Removal of president, national unity discussed with BNP: Hasnat

Representatives of the Students’ Anti-Discrimination Movement and the Jatiya Nagorik Committee discussed the removal of President Mohammed Shahabuddin and national unity at a meeting with the BNP, said Hasnat Abdullah, founder of the Students’ Anti-Discrimination Movement, today (October 26).

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Hasnat said: “We discussed with the BNP the removal of the president, a second republic and national unity for a new political order. The BNP said that after discussion, they will inform us about their position on these matters at their party forum.”

He further said, “We have held meetings with Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Andolan Bangladesh in the last two days. They agreed with some of our views. Jamaat-e-Islami said the president had lost his moral qualifications to hold office.

He also announced that tomorrow (October 27), student leaders will hold meetings on the issue with several other political parties, including the 12-party alliance, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote, Ganatantra Mancha and Gono Odhikar Parishad.

Nasir Uddin Patwari, chairman of the Jatiya Nagorik committee, said: “We demand the removal of the president but have not given a date on which it will be done. There is also no alternative to national unity that could meet the expectations of the people.”

Earlier in the day, a seven-member delegation of student leaders and the Nagorik Committee went to the BNP chairman’s office in Gulshan, Dhaka to hold a meeting with BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

In addition to Hasnat and Nasir, the delegation included Student Movement Against Discrimination spokeswoman Umama Fatema and chief organizer Abdul Hannan Masud, and Nagorik Committee spokeswoman Samantha Sharmin and Akhter Hossain.

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed and Joint Secretary General Shaheeduddin Chowdhury Anne accompanied Fakhrul during the meeting, said BNP media cell member Shairul Kabir Khan.