Kamal Hossain faces the music

Dr Kamal Hossain continued to be on the receiving end of criticism from leaders of ruling Awami League, AL-led 14-party alliance and distinguished personalities, surrounding his rude behaviour with a journalist on Friday, regarding his position on Jamaat-e-Islami.

AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, AL joint general secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanok, Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon, former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, former chief information commissioner Prof Golam Rahman, Air Commodre (retd) Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury, former Inspector General of Police Nurul Anwar, DU professor Anwar Hossain, Justice Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik, among others yesterday joined the criticism against Dr Kamal, also president of Gonoforum.

One of the main architects of the country's constitution, Dr Kamal Hossain on Friday reacted angrily to some reporters' queries regarding his position on Jamaat.

After paying tributes to martyred intellectuals at Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in the city's Mirpur, the eminent jurist faced a barrage of questions from the media.

But Dr Kamal apparently lost his cool when one of the reporters drew his attention to some Jamaat leaders' participation in the December 30 polls despite the cancellation of its registration with the Election Commission.

The Oikyafront leader said he would not say anything about the issue at the Memorial, but reporters kept asking questions.

As a journalist repeated the question, Dr Kamal, visibly shaking in anger, said, “No question arises at all. [These are] useless talks.”

Facing a volley of questions from reporters, he said, “Shut up. Just shut up.”

Obaidul Quader yesterday said in Feni that Dr Kamal Hossain exposed his “real character” by using an Urdu word with a journalist.

“He [Dr Kamal] couldn't hide his real character through using the old Pakistani word 'Khamosh'. Though he talks about principles, his real nature has got exposed to people,” Quader said.

Dr Kamal has proved with his arrogance that he is the proponent of spoiled politics, he said.

“BNP and Oikyafront have become desperate seeing the popularity of Boat [the electoral symbol of Awami League]. So, Dr Kamal turned more reckless than a reckless driver. Now the country is seeing the mass surge of Boat and the Sheaf of Paddy [electoral symbol of BNP-led Jatiya Oikyafront] is nowhere,” he added.

Speaking at a discussion in the capital, Prof Arefin Siddique alleged that Dr Kamal is now showing his true colours by forming an alliance with BNP and Jamaat, who were involved in the “politics of killing”.  

Also speaking there, Justice Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik said: “The mask of Dr Kamal [Hossain] has been opened. He is really a pro-Pakistani man. Now people have a question to him how many crores of dollars he has taken to bring the Jamaat and other war criminals into the election field.”

Bangladesh Online Activist Forum organised the programme at the Jatiya Press Club, in presence of victims bearing injuries of the petrol bomb attacks during political violence in 2014 and 2015.

In another programme in the city, Golam Rahman said, “Dr Kamal couldn't tolerate the question. As a politician, he could have maintained silence; but can't slam the journalists.”

Air Cdre (Retd) Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury commented that Dr Kamal will be “thrown out as garbage” after the election.