Opposition BNP on Wednesday alleged that the government has chosen the path of holding a stage-managed election only in fear of losing power in the polls under a non-party administration.
“A few days back, the Prime Minister said in parliament that a polls-time interim government would be formed after the expiry of this regime’s tenure and opposition could join it if they wished, but no now she has made a u-turn in fear of losing power,” said BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
The BNP spokesman said a massive debacle in the elections to five city corporations has prompted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to change her mind as she is now telling she will not budge even a hair’s breadth from her stanch to hold the polls under a partisan administration.
He warned that BNP-led 18-party alliance will not participate in any stage-managed polls under the current regime. “The country’s people also won’t allow holding such an election.”
Fakhrul was addressing a workers’ meeting of the party at Samurai Convention Centre in the city’s Panthapath area jointly arranged by Kalabagan, Dhanmondi and New Market thana units of Dhaka city BNP.
The BNP leader claimed that non-party caretaker government was an acceptable system to people and said the government has scrapped it using their majority in parliament only to cling to power.
Terming the incumbent Election Commission a government subservient institution, he said the commission has started saying they are ready to arrange the next polls soon after the Prime Minister’s announcement to hold it under a party government.
In a bid to put the party leaders and activists on a war mood for waging a strong movement, Fakhrul, “Forget about any conflict and differences of opinion, get ready for a harder movement. It’s now our main responsibility to establish a non-party caretaker government by ousting the current regime.”
He also criticised the government for what he said its repressive acts and filing of false cases against the opposition leaders and activists to suppress them. “The government can’t finally resist its fall by resorting to repressive measures. They must concede to people’s demand.”
Dhaka city unit BNP convener Sadeque Hossain Khoka, member secretary Abdus Salam, joint convener Abu Sayeed Khan Khokan and Anwaruzzaman, among others, spoke at the meeting.
Source: UNB Connect
