Main opposition BNP on Tuesday protested Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s statement in the UK about holding the upcoming national polls, reiterating it should be held under a non-partisan interim government.
“I want to tell the prime minister that it is possible to talk about democracy sitting in London. However, in Bangladesh the election has to be held under a non-partisan interim government due to the massive lack of trust among the political parties,” Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam said at a “citizen’s meet" in the National Press Club.
“I want to ask her, are opposition leaders repressed there [in London]? It is impossible for leaders like Ilyas Ali, labour leaders, to disappear. Religious people are not killed there but this happens in Bangladesh, so let go of your ego and add the provision for a non-partisan interim government in the constitution heeding to the demand by the people who have already given a verdict in favour.”
During a meeting with peers and British MPs at her hotel in United Kingdom on Monday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the next elections in Bangladesh would follow the other parliamentary democracies across the world.
Fakhrul alleged that the government was bearing the cost of the prime minister’s visit to London to participate in her niece's wedding. “We do not have an objection about that, but we want to tell her that she still has the time to try and understand the vibe from the people.”
He continued to claim that the government had scrapped the caretaker government provision from the constitution using the High Court as an excuse because they knew that they would not be re-elected. “In the five city corporation polls, it has become clear that the government has become detached from the people.”
“Many experts in television are finding many reasons behind the defeat of Awami League candidates but none are pointing out the main reason. The main reason is that the government failed to solve the peoples’ problems in the last four years in office.”
Fakhrul alleged there is an ongoing conspiracy to destroy BNP and said: “It started in 1981 but these conspiracies did not succeed, but rather the masterminds had to leave the country.”
After the discussion, Fakhrul inaugurated a photo exhibition programme on Tarique Rahman which will continue until Wednesday.
