‘No polls in undemocratic set-up’

The BNP has accused the government of violating the electoral code of conduct after the release of the election schedule.

“The reconstituted cabinet formed by the Awami League-led Grand Alliance government has been running everything illegally and unconstitutionally,” alleges its acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

“This government has no right to govern the country,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

The main opposition party’s spokesperson further alleged that the Prime Minister and her ministers were continuing to enjoy all government facilities, despite the poll code coming into force.

He said the members of the cabinet were still taking policy decisions and signing agreements, which, he argued, that the code prohibits.

Fakhrul urged the Election Commission to postpone the election roadmap for the time and ensure participation of all political parties in next national polls.

“The people of Bangladesh will not accept the ‘one-sided, staged election’. They will realise their voting and democratic rights through agitation," he cautioned.

He alleged the ruling party was creating an ‘undemocratic environment’ by “repressing the Opposition” and said they were refusing to go to polls under such circumstances.

The BNP spokesperson explained the Opposition’s position in the statement released amid the 18-Party alliance’s nationwide blockade for 72-hours which began on Saturday.

Violence marked the blockade until Sunday. The opposition coalition last week had also enforced another 71-hour blockade starting from Nov 26.

More than 20 people were killed and hundreds injured across the country during the blockades marked by arson, vandalism, bomb blasts and clashes.

Fakhrul’s statement was the first since he had been sued in two cases of arson attacks in Dhaka.

He was last seen on Friday in front of the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters during the funeral prayers in absentia for those killed during the first Opposition blockade.

He referred to police raid and arrests of senior leaders there and denial of permission to hold rallies and said, “Conduction of election in this fully undemocratic situation is out of the question.”

He accused the Awami League of creating such situation to stay in power ‘forever’.

The Opposition has long been in the streets demanding a non-party polls-time government to oversee the parliamentary elections.

But the Awami League has formed an ‘all-party’ interim government and is preparing to hold the polls on Jan 5.

The government had called the BNP to join the interim cabinet, but the main opposition refused calling it ‘just a farce’.

‘Movement won’t stop’

Meanwhile, the BNP’s Joint Secretary General Salahuddin Ahmed has urged the Prime Minister to resign to end the crisis, because he said the repression on the Opposition will not stop its movement.

Ahmed became the party’s acting spokesperson after Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi was arrested on Saturday.

He on Sunday told bdnews24.com over phone: “The repressions, tortures, attacks and cases on us will strengthen our movement.”

“I will ask the government there is still time – release all leaders and activists, withdraw all the false cases, meet the demand for a non-party government... and you [Prime Minister] honourably submit your resignation to resolve the crisis.”

Ahmed termed the remarks of the government ministers and ruling party leaders regarding dialogue as ‘confusing’.

“This illegal government wants to hold a one-sided election, a farce. And the spineless Election Commission is nearly done with its preparations.”

“The government is speaking ambiguously on the issue of dialogue. The Prime Minister and her ministers are cheating the people.”

He condemned the police raid on the BNP headquarters.