He warned: “Those who do not want the interim government to lead the nation to an election will make every effort to derail it. They will try to create a situation where the election cannot be held.”
He made the remarks on Tuesday after a meeting with leaders of seven political parties and Hefazat-e-Islam at the state guesthouse Jamuna. Briefing the press after the meeting, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said: “Yunus cautioned political parties and urged them to remain united to overcome all obstacles to the election.”
The chief adviser made it clear that the national election will be held in the first half of February, and power will be transferred to the elected government. He said: “This election is about standing on our own feet, about gaining courage. It is an election to establish our authority on our own soil. There must be no scope for interference from any other country.”
He added: “Those who could not vote before, or had bitter experiences while voting, this time we must create an environment of joy and festivity for them. No one should be able to say they were denied the right to vote.”
Mujibur Rahman Manju, president of Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party), told reporters after the meeting that the Chief Adviser admitted there are no officials in the administration with experience in conducting a neutral election.
“Most of them have witnessed fraudulent and one-sided polls,” Manju said. As a result, a proposal was made to appoint experienced individuals on a contractual basis.
He further noted that the lack of coordination within the government is creating various crises. Referring to the recent attack on Gono Odhikar Parishad leader Nurul Haque Nur and the incidents at Chittagong University, he said this was evident, and therefore proposed that the Chief Adviser hold a meeting with all ranks of law enforcement officials.
Rashed Khan, general secretary of Gono Odhikar Parishad, said the CA expressed surprise at the alleged conspiracy to make the Jatiya Party the official opposition. He claimed: “We have said that in the upcoming election, there can be no participation of the Awami League, Jatiya Party, or the 14-party alliance.”
During the meeting, the CA repeatedly urged political parties to stay united. He said: “There will be attempts to create division among us. But we must remain firm and cooperate with each other. This election will be a unique one. It is not just the election of the interim government, it is the election of all the people of this country.”
Advisers present at the meeting with seven political parties and Hefazat-e-Islam included Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud, Education Adviser C R Abrar, Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Industry Adviser Adilur Rahman, and Dr Asif Nazrul, among others.
