BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday said their party has no interest in the dialogue that the new Election Commission (EC) has initiated ahead of the 12th parliamentary elections.
"We said earlier that we are not involved in this EC formation process in any way, and we won’t be involved in any dialogue of it,” he said.
Talking to reporters after placing wreaths at BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s grave, Fakhrul also said it is not possible for even a good EC to hold a free, fair and impartial election if the government is not neutral during the election period.
“That is why we are not interested in dialogue. We have no headache about who is invited to the talks and who is not or who will be joining it, and who isn’t and what they are saying. Our only demand is the presence of a neutral government during the election period,” the BNP leader said.
Earlier in the morning, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal sat in talks with 15 civil society members as part of the Commission’s ongoing dialogue to prepare for a roadmap for the national elections.
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Although 40 civil society members were invited to the dialogue, only 15 of them took part in it.
The BNP earlier refrained for proposing any names for the EC search committee.
In the political context of Bangladesh, Fakhrul, a former state minister, said it is important what kind of government will remain in power during the election period.
He said the absence of many invited guests in the talks has proved that the civil society also has no interest in it because of their previous experience: "We have had experiences from the last two or three elections as well as the local government polls that no election can be held without an impartial government.”
Fakhrul said people have been in a movement for the reduction of prices of essential commodities and protesting the increase in prices of gas, electricity and water. "We are totally against any increase in the prices of gas, electricity and water, as we consider such an initiative as an anti-people move," he added.
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He said people across the country are already struggling to cope with the soaring prices of essential commodities. "If the prices of water, electricity and gas are increased now, then the prices of all commodities will go up further. We don’t support it in any way,” said Fakhrul.
He urged the government to back off from its move to increase the price of gas.
Fakhrul along with the leaders and followers of Zia Parishad went to Zia's grave around 11:30am and placed wreaths there, marking the organization's 34th founding anniversary.