Govt won't do anything to lose its past glory in GCC polls: Tofail

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Advisory Council member of the ruling Awami League (AL) Tofail Ahmed, MP, Friday said the government would not do anything regarding the Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) polls that will blacken its past achievements, reports BSS. Highlighting on holding of all the recent polls including those of the just concluded elections to the country's four cities in a neutral manner, he said free, fair and neutral election will be held in Gazipur City though the main opposition BNP has been trying to make it controversial. Tofail Ahmed, a senior leader of AL, said this while speaking at a press conference at the political office of AL President at Dhanmondi in the city. Awami League convened the press conference in protest against the main opposition BNP's bid to make GCC polls controversial by adopting various propaganda tactics. Tofail Ahmed, also a senior parliamentarian of AL, said, "BNP does not want to win the election in Gazipur City but it wants a defeat in the poll in its bid to establish legitimacy of its demand for restoration of the caretaker system of government." He said the next national election would be held in accordance with the constitution. "I strongly believe that BNP will participate in that election," Tofail Ahmed added. Conveying his hope that the grand alliance-backed candidate will sweep the Gazipur City poll, the senior AL leader said, "Election to Gazipur City cannot be compared with the just concluded polls to the four cities including Barisal and Khulna cities as Gazipur is one of the strongholds of AL after Gopalganj." Tofail Ahmed said as and when BNP has sensed that there is a possibility of Awami League's poll victory in Gazipur, its leaders have adopted a propaganda tactics to make Gazipur poll controversial. He said, "A question has arisen in my mind whether they don't want a victory in Gazipur City following the concerted way of propaganda they (BNP leaders) have started centring the election. In the way they have been bringing various allegations; it can be presumed that their demand for caretaker government will be faded away." About BNP's demand for deployment of army in the election, the senior AL leader said, "Members of the Army can be deployed in Gazipur poll if the Election Commission thinks so. What the BNP leaders will say if Awami League sweeps the election after deployment of army? In reality, BNP has come up with the demand to make army controversial." Awami League organising secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, information and research affairs secretary Advocate Afzal Hossain, health and population affairs secretary Dr Badiuzzaman Bhuiyan Dublew, relief and social welfare affairs secretary Advocate Faridunnahar Laily, sports affairs secretary Dewan Shafiul Arefin Tutul, deputy office secretary Advocate Mrinal Kanti Das, central working committee leaders Aminul Islam Amin, Sujit Roy Nondi and Enamul Huq Shamim were present.