Next polls under Hasina, says Ashraf

Awami League (AL) General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam Monday said the next general election would surely be held under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and there was no alternative to that, reports UNB.

"The next election will be held under Sheikh Hasina…there's no alternative to it," he told a mammoth public rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in the city.

The ruling party organised the rally, marking the Homecoming Day of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Hasina, also president of Awami League (AL), was the chief guest at the rally held with AL presidium member and Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury in the chair.

Ashraf said BNP could boycott the next election. "If you (Khaleda) boycott the election once again, there'll be no existence of your party," he said.

About the unopposed election of some MPs in the last general election, Ashraf said the elected MPs were not responsible for that.  "Did the MPs ask them (BNP) not to participate in the election? Had those MPs restricted them (from participating in the polls)?" he questioned.

The AL leader said they (BNP) had decided on their own not to participate in the election.

Mr Ashraf said an election is not a milad or a picnic party that people would be invited to it. "If you're a political party it's your duty to participate in the election. Now you'll have to accept your fault," he said.

He also criticised a section of newspapers for publishing such news that portrait that the government did not allow Khaleda Zia to participate in the election.