The Chairman of Jatiya Party (JaPa), GM Quader, has stated that his party does not support banning the Awami League (AL), emphasizing that while some individuals within the party may be corrupted, the party itself should not be condemned.
Speaking at his residence in Rangpur on Friday afternoon, Quader compared AL to a car, stating, "The driver may be bad, but the car itself is not."
Quader criticized the current political climate, particularly the actions of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, accusing her of attempting to exclude a significant portion of the population from the electoral process. "Hasina wanted to force an election by excluding half the population. She would forcibly bring some in and exclude others. Such an election, leaving out a large portion of the population, will not be acceptable and will not bring stability to the country. Instead, it will lead to more conflict and disaster," he said.
He urged the interim government to take responsibility for the deteriorating situation, warning that failure to address these issues could plunge the country into further crisis. "If you cannot handle it, hand over the responsibility to someone else. If we do not recover from this, the people of the country will face severe consequences," Quader added.
The JaPa chairman also expressed concerns about the misuse of institutions under the current administration. He accused some close associates of the interim government of encouraging activities that amount to looting in the name of politics. Quader claimed that the morale of the police force has been broken, rendering it ineffective, and criticized the misuse of the Anti-Corruption Commission and the judiciary. "Several institutions have been destroyed, and rebuilding them will not be easy," he said.
Quader's remarks come amid growing calls from some political quarters to ban AL due to its alleged involvement in past atrocities and undemocratic practices. However, his stance reflects a more nuanced approach, focusing on accountability for individuals rather than the party as a whole.
The event was attended by JaPa Presidium Member SM Yasir, Senior Vice President of the Metropolitan JaPa Lokman Hossain, Vice President Zahidul Islam, District Chhatra Samaj Convener Ariful Islam, and other leaders and activists.
