BNP standing committee member Brig Gen (retd) ASM Hannan Shah has identified the serving of narrow party interests as being responsible for a non-implementation of the joint declaration of the three alliances made during the anti-autocratic movement of 1990.
He categorically blamed the Awami League for breaching its commitment by establishing ties with HM Ershad soon after the 1991 general elections to oust the BNP from power. Shah was speaking to The Daily Star.
He was an active leader during the 1990 mass upsurge. In recognition of his contribution, party chief and then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia appointed him jute minister after the 1991 elections.
The BNP leader accused the AL of creating obstructions before the BNP government, which, he said, in turn pushed democracy into a state of uncertainty though the party had come to power through a free and fair election after Ershad's fall.
As agreed upon by the three political alliances, all political parties accepted the people's verdict given through an acceptable election in 1991, but the AL rejected the polls results, leading the country to confrontational politics, Hannan Shah said.
“We all promised not to obstruct an elected government but the Awami League established links with Ershad to oust the democratically elected BNP government,” he said.
The AL had always welcomed “unconstitutional governments”, including the Fakhruddin Ahmed-led military-backed regime, Hannan Shah alleged, saying that the attitude went against the spirit of democracy.
On a point of the joint declaration that no associate of Ershad would be allowed to join their parties, the BNP leader said Ershad himself is now with the AL-led alliance.
He, however, did not make any comment regarding those BNP leaders who were close associates of Ershad when he was in power from 1982 to 1990.