No scope for AL to join polls, says CA’s Press Secretary

Staff Reporter :

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Friday said there is no possibility for the Awami League to participate in the upcoming general election scheduled for February next year.
Speaking to journalists after visiting the July Memorial at Nabhanga Park in Magura, built in memory of those killed in the July Mass Uprising of 2024, Alam said the Election Commission had repeatedly made it clear that the Awami League was not eligible to take part in the polls.

“The Election Commission has said several times that Awami League cannot contest the election. There is no pressure on the government in this regard—neither from home nor abroad. No one is asking that they be brought back into the electoral process. On the contrary, many are surprised that even after such a large-scale massacre during the July Movement, they have shown no remorse,” Alam said.

The press secretary, however, voiced optimism that the forthcoming election would mark a new chapter in Bangladesh’s democratic journey.
“There is no pressure on the government over the February polls. All parties have reached a consensus. The most beautiful election in the history of the nation will be held,” he added.
Alam also confirmed that the July Memorial would soon be formally inaugurated in the presence of the advisers of the interim government.
On the question of the proposed referendum, he said that according to the decision of the National Consensus Commission, it may take place either before or after the national election, depending on the final decision of the government.
Commenting on the July Charter, he noted that all political parties had reached an agreement on it.
“Some parties that have not yet signed the charter have agreed to it in principle,” he said.
Referring to the recent amendment to the Representation of the People Order (RPO), Alam added that a ‘no vote’ option would be included to give voters the right to express disapproval even if there is only one candidate in a constituency.
The Chief Adviser’s press secretary’s comments come amid growing preparations for the February 2026 parliamentary election, which the interim administration led by Professor Muhammad Yunus has pledged will be held on schedule and in a free, participatory manner.
Political observers note that the exclusion of the Awami League from the electoral field—following the suspension of its registration earlier this year—marks an unprecedented shift in Bangladesh’s post-1991 democratic history.