Awami League open to a change in Dhaka voting day, says Quader

Awami League leader Obaidul Quader has reiterated the ruling party's openness to the Dhaka city elections being moved to another date because of Saraswati Puja.

The Election Commission on Saturday called an emergency meeting as calls for the polls on Jan 30 to be rescheduled.

And speaking to the media ahead of the EC meeting, Quader said, "The Election Commission is a constitutional body. This is a matter for them to decide. They can resolve the issue through discussions."

"We've said before that neither our government nor the party have any objection to a change in voting day. We have made clear our position on this."

The road transport and bridges minister was hopeful that the EC would provide a realistic solution to the issue.

The EC fixed the Dhaka city polls for Jan 30 but the announcement was met with opposition from the Puja Udjapon Parishad and the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian Unity Council as the voting day overlapped with Saraswati Puja, slated for Jan 29 and 30 in the Bangladesh calendar.

The Dhaka University Central Students’ Union or DUCSU has also urged the EC to shift the vote but the calls went unheeded. Lawyer Ashok Kumar Ghosh later moved the High Court seeking a stay on the elections but the court turned down the writ petition.

Meanwhile, a group of Dhaka University students have gone on hunger strike demanding a change in the polling date while a platform of Hindus in Bangladesh also announced that they will boycott the elections if it is held on the day of the puja.