The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has urged the Election Commission to postpone the Jan 5 parliamentary elections in order to “save the country” as the countrywide blockade of road, rail and water transport called by the BNP-led opposition alliance entered the third day on Monday.
Agency Report
Dhaka: “Instead of being used as the puppet of a particular party, put off the announced polls schedule and save the country,” BNP chairperson and opposition leader Khaleda Zia was quoted as saying by the Daily Star. She did not name the country, but her target was believed to be India.
The two major political parties of Bangladesh — the BNP and Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League (AL) — are at loggerheads over the polls-time dispensation as the Bangladesh Election Commission has decided to hold the country’s 10th parliamentary election Jan 5 next year.
Bangladesh’s main opposition Friday announced a 72-hour blockade from Saturday to press home its demand for a non-party caretaker government to oversee the Jan 5 national elections.
In a statement issued Monday evening, Zia accused the ruling Awami League for the recent violence. She called on the administration, including police, not to “go against the people”.At least 25 people have been killed during the ongoing countrywide blockades.
However, the BNP chairperson did not clarify whether the opposition bloc she leads would put an end to the current spate of violent blockades battering the country. She, however, said the door to an agreement with the government to end the political deadlock is still open.
Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed hinted at a change in the election schedule only if the government and opposition were to reach an agreement, bdnews24.com reported. Monday was the last day for submitting the nomination but neither the BNP nor its allies in the opposition submitted nomination to run for parliament.
“But we are still hopeful (of the opposition joining polls). Everything is possible if there is a positive and definite outcome and an agreement is reached,” Ahmed said.
The BNP chairperson has asked Sheikh Hasina to bring back the non-party caretaker system, or else the opposition would not participate in the next elections because it fears the polls without the non-party caretaker government will not be free and fair.
Both parties are seeking dialogue to end the impasse over the formation of the poll-time government, but no headway has been made so far.
The 18-party opposition alliance is enforcing shutdowns and blockades to push for a non-party polls-time government, while the Awami League-led government is preparing to hold the election after constituting an “all-party” interim cabinet.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has offered the home ministry in the all-party interim cabinet to the opposition BNP in an appeal to it to join the polls.
Jatiya Party to boycott Bangladesh election
Dhaka: Former Bangladesh president Hussain Muhammad Ershad announced here Tuesday his Jaitya Party too would boycot next month’s general elections, dealing a huge blow to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League (AL)-led ruling alliance, of which it was a key partner.
“There exists no proper environment for the polls,” Ershad, a former army chief who ruled Bangladesh from 1982 to 1990, said, adding: “We will not participate in the upcoming elections,” as most opposition parties had decided to stay away.
His announcement came a day after the deadline for submitting nomination papers for the 10th parliamentary election expired.
Ershad said the decision was also taken considering that most political parties including those in the main opposition alliance were not taking part in the election.
The Jatiya Party is the third largest after the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). It quit the AL-led alliance last month to join the polls-time interim cabinet.
Earlier, all ministers decided to form an all-party interim government headed by Hasina.
Despite the opposition threat to boycott, the Bangladesh Election Commission announced that the country’s 10th parliamentary election will be held on Jan 5, 2014.
To protest against the poll schedule, the BNP enforced a series of countrywide road, and railway blockade since Nov. 26.
No candidate from former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s BNP and its 17 allies including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party has submitted nomination paper. The deadline for submission of nomination papers was Dec. 2.
“BNP-led main opposition alliance will boycott the general elections organised by Hasina’s government,” said a senior party leader.
Zia has asked Hasina to bring back a non-party caretaker system, or else the opposition won’t participate in the next election because it fears an election without the non-party caretaker government will not be free and fair. (IANS)