Claiming that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s remark that a democratic government can hold an election anytime as an indication for snap polls, Bangladesh Nationalist Party spokesman Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday said the government has started conceding to their demand.
“The prime minister on Friday said her press conference that a democratic government can arrange polls anytime. We think, she with the comment, apparently accepted people’s demand for an early election. The government has started bowing down to the mass demand,” he said.
Addressing a press briefing, Fakhrul, also the BNP acting secretary general, said people want to see a representative government in power. “We hope the government will hold an inclusive election very soon.”
The press briefing was arranged at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office after a joint meeting of the party.
Earlier on Thursday, the prime minister addressing a press conference on her recent United Arab Emirates (UAE) tour said as per the parliamentary democratic system, any government has the right to call election anytime, and it can be before the expiry of its tenure or on completion of that.
Fakhrul said the prime minister’s remarks demonstrated that she has started realising the country’s people want a national election as soon as possible. “That’s why, we think her comment over the election is significant.”
He said their party will join the polls if the government holds a free and fair election with the participation of all parties.
The BNP leader also claimed that BNP is progressing with preparations both for the election and movement.
He claimed that there has been no success in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s tour of the UAE as she has failed to sign any deal with the oil-rich nation on manpower export from Bangladesh.
Fakhrul alleged that the prime minister at her press conference has given different ‘false’ statements about BNP.
As his attention was drawn to the criticism by Ghulam Azam’s son Abdullahil Aman Azmi over BNP’s silence about his father’s death, the BNP spokesman said he was not taking the issue seriously as it was personal comment of the ex-Jamaat ameer’s son.
Mentioning that they have an electoral alliance with Jamaat, Fakhrul said Jamaat did not give any reaction to it. “So, we’re not ready to make any comment on it.”
Azmi in a post on his Facebook account, said, “Sadly enough, their (BNP’s) silence on the death of the founder Ameer of the party, and spiritual Guru till his death, is utterly unexpected and unacceptable!”
Source: Prothom Alo
