Khaleda says she won’t budge on demand for ‘impartial govt for polls’

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, whose party boycotted the 2014 general election, says the party will not budge on its demand for an ‘impartial election-time government’.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 3 Feb 2018, 10:39 AM
Updated : 3 Feb 2018, 01:42 PM

The BNP chief demanded the dissolution of the current government before the next general election.

“Shun hostility and hooliganism and create a peaceful environment,” she said, addressing the current Awami League government.

“We will not retaliate.”

Khaleda demands:

>>A general election presided over by an impartial, election-time government

>>The establishment of an environment where the people can vote

>>Ensuring the participation of all political parties

>>Dissolving parliament before the elections

>>The deployment of the military before the polls

>>An impartial Election Commission

>>A ban on the use of electronic voting machines

BNP leaders have repeatedly said the people would not accept elections without an impartial election-time government.

The ruling Awami League says the coming election will be conducted in the same way as the 2014 polls and warned the BNP it would be finished in politics if it did not participate.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has declared that the coming polls would be conducted at the end of this year according to the constitution under a government under her leadership.

She claimed the BNP’s demands for a ‘supportive’ government were unconstitutional.

Khaleda told BNP leaders to organise peaceful programmes to ‘restore democracy’ at the meeting at Le Meridien hotel on Saturday.

“Our protests will be peaceful, lawful and democratic. And I will invite the people to take part in these peaceful and democratic programmes.”