Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Chairman Col (retd) Oli Ahmed has been nominated by the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance to contest the presidential election scheduled for August 20.
Opposition Chief Whip and National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam announced the nomination while briefing journalists after a meeting of the alliance at the official residence of Jamaat chief and Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman on Minto Road, Dhaka, around 1:00pm today.
Nahid Islam said the presidential election was “constitutionally and politically very important” and that the meeting discussed the election, implementation of the July Charter and the referendum verdict.
He said the July Charter had proposed a new process for electing the president to create an opportunity to elect a president acceptable to all. However, alleging that the government had disregarded the referendum verdict and that the Constitution Reform Council had neither taken oath nor held its first session, Nahid accused the government of politicising state institutions, including the Election Commission.
“The 11-party alliance has decided to take part in the presidential election and field a common candidate,” Nahid said. “Our candidate ... will be our 11-party alliance partner, LDP Chairman Colonel Oli Ahmed, an experienced politician of Bangladesh and a freedom fighter who fought in the Liberation War.”
He said the alliance had fielded a candidate to send a message in favour of a competitive and participatory presidential election, as the opportunity to elect a president by consensus had not materialised because the BNP had not implemented the July Charter.
At the briefing, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis ameer Mamunul Haque described Oli Ahmed as “a suitable candidate” for the presidency and said the alliance had nominated the most qualified person for the post.
Later, Oli Ahmed thanked the alliance leaders for unanimously nominating him. “Everyone felt that, as a freedom fighter and a tested person, I was suitable,” he said. “Whether we win or lose is not the question. The question is that we will always stand by the people to protect their interests.”
Shafiqur Rahman said fielding a presidential candidate was part of the alliance's responsibility to uphold democracy. “We believe politics should be transparent in every sphere. It should be competitive. Only then will democracy regain its momentum and good health,” he said.
He said the alliance had nominated the most suitable person for the presidency in the interests of the country and sought everyone's cooperation. “We will make no compromise on this, In Shaa Allah. We seek everyone's cooperation,” he said.
The alliance’s decision came a day after Jamaat announced that it would take part in the presidential election, with its candidate to be finalised through the 11-party alliance.
