Govt urged to resolve political crisis thru’ talks

Demanding an immediate fresh and participatory national election, BNP standing committee member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman on Tuesday asked the government how long it wants to hang onto power after assuming office through an election of mere constitutional formality. “The constitutional continuation has been maintained with the January 5 election. Two to three months have elapsed since the polls. Now how long you will be there in office in the name of protecting the constitution,” he said. Mahbubur Rahman came up with the remarks at a discussion, titled ‘Upazila polls and current democracy’, at the Jatiya Press Club arranged by All Community Forum. He urged the government to take initiatives for resolving the political crisis through talks. The BNP leader said there is no alternative to holding a fresh election soon to overcome the current crisis. He also criticised the election commission for its ‘subservient role’ and failure to ensure the security of the voters during the upazila polls, according to a news agency.