AL not opposed to a change of Dhaka voting day: Quader

Awami League leader Obaidul Quader has called on the Election Commission to hold talks with leaders of the Hindu community in order to resolve the controversy surrounding the date of the Dhaka city elections as it coincides with Saraswati Puja.

"It's completely within the EC's jurisdiction to change the date of the election. They could change it if they want to. The Awami League or the government has nothing to do with it nor do we have any objections if it's changed," he said.

The road transport and bridges made the remarks at a media briefing at the Awami League offices in Dhanmondi on Friday.

The EC's decision to set the voting day on Jan 30, which the Bangladesh has marked as the second day of Saraswati Puja, has been decried by various social organisations with a group of Dhaka University students going on a hunger strike demanding a change of date.

A lawyer has also moved the apex court seeking a stay on the elections after the High Court turned down his writ petition to that end.

Quader told reporters that the election date was one of issues discussed at the meeting of the ruling party's secretariat on Friday.

"A senior leader in Dr Kamal Hossain said that the government has made a big mistake by scheduling the city corporation elections on the day of Saraswati Puja. But we didn't fix the date."

"The EC is a constitutional body with jurisdiction on such matters. The decide the date and schedule for elections. The government has no part in it therefore there's no logic in saying that the government has done wrong."