Dec 30 Polls: Menon sorry for ‘confusion’ over his remarks
Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon said he was sorry for the “confusion” created over his recent comments about the December 30 parliamentary polls.
Menon, in a letter responding to the queries of the Awami League-led 14-party alliance yesterday, said his party was and would be in the alliance.
The alliance said it was satisfied with Menon’s explanation.
Writing to AL leader Mohammed Nasim, spokesperson for the alliance, Menon said the “confusion” was created as his comments were “exaggerated”.
In the letter, he also pointed out that none of his party members was present at the 14-party alliance discussion. After the meeting, the letter was sent to him on October 24 seeking an explanation for his comments on the 11th national polls, he said.
If any of his party members had attended the meeting, they could have cleared the “misunderstandings”, Menon said.
On October 19, Menon at a programme in Barishal city alleged that people could not cast their votes in the December 30 parliamentary polls.
“Although I was elected in the election, I am testifying that people couldn’t cast their votes in that election. They couldn’t vote in the union parishad and upazila parishad polls,” he said.
Menon, who was a minister in the last cabinet of Sheikh Hasina, said his statement was partially published, causing the meaning to change.
After the statement, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, also AL general secretary, asked whether Menon would have said this if he were a minister.
In response to Menon’s explanation, Nasim said the 14-paty alliance was pleased with his explanation.
“We got an explanation from Menon today … I want to say that the controversy over his remarks came to an end through his explanation,” Nasim told journalists after an alliance meeting at his home in the capital’s Dhanmondi yesterday.
“We believe that the way the 14-party alliance leaders, including Rashed Khan Menon, worked in the past, we will work the same way in future.”
Nasim said Menon agreed with the stance of 14-party alliance over the election and his statement was published partially, which created confusion.
Menon said he was working under the alliance leadership, he added.
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