BNP won't take part in polls under emergency: Khaleda

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BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia came down hard on the interim rulers in a radio interview Thursday, saying her party wanted to free the people of the country from the misrule of the government, which was "like a nightmare for the common people", reports bdnews24.com.
In an exclusive interview to German international radio Deutsche Welle, made available to bdnews24.com, Khaleda said BNP was ready and willing to take part in elections, but not under emergency.
The former Prime Minister also expressed the view that the present caretaker government was not popular at all and was like a nightmare for the common people.
"This so-called caretaker government has terrorised the people. It wanted to depoliticise the country too, but failed."
"Coarse rice selling at Tk 40 symbolises the zenith of this government's achievement.
The caretaker government's tenure has been a veritable nightmare to the nation."
She said the only way to come out of the situation created by the present government was to hold elections.
Asked if BNP would run the elections, she said: "Polls are the most rational way out of this deplorable state and that's why we want to participate in the elections.
"But one must have a 'level playing field' for running the election race and the caretaker government has to do it through lifting the emergency.
"The elections just can't be free or fair unless the shadows of emergency are lifted."
On BNP's aspirations from the polls, she said, "We would like to go for election and not selection. We are fully prepared to participate in the polls.
We are ready and willing to take part in the elections in order to achieve this goal. We would like to free the people of the country from the misrule of the present government.
"BNP's slogan in the upcoming polls will be: 'Save the country, save people'."
Criticising the present government, Khaleda said, "The country has plunged into darkness and witnessed precarious downward trends in the social, economic and political arenas."
The ninth national polls have been scheduled for December 18.
While BNP is saying time and again that they will not run the elections before their seven-point charter of demands is met, their chief contenders Awami League is gearing up in full swing for the polls.
Meanwhile, UNB adds: BNP Secretary General Khondoker Delwar Hossain said Friday that BNP would take the decision about taking part in the parliamentary elections as soon as the government accepted their demands.
"Out of our 7-point demand the government has accepted six points, but none of the six demands has been met yet…this raises question about the government's sincerity on holding the elections," he told reporters at his NAM flat before departing for his hometown Manikganj.
Replying to a question, Delwar said the BNP had all preparations to go to the elections. Now it depended on the government and the Election Commission to clear the way for his party to contest the polls.
Asked whether BNP wanted deferment of the election date from December 18, he said: "We will not say that but the government will have to take the decision about ensuring free and fair elections."