Elections won't be acceptable without Awami League: Kader Siddique

Krishak Sramik Janata League President Bangabir Abdul Kader Siddique today said if the election is held without Awami League, it will not be acceptable to the people of the country and to the world.

"Sheikh Hasina as a leader, of course, may be guilty, but depriving lakhs and crores of people in favour of independence, who love Bangabandhu, the Liberation War, their voting rights... depriving them will be a heinous crime," he said while addressing the biennial conference of Baheratail union Krishak Sramik Janata League as chief guest in Tangail's Sakhipur this afternoon.

"If you count, 70 to 80 percent of the people are in favour of Liberation War. And of those who are voters, 60 to 70 percent are in favour of the Liberation War. Therefore, if you try and nurture those against the Liberation War -- it will fail," he said.

Kader said, there is Bangabandhu's Awami League, Maulana Bhashani's Awami League, the Awami League of the Liberation War, and the Awami League of the people of Bangladesh. "If those voters cannot vote, I will not go to the elections with a 'gamchha'."

He said he will boycott elections if Jatiya Party is excluded as well. "If the 14 parties cannot come to the elections, then do we need to go to the elections? Only for BNP and Jamaat? We want the right to vote."

In response to a question, he said, 99 percent of the people want election, not referendum. "They don't want PR. Those who speak for PR, don't know what it is... Jamaat made the mistake of siding with Pakistan in the Liberation War, and they are making the same mistake by going against the will of the people."