Immediately after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s announcement that the next general election would be held under the present government as per the Constitution, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islqam Alamgir said the opposition would not participate in the election if it is held under any party government. “We want to make it clear that the BNP will not participate in the general election if it is held under the present government and the countrymen shall not accept such an election,” Alamgir told a press briefing after the PM’s announcement regarding the poll-time government.
He, however, expressed hope that good sense will dawn upon the government, and that it would hold talks with all political parties to devise a system to hold the next election under a non-party caretaker government.
He pointed out that the Prime Minister’s announcement would deepen the prevailing political crisis in the country. The BNP leader said the Prime Minister’s comment on the next election had frustrated the nation.
“The nation expected that the PM would show a path to resolve the existing political stalemate. It is unfortunate for the nation that the government did not take any initiative to resolve the present political crisis. Rather, it has aggravated the situation,” said Fakhrul.
The government is trying to lead the nation towards instability and violence, he added.
Ignoring the PM’s comment that the BNP does not obey the verdict of the court over the cancellation of caretaker government system, he said rather the government did not obey the court’s verdict on this issue.
Although the court in its verdict cancelled the CG system, it also gave an option of holding two more national elections under the CG system, he said.
By suppressing the option, the government has taken such an initiative that favoured them, he added.
Expressing his concern over the PM’s position in the next election, Fakhrul said people have already conveyed their decision on the process of the next election through their mandate in the five city corporation elections.
He added that all surveys on the process of national election, conducted by different organisations, revealed that the people want the election to be held under the CG system.
The government unilaterally wants to hold the next election under a political government by ignoring the survey results, he said. He added that the government wants to create such a situation so that the country faces instability.
Good sense will prevail upon the government if takes the initiative to hold dialogue with political parties and take necessary legal measures to hold the election under a non-party caretaker government, instead of pushing the country towards violence, he said.
There is no sense of direction in the statement of the Prime Minister, he added.
Fakhrul also accused the PM of misleading the people by highlighting ‘fake’ development activities of the present government.
-With The Independent input
