The BNP has asked the ruling coalition to install a non-partisan poll-time administration before asking it to take preparations for national elections.
Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam on Monday had asked the BNP to prepare with everything for the general elections, warning that forgoing it would prove ‘suicidal’ for the opposition.
Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s advisor Shamsuzzaman Dudu on Tuesday responded to Syed Ashraf’s suggestion.
“We’d like to tell [the government] that [the upcoming national] election will be held under a neutral body and Syed Ashraful Islam’s party Awami League will have to take part in it,” he said at a media call at the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters.
“Otherwise,” he warned, “They (the Awami League) will become detached from the public.”
Ashraf had said: “If anybody stays off the elections, it will be nothing but a political suicide for them.”
He, however, hoped the BNP would “come to its senses” and contest the polls.
Tuesday’s press briefing was organised on the latest situation on the first day of the 36-hour strike to press for the release of its top leaders.
Dudu claimed the people had been spontaneously observing the shutdown. He alleged over 170 opposition supporters were detained in the day with more than 290 injured in police action.
The BNP leader claimed ‘false cases’ had been filed against over 500 activists in the day.
He criticised mobile courts sentencing seven opposition activists to jail including Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal’s Vice President Nurjahan Mahbub, metropolitan unit’s Organising Secretary Mili Zakaria, Assitant Organising Secretary Nilufar Yasmin Nilu, Executive member Syed Dilara Islam Poli for various terms.
Dudu, who had been at the party headquarters since Monday night, alleged police and government people had attacked opposition supporters during its ‘peaceful strike’.
The Sheikh Hasina administration scrapped the caretaker government provision through the 15th Amendment to the Constitution in 2011 which effectively means the national election would be held under a partisan body.
Ever since, the BNP-led 18-Party alliance has been on the streets demanding restoration of the provision alleging polls under a party-led government would not be free and fair.
Amid the standoff between the two coalitions, various quarters, including foreign diplomats, have advocated talks between them.
In desperation, a lawyer has even moved the High Court for an order to get Awami League chief Hasina and BNP chief Khaleda Zia to sit and find a way out of the ‘political impasse’.
Khaleda recently turned down a ruling party proposal for talks and warned of tougher anti-government programmes.
Source: Bd news24
