The New Nation - Internet Edition

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Dr Kamal Hossain, who has maintained his support for 1/11 “reforms” and denounced the two major parties in past months, says he would now like to be part of an Awami League-led electoral alliance.

“I would appeal to all-not just the 14 parties-but all like-minded parties be united based on the 23-point programme,” the lawyer-politician told bdnews24.com in an exclusive interview yesterday.

At a massive rally on Paltan Maidan on Nov 22, 2005, Sheikh Hasina announced the 23-point programme on behalf of the 14-party alliance.

Later, HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party, Badruddoza Chowdhury’s Bikalpadhara-turned-LDP (now Bikalpadhara again) and several Islamist parties also joined the combine that came to be dubbed a 'Grand Alliance’.

“This unity is needed to ensure a fair election, a good education system, healthcare and overall development of the country,” Dr Hossain said.

But who would he call like-minded?

“Like-minded are those having identical policies and principles,” said Dr Hossain, who served as law and foreign minister in the early 1970s.

The man who headed the committee that drafted Bangladesh’s constitution in 1972 referred to the great campaigns during the pre-independence days.

“We’d like to go the same path as the politics of alliance (Jukta Front) in 1954, later pursued by the Bangabandhu (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) t the politics of national unity embodied in his six-point and 11-point declarations t that led to our independence.”

He said his quest for unity led to the creation in 1993 of his new party-Gano Forum.

“We have not deviated for a second (from the ideals of these programmes). We were part of the campaign based on the 23-point programme.”

“The whole nation is united about a fair election, free of black money and muscle.”

“All is needed now is to unite the like-minded parties.”

Turning to recent turn of events, the Gano Forum chief was particularly angry over “secret meetings” between caretaker advisers and top political leaders.

Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman held a 'closed-door’ meeting with BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Shaheed Mainul Road home on Friday evening, a staffer at the former prime minister’s house told bdnews24.com.

Said Dr Hossain: “Those who they (advisers) are meeting with are being tried in the court of law,” without naming the former prime minister.

“The caretaker advisers are holding constitutional positions. How can they go and hold secret meetings with such people?”

Addressing the caretaker head, he said: “Chief adviser, your job is not to barter or haggle. Ask the advisers to stop pushing for some sort of a deal, and let the law take its own course.”

Dr Hossain called for trying all those charged with corruption as quickly as possible.

“Everyone in this country wants these corrupt people tried. Those arrested have all been charged with corruption. They must be tried and the process has to be speeded up.”

“And it is the duty of the political parties to take action against the corrupt based on investigations”

On elections under emergency, he said: “It is the job of the Election Commission to see if people will be able to exercise their voting rights properly with the state of emergency in force.”

“Let them have their say. I don’t want to get into this debate and make things complicated.”