Staff Reporter :
Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has said there is no longer any doubt about the national election scheduled for February 12, calling recent public events at Purbachal clear proof of the country’s readiness for polls.
In a Facebook post from his verified account on Friday, Shafiqul Alam pointed to the massive turnout at the 300 Feet area in the capital, where record numbers of people gathered to welcome BNP Acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman, despite the season’s most severe cold wave.
He described the gathering as a strong sign of people’s political engagement and preparation for the upcoming election and referendum.
“The general election and the referendum are now just seven weeks away – 49 days. I never doubted that the elections could be held on time, though there were moments when I had to temper my enthusiasm.
Yesterday’s events, however, erased whatever lingering doubts critics had about whether the February 12 elections would take place as scheduled,” he said.
“A record breaking crowd defied season’s worst cold spell and gathered at the 300 Feet to greet BNP acting chairperson Tarique Rahman,” he continued.
Shafiqul Alam also said that nomination papers for the parliamentary election would be submitted within the next one or two days.
“It was a clear testament to the country’s readiness for an election. Within a day or two, nominations for the parliamentary polls will be submitted,” he added.
He noted that printing presses would soon operate at full capacity, while television channels would launch election-focused debates, the impact of which would reach villages across the country.
Concluding his post, the press secretary said, “Thousands of candidates will then return to their villages. Printing presses will roar into action. Television stations will begin election debates that reach all the way down to the village level.”
