Rejecting the government’s initiative of forming an all-party polls-time administration, main opposition BNP on Monday said only the prime minister’s resignation and election under a non-partisan government would ease the prevailing political stalemate.
“We want to say clearly that we are rejecting the process that has begun through the resignation of the ministers for the formation of all-party polls time government. The government still has time in hand. If the prime minister resigns and initiates holding the next elections under a non-partisan government, only then the ongoing crisis will be resolved,” said Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, joint secretary general of BNP.
While briefing journalists at the party’s Nayapaltan office on Monday about the second day of the 84-hour nationwide hartal, Rizvi alleged that the prime minister’s move to form an all-party government would not bring any good for the country. “If the government walks that path, consequences will not be good.”
When asked what would be the opposition’s course of action if the government continued towards holding unilateral polls, Rizvi said: “Policymakers of the party will finalise the action programme.”
The BNP leader claimed that more than 500 were arrested, 14,000 injured and cases filed against over 5,000 opposition men on the second day of hartal on Monday.
Earlier in the day, Rizvi said the resignation of the ministers was not enough. “The prevailing problem will not be resolved until the prime minister resigns.”
Ministers submitted resignation letters to the prime minister on Monday.
Ruling party leaders said the resignations would lead to the formation of an all-party cabinet to oversee the upcoming national polls in January.
The all-party cabinet is a proposal of the ruling Awami League put forward by the premier herself. However, main opposition BNP still demands a neutral non-party administration for administering polls.