EC’s letter to BNP a part of govt’s polls strategy: Fakhrul

Staff Reporter :
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said that the Election Commission’s invitation to BNP to talk was nothing but the government’s latest election strategy.
He alleged that the government wants to hold another election depriving people of their voting rights with such strategy.
“Could anyone cast vote in the past? The govt are going to start that deed again. There’s a lot of pressure this time as the foreigners are saying that the voting like the previcus won’t be accepted this time,” Mirza Fakhrul said.
That’s why the Awami League is devising new tactics. The Election Commission sent us a letter as part of the government’s newest strategy,” Mirza Fakhrul said it while speaking at a
discussion arranged by BNP at Mohanagar Natya Mancha, marking the Independence Day.
He said that their party’s standing committee would hold a meeting on Monday and take a decision on the EC’s letter.
Earlier on Thursday, chief election commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal sent a demi-official letter to the BNP secretary general for taking part in a views-exchange meeting on the next national election.
The current EC, led by Awal, held two rounds of talks with the political parties since its formation last year. However, BNP and some other political parties did not participate in the talks.
Mirza Fakhrul questioned the justification of the EC’s talks with the political parties when it has no power to control the administration for ensuring a credible election.
“The previous Commission had spent cores of taka on only training purposes,” the BNP leader said.
He suggested the current EC looking for such a scope to make money instead of thinking about the national election. ‘Don’t belittle yourself by unnecessarily saying all these things about the national election.’
Mirza Fakhrul said that the election would not be held in a fair and neutral manner if Awami League remains in power during the voting.
“It has already been proved not only in the national elections but also in local government polls. So come to the real point without doing this exercise (holding talks) unnecessarily. The real point is that the caretaker government must remain in plae during the election period.”
He also said that the country’s people would not accept the election if it is not held under a non-party caretaker government.
He said that Awami League has been playing a game in a planned way to hang onto power by regulating the EC, administration and law enforcement agencies.
The BNP leader said that the current government has destroyed the country through widespread plundering and corruption.
Mirza Fakhrul said the Padma Bridge has been repaired though it has not been a year since it was opened to traffic. “The layer of bitumen used on the road of the bridge is getting damaged. This is a sample of their development.”
Fakhrul urged the government to quit power and dissolve parliament with dignity by handing over power to a non-party caretaker government, paving the way for holding a credible national election under a new election commission.