Jatiya Oikyafront Convener Dr Kamal Hossain today said no development is meaningful if people's right is not established in the country.

Dr Kamal, also president of Gonoforum, a component of Oikyafront, said this at a press briefing held at the alliance’s Purana Paltan office in Dhaka this afternoon.

However, he in a press statement expressed hope that if the government and the Election Commission hatch any blueprint for the national election, then people of the country will foil it.

Calling upon the countrymen to go to the polling stations and cast votes, Dr Kamal said, “Through casting votes to your desired candidates, ensure your (people) ownership of the country and restore its democracy”.

“The EC has to take full responsibility if it fails to hold a free, fair and credible election on December 30 and the countrymen will compel it to answer for its failure,” he said in the statement.

“The EC must ensure a peaceful atmosphere for holding a free and fair election,” the Oikyafront key leader said.

About the role of law enforcers ahead of the election, he said, “Their behaviour is not acceptable”.

He alleged that police along with the ruling party men have been putting bar on the opposition candidates during their electioneering.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday vowed to bring home BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman from London to execute court verdicts on him.

“There is a person who is playing games from London. He is a convicted criminal. If Allah gives us the scope, we will bring home that convicted criminal and execute the verdicts on Bangladesh's soil. We will not allow anyone to play with the fate of the country's people,” she said. 

The PM was addressing a mammoth election rally, organised by Sylhet district and city Awami League, at Government Alia Madrasa ground. 

Hasina alleged that Tarique, elder son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, was conspiring against the country.

A special court this year sentenced Tarique to life imprisonment in the August 21 grenade attack cases. Besides, the High Court handed him 10 year's jail term in a graft case.

The PM said Bangladesh earned recognition from around the world as her successive governments in the last 10 years implemented numerous development projects for the welfare of the country and its people.

“Bangladesh will march forward with this honour and recognition. This honour must not be allowed to be lost. That's why we need your votes in favour of 'boat'.” 

Hasina blasted the BNP for giving nominations to “war criminals”. She alleged that the party auctioned nominations to earn money from the nomination seekers.

“Being frustrated with the party's attitude, senior BNP leader and former ambassador Inam Ahmed Chowdhury has joined the Awami League,” she said.

The PM lamented that former finance minister SAMS Kibria's son Reza Kibria was contesting the national election from Habiganj-1 with BNP's electoral symbol “sheaf of paddy”. “Nothing could be more deplorable than this.”

The AL chief said the former BNP-Jamaat government had portrayed Bangladesh “as a country of corruption, militancy and terrorism”. 

She alleged that the state of emergency was proclaimed in the country in 2008 due to the misdeeds of the BNP-Jamaat clique. In the name of resisting the election in 2014, they had unleashed a reign of terror by carrying out arson attacks and killing people, she told the meeting.

Hasina said the Sylhet-Dhaka highway would be turned into a four-lane one and Sylhet city would be provided with all the facilities of a divisional city.

She said the Sylhet international airport would be extended further and each district of the Sylhet division would have a university.

The AL president also introduced the party and grand alliance candidates in Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj and Habiganj before the audience.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, AL joint secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman, organising secretaries Ahmed Hossain, AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Misbahuddin Siraj, Jubo League Chairman Omar Faruk Chowdhury and AL candidate for Sylhet-1 AK Abdul Momen also spoke at the rally, chaired by Sylhet AL acting president Lutfar Rahman. 

The United States is concerned on the high-level of pre-election violence over the last two weeks, which the oppositions have borne the brunt.

"All parties have been victims of violence including minorities and female candidates. However, it appears that the opposition candidates had borne the brunt of most violence,” US Ambassador Earl Robert Miller said.

He came up with the comments while briefing journalists after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda at the Nirbachon Bhaban in Dhaka today.

He appreciated the opportunity to consult with the commission to see what plans it has made for a conducive atmosphere which would allow all people of every political affiliation to feel safe to go to the polling stations on the election day and cast their votes for their candidates of choice.

US wishes a free, fair and peaceful election will be held in Bangladesh on December 30, the statement said.

It's Gonoforam chief Dr Kamal Hossain, not Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda, who should quit after accepting his failure, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said yesterday.

He made the comment while addressing an election rally at Latifunnessa High School ground in Cumilla's Chouddagram.

The Jatiya Oikyafront leader failed to demonstrate his leadership, Quader claimed.

“Dr Kamal's words are even more poisonous than formalin. Not the CEC but you [Kamal] should resign,” Quader said.

He also asked why Dr Kamal went to meet the CEC if he demanded his resignation.

People will vote for “boat”, the AL's electoral symbol, in the national elections on Sunday, Quader said.

"The alternatives to 'boat' are petrol bombs, burning people to death, torching educational institutions and vehicles, and blocking roads," he added.

Meanwhile, Jahangir Kabir Nanok, joint secretary general of the ruling AL, alleged the BNP-Jamaat-Oikyafront alliance was distributing illegal money and spreading false allegations and propagandas to destroy the congenial polls environment.

He made the allegations at a press briefing at the party president Shiekh Hasina's Dhanmondi office.

He said Rab arrested three men with Tk 8 crore in cash and Tk 10 crore in cheques on Tuesday. Of them, there were a businessman and a former employee of Hawa Bhaban.

They were carrying a full list of voters of a constituency and that area's BNP nominated candidate's poster with BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman's photo on it, he said.

The primary investigation suggested that the huge amount of money was intended to be distributed to instigate violence and influence polls, Nanok added.

Around Tk 150 crore was distributed across the country in the last two months, he alleged.

He also said, “Tk 200 crore was brought into the country from Dubai through hundi and illegal channels by Tarique Rahman.”

The incident hints a massive conspiracy is taking place against the country and Pakistani intelligence ISI's involvement in the upcoming polls, the AL leader further alleged.