The Election Commission (EC) has announced the roadmap for the upcoming national parliamentary elections, setting the schedule for December and the polls for the first week of February.
Following Thursday’s announcement, leaders of various political parties shared their reactions with Dhaka Tribune.
BNP Standing Committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, in his immediate reaction, said: “The election roadmap has been announced. We see this as a positive step. We hope Bangladesh will soon return to the path of democracy.”
However, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami expressed dissatisfaction. Its Nayeb-e-Ameer, Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, said: “It would have been better if the roadmap had included final decisions regarding the election process and reforms. Therefore, there are still concerns about the possibility of a free and fair election.”
On the other hand, the Ganadhikar Parishad welcomed the move. Its General Secretary Rashed Khan said: “We welcome the government’s declared roadmap. We hope this will be the fairest election in the history of Bangladesh. For those who had doubts about the February election, this roadmap has removed such uncertainty.”
In a statement sent to the media, Ganosamhati Andolan’s Chief Coordinator Zonayed Saki said: “Justice, reforms, and elections are our foremost national priorities at this moment. The roadmap announced by the Election Commission is essentially the formal announcement of the interim government’s election roadmap. We welcome this declaration. Instead of giving importance to fears of election sabotage or disruption, all stakeholders involved in the electoral process must work to ensure that no such scope is created.