiting for such an effective dialogue. I hope the government would pay heed to the public desire. 

Prime Minister in her address highlighted the development activities of her government which do not have any reasonable grounds. As practically, the productions in the mills and factories have been decreased alarmingly. Around 15 hundred garment factories and many other financial institutions have been closed so far. Foreign investment and income have been reduced significantly. Financial sectors are experiencing the worst ever irregularities including bribery, corruption and looting of the ruling party men. The government party men are also looting the public and the private banks indiscriminately.

12/13 years back, the GDP during the then 4 party alliances government was 6.4 percent. Whereas, the targeted GDP for the current fiscal year has been set 6.4 percent, which substantiated that no major development have taken place during the current tenure.

Furthermore, public life and properties become completely unsecured. The annual report of Odhikar, an human rights watchdog revealed that in 2017, some 86 men have become the victim of enforced disappearances by the law enforcers and another 154 men were murdered extra judicially. These statistics also proved the incongruities of the Premier’s speech. Where the law and order and public safety is at stake, the verbal sound of development is absolutely unjustified over there.

Under the circumstances, I am urging the Prime Minister to stop the misuse of power and also stop the conspiracies to holding office by dint of force. I am also calling upon her to take effective measures to hold 11^th national parliament election under a neutral caretaker government.”