Jatiya Oikyafront Convener Dr Kamal Hossain has urged people to bring about a "vote revolution" by exercising franchise, and said December 30 will be another victory day for the nation with the Oikyafront coming out victorious.

"We won in the past, and we will win this time too. December 30 will be another victory day. You will bring about a vote revolution on that day," he said at a press conference yesterday.

The eminent jurist made the call after attending an emergency meeting of the steering committee of the opposition alliance at his chamber in the capital's Purana Paltan.

Calling upon the voters to cast ballots for “sheaf of paddy”, he said, “The symbol does not belong to any party. It stands as a symbol of unity. Cast your votes for this symbol to free the nation.”

He further said the Oikyafront's win in the polls will be a victory for the people, not for any component of the alliance.

"People's ownership of the country will be restored through the vote revolution.”

The people of this country never bowed down to arms, money and power, he said.

"There is nothing to fear. We fought autocrats throughout our life, and we won, not the autocrats. Had the autocrats won, there would have been no '71 and no Bangladesh," observed Dr Kamal, also president of the Gonoforum.

Urging the voters to go to polling centres in groups early in the morning, he said, "You will be able to enjoy freedom if you cast ballots for sheaf of paddy." 

If the Oikyafront is voted to power, the administration would work for the people, instead of protecting the interests of any party, he pledged.

Speaking at the press conference, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, “The government has already suffered a moral defeat as it is trying to ensure victory by using the state machinery.”

Krishak Sramik Janata League President Kader Siddiqui, Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury, and Gonoforum Executive President Subrata Chowdhury, among others, were present at the press conference.

Earlier in a written statement to the media, the Oikyafront convener said the election was just two days away, but the level playing field was still absent.

The people expected that the situation would change following deployment of the army, Dr Kamal mentioned.

"But the army's role in the election is totally controlled by the Election Commission," he said, adding that it is difficult to expect an effective role of the army in a "controlled election".

"Yet, we hope the people, who are the owner of the country, will be able to exercise the right to vote in a peaceful environment. The Election Commission has to ensure that."

Otherwise, the EC will have to take full responsibility for all its failures and will be held accountable to the people, warned Dr Kamal.

He further said it seems that the public and the police administration as well as the state machinery unilaterally got engaged in destroying effective democracy in the country by taking the chance of "the EC's bias".

"We should not forget that destroying democracy is tantamount to denying Bangladesh's existence and the constitution."

The Oikyafront convener said there is a “tide of the masses” in favour of “sheaf of paddy” despite numerous obstructions, arrests, attacks, filing of cases, arson, bombing, biased behaviour of the administration, inactiveness of the EC, ghost cases and intimidation.

"Today, the people and the voters are the Oikyafront's main hope. Those, who did not make mistakes in the past, will not make mistakes this time as well."

The people consider voting as a festival, but they were deprived of it after the ninth parliamentary polls, he said.

"We hope that the people, who are now united, will thwart any anti-people blueprint of the government and the Election Commission."

He urged the people to vote for their preferred candidates to ensure their ownership of the country and restore democracy.

"The country achieved independence in 1971 because the people were united. If the people remain united, effective democracy and the rule of law will soon be ensured," he remarked.

A writ petition was filed with the High Court today challenging the legality of government action for keeping quota system in appointing assistant teachers for government primary schools across the country.

Md Tarek Rahman, a candidate for the post of assistant teacher, submitted the petition to the HC seeking its order on the authorities concerned of the government to cancel the quota system in the recruitment.

Petitioner's lawyer Aklas Uddin Bhuiyan told The Daily Star that the public administration ministry has cancelled the quota system in recruitment of primary school teachers through issuing a notification on October 4, 2018.

But the primary and mass education ministry on October 18 this year issued a circular for recruiting more than 35,000 assistant teachers for government primary schools across the country including the quota system.

According to the circular, 40 percent quota for women, 20 percent quota for children and staff members of existing teachers and only 20 percent quota for male candidates have been kept which is discriminatory, unconstitutional and contradictory to the notification issued by the public administration ministry on October 4, 2018, the lawyer said.

Aklas Uddin Bhuiyan said the HC may hear the petition next week.

The High Court today granted permanent bail to contractor Asif Hossain in a case filed over the corruption in purchasing furniture and household items for officials of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Pabna.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel delivered the verdict after hearing a rule issued over granting bail to Asif Hossain, managing director of Majid and Sons Construction Limited that supplied the household items for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant officials.

Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Khurshid Alarm Khan told The Daily Star that Asif Hossain cannot get released from the jail following the HC verdict as he is shown arrested in another corruption case filed over the same issue.

The ACC will move an appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging the HC verdict, he added.

Lawyer Fida M Kamal appeared for Asif, while Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state during the virtual hearing on the bail petition of Asif.

The ACC filed the cases with its Pabna district office against Asif Hossain and several others on December 12 last year on charges of irregularities involving Tk 26 crore in supplying furniture and household items to the officials of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Advocate Khurshid Alarm Khan said. Asif was also arrested on that day, he informed.

The High Court today asked why SK Sur Chowdhury, former deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank, and its Executive Director Shah Alam were not arrested yet for assisting PK Halder in embezzling and laundering huge amount of public money from four non-banking financial institutions.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) could have informed the immigration officials over cellphone to restrain Proshanta Kumar Halder, widely known as PK Halder, to leave the country, the court said.

The bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim made the observation during hearing on a suo moto (voluntary) rule issued in this regard.

ACC's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told the HC that Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has been examining the bank statements of SK Sur Chowdhury and Shah Alam.

After receiving reports from the BFIU, the ACC will take necessary steps against them, he said.

Khurshid Alam Khan said the ACC has no negligence in taking steps against PK Halder.

The ACC sent a notice to the immigration department on October 22, 2019 to restrain PK Halder and the immigration officials received the notice at 10:30am on October 23, 2019.

The ACC also sent a copy of the notice through WhatsApp and the immigration received it at 4:30pm on October 23, 2019, but PK Halder left the country at 3:38pm on October 23, 2019, he added.

The Inspector General of Police submitted a report on the details of 59 immigration officials -- who were on duty at Benapole land port through where PK Halder left Bangladesh on October 23, 2019 -- before the HC bench through Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik as per its earlier order.