Local government, rural development and co-operatives adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan on Tuesday said that the Awami League activists who were not involved in any injustice or mass killing or crime could contest the local government polls after seeking apology.
鈥楾he people who were with Awami League but did not conduct any injustice and mass killing or are not involved in any crime聽 can return to the mainstream situation again,鈥� Asif Mahmud quoted information adviser Mohammad Nahid Islam while replying to a question on the participation of Awami League activists in the local聽government polls.
On the third and last day of the three-day annual conference of the deputy commissioners, he also said that 鈥榓nd from that position if some of them participate in polls, there is no obstacle.鈥�
But, he said, if there is someone convicted or involved in the mass killing, then those people could not be able to participate聽the polls.
Asif Mahmud was speaking at a press briefing at the conference held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital Dhaka.
He told reporters that Awami League should face the same fate as the other fascists in the world had faced for conducting聽genocide.
It is internationally recognised that Awami League conducted genocide and for that the party should be punished, the adviser continued.
Replying to a question, he said that he was in favour of the local government polls before the holding of the national elections, but no final decision was made by the government in this regard.
Bangladesh Election Commission chief election commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin told reporters after a session that the deputy commissioners were instructed to get involved in the national polls-related work and implement their maximum power during the polls.
Law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry adviser Asif Nazrul at a press briefing said that the previous Awami League-led government had used the deputy commissioners to torture people.
Primary and mass education ministry adviser Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar told reporters after a session that till now 85 per cent of the free textbooks of the primary level had been distributed and within this month all primary-level books would be distributed.
Replying to a question on the arrest of poet and essayist Sohel Hasan Galib, cultural affairs adviser to the interim government Mostofa Sarwar Farooki said, 鈥榃e are as sad as you are. But I am not the right person to talk about him but the home adviser or the law enforcers.鈥�
Deputy commissioners and divisional commissioners from across the country had sent in writing as many as 1,245 proposals out of which 354 were included in the working paper, as per the Cabinet Division officials.
Some of these proposals were for more power in disposing of their roles and responsibilities in relation to law enforcement agencies, judiciary, local government and public administration, among other areas.
