After deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India, the political scenario has changed and all political parties are doing their politics accordingly except Hasina’s Awami League. Now, the main question is wandering among political leaders when the next parliamentary election will take place.
The main political party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has been demanding national elections after Nobel Laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus-led interim government assumed office on August 8 just three days after Sheikh Hasina’s government ousted on August 5.
BNP is now moving ahead with their political alliance. The party’s main target is to hold free, fair and credible elections.
Meanwhile, six leaders of BNP’s political allies were given letters asking to take preparations for contesting in the next general elections. Of them A S M Abdur Rob President of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal for Laxmipur-4 constituency, Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna for Bogura-2, Chief Coordinator of Ganosanhati Andolon Zonayad Saki for Dhaka-12, Ganoadhikar Parishad President Nurul Haq Nur for Patuakhali-3 and General Secretary Rashed for Jhenaidah-2 and Jatiya Dal Chairman Syed Ehsanul Huda for Kishreganj-5 were asked to take preparations for these constituencies. Apart from this, LDP Secretary General Shahdat Hossain has been asked verbally to take preparations for Laxmipur-1 constituency.
Besides, the BNP leaders and activists of that constituencies have been asked to assist the leaders of the alliance.
Senior leaders of the party observed that if the next general polls are held in new system, it will give benefit to some political parties and at the same time some political parties will be looser. So, BNP will oppose the proportionate polls system.
Regarding the issue, BNP standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told The South Asian Times: “We are still asking the interim government to arrange the polls within shortest possible of time. Though we have endorsed a logical time for the polls as it should be acceptable to all. At the same time some reforms should be made before and after of the polls. Now, reforms before elections are going on.”
He added: “We think that only way to solve the prevailing crisis in the country is to hold elections and the elected government should be formed.”
Another standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy told The South Asian Times: “We want that parliament and government will be formed through a free, fair and credible election where people will cast vote freely and this was the main spirit of the mass reprising. We are waiting for the reforms and then we will do our activities in future what we did in the past. As we are ready to embrace death, so nobody can kill us.”
In response to a question over President, he said, “We don’t have any sympathy to the incumbent president. But we are doubtful what situation will be happened after the President is removed.”
In response to question over the relation with the interim government, BNP Vice chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu told The South Asian Times: “There is no scope to create distance with the government and it should not be. Because, there is all-out support to the government from the party and that’s why we did not fixed any date or time for the next general polls rather we have told about reasonable time for the same.”
On the other hand, BNP’s senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told The South Asian Times that no distance is created between the party (BNP) and the incumbent government. “But, we want that the government will announce a roadmap for the elections within a shortest possible of time.”
He also observed: “If the election roadmap announcement is delay, the mass uprising will be an unsuccessful one. So, our main target is free, fair and credible elections and people of the country are eagerly waiting for this.”