BNP seeks election roadmap, new EC based on political consensus

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Saturday called upon the Chief Adviser to interim government, Prof Muhammad Yunus, to announce a roadmap of the election along with the formation of a new election commission based on the consensus of major political parties.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir informed it to the media after holding a dialogue with Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Younus at the State Guest House Jamuna in the capital.

"We (BNP) have had a very fruitful discussion with Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Younus. We sought election roadmap to the Chief Adviser. We also called upon the interim government to cancel elections of union parishads (UPs). Besides, we discussed the law related to the NID and the authority was given to the ministry of home affairs in this regard," he said.

"We also called upon the chief adviser of the interim government to reconstitute the Election Commission after consultation with the main political parties by withholding Establishment of Election Commission Law," he stated.

"We further urged the interim government to take actions against those responsible for holding all farcical elections (held during Awami League)," he said.

"We called upon the interim government to remove the collaborators of Awami League from the administration," he said.

Mr Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that BNP also talked about trial of those involved in the mass killings during the July -August student-mass uprising against the Sheikh Hasina-led fascist regime.

"Twenty judges who were appointed by the then Awami League government are still in their respective positions. We urged the interim government to remove them," he said.

"Besides, we also called upon the interim government not to give bail to those against whom specific allegations of killing and corruption were reported. We also called for withdrawing all the false and ghosts cases filed (against political leaders during Awami League government)," he continued.

"Sheikh Hasina is hatching conspiracy against the country sitting in India. We called upon the interim government to take measures immediately after discussion with the Indian government," he maintained.

A six-member delegation of BNP sat for the dialogue with Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus on Saturday afternoon.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir led his party during the dialogue. The dialogue started at 2:30pm and lasted near about an hour. This was the third round of dialogue of the chief adviser with the political parties.

BNP standing committee members Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan and Salah Uddin Ahmed were present during the dialogue.

In another development, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Saturday that his party did not want to see "minus two formula" again that surfaced after the 1/11 government changeover.

"We are giving time to the interim government and if needed we will give more time. But how long? We will give time until so long that will pave the way for holding a free and fair national election," he said at a teachers rally at Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh in the capital.

"We (BNP) don't want to see depoliticisationin in the country. We also don't want to see minus two formula. We don't like to see terrorism. We just want to see liberal democracy," he said.

"The present change over in the country happened after sacrifices of bloods of many people. We have achieved a temporary victory and we must be steadfast to preserve that. The ongoing/ present time is very crucial," he said.

He said that many people started coming on the streets for realising their demands (accumulated during the last 15 years) after the changeover of the government.

He said that people gave money by selling their lands to the then Awami League members of parliament (MPs) for getting jobs.

"The nation will be frustrated heavily if we fail to bring about changes in the country," he cautioned.

Calling upon the BNP leaders and activists he said "We shouldn't think that BNP has already got the power. We are yet to get over the power. So we should remain united".

He said that the then Awami League government has destroyed the country's education system. "Even after 53 years of the country's independence, education sector remains as one of the weakest sector in the country," he maintained.

"The party (Awami League) that has claimed to be the front runner of democracy is responsible for destroying the democracy. The fallen Awami League government has created piles of discriminations in the country. We have mentioned all problems and their solutions in our 31- point charter," he stated.

"The ghost of corruption must be removed. Otherwise nothing would be achieved. We didn't fail rather we have achieved victory in the past and this time we will win again," he said with a note of confident.

[email protected]