Workers' Party President Rashed Khan Menon said his recent speech with regard to the 11th parliamentary election was published only partially, leading to the confusion in the message he wanted to convey.
He said: "A wrong message that came across about my speech at the council of the party's Barisal district unit has spread across national politics and the politics of the 14-party alliance. The confusion has been created as my speech was published partially."
Menon said this in a party press release Sunday afternoon.
Speaking as chief guest at the inaugural session of the district unit conference of his party in Barisal city on October 19, Menon said people could not cast their votes in the election (held on December 30, 2018) though he had also been elected in the same polls.
He went on to say in the October 19 speech that the people of the country could not even cast their votes in the Union Parishad and Upazila Parishad elections.
Later, in Sunday's press release, Menon, also a former minister in a previous Awami League-led government, said the 11th parliamentary election was held successfully, but the experiences were not good.
Although BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami participated in the election, they tried to foil it and make it controversial, nationally and internationally. Administrative officials might have acted beyond the scope of their duties, but these do not make the polls illegal, the press release added.
Menon's speech stirs politics
Menon's October 19 speech has stirred the arena of national politics.
Jatiya Oikya Front Convener Dr Kamal Hossain on Sunday thanked the Workers Party president for his speech concerning the December 30 national election, reports UNB.
"I am happy he (Menon) did it, even if it is late. I have long been saying it (people could not cast their votes)," he said.
Dr Kamal made the remarks talking to reporters following a meeting of the Jatiya Oikya Front's steering committee at his Motijheel chamber in Dhaka.
On the other hand, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday took a swipe at Menon and questioned whether he would have made the remarks he made in his October 19 speech, had he been a minister.
"He (Menon) is a senior leader. I humbly want to know whether he would have made the same observations had he been a minister. Why did he make the remarks at this time, after so many days?" Quader said.
He made the statement in replying to queries from reporters at the Secretariat.
