To substantiate his claim Manju said, "In a democratic system, even a beggar who stands in the queues all day long for a morsel of rice or wheat also possesses a vote like other members of the society."

So capitalising the economic hardship of the common people if the moneyed candidates buy their votes on the election day, then what will be the benefit of making any reforms in electoral system? he asked.

The Jatiya Party chief was speaking at the Central Council 2006 of its students' organisation Jatiya Chhatra Samaj (JCS) at the auditorium of the Engineering Institute in the city.

Commenting on the current political situation in the country Manju said the country is heading towards an anarchic condition as the issues like price-hike, power crises and high income gap between the rich and the poor are not addressed by the government.

Pointing to the issue of forming an alliance with Jatiya Party (Ershad), he cautioned the leaders of different political parties saying, "If you consider the demise of the autocratic government in 1990 as a triumph of the democracy-loving people then do not dare to make ploy with them."

Sounding a note of warning to vested quarters who plan to implement their evil design in the upcoming general election, Manju said, "This time people will cast their votes to resist all kinds of conspiracy."

"Though we have failed to fight discrimination in the society, we (the older generation) presented you (the students) most valued independence, a constitution and an electoral system," he told the council.

"Now you would shoulder the responsibility to root out all types of ills prevailing in the society," he urged the student leaders and activists.

JP Secretary General Sheikh Shahidul Islam urged JCS leaders and activists to bring back the golden image of student-politics.

JCS President Jahangir Alam Prodhan presided over the programme where its General Secretary Nazrul Islam, JP Presidium Members Amena Bari, Abdul Latif Mallick, Azam Khan, Vice-chairman Abu Sayeed Khan, Joint Secretary General Sadat Siddiqui and city Convenor Abdur Rahim also spoke.

Later, a 101-member executive committee for 2006-07 was formed at the council with Md Nazrul Islam and Md Sabbir Ahmed Karim as president and general secretary respectively.