BNP rejects new parliament, demands fresh polls
On the day of holding the session of new parliament, opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has demanded a fresh election under a neutral government.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir raised the demand from human chain programme the party organised in front of the National Press Club on Wednesday morning.
“The Awami League had established a one-party rule in 1975 killing democracy. They’ve now formed a government and parliament without the people’s mandate, violating the people’s basic rights, ruining democratic institutions, using the state machinery and resorting to terrorism to restore its one-party rule,” he said.
He further said, “We rejected the election results just after the voting. Today, we renew our demand for fresh elections cancelling the election results so that a government and parliament can be formed with the people’s verdict.”
The 11th parliamentary election was held on 30 December. The Awami League and allies won almost 290 out of 300 seats in the elections plagued by allegations of rigging, ballot stuffing, intimidation and arrest.
UNB reports: Leaders and followers of the party formed the human chain around 10:30 am in front of the National Press Club, 30 minutes before the scheduled time and ended it around 11:56am.
BNP leaders–Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Abdul Moyeen Khan Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain – among others, addressed the programme.
The party leaders and activists chanted various slogans demanding fresh elections and the release of the BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.
A huge number of law enforcers were deployed around the press club.
The maiden session of the 11th parliament was scheduled to begin at 3:00pm on Wednesday. The AL president, prime minister Sheikh Hasina formed her cabinet for the third consecutive term.
