Main opposition BNP has said deploying army in the “farcical elections” is unnecessary and accused the “incompetent” Election Commission of trying to use the force against the country’s people.
In a press briefing at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office yesterday, BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said: “We were surprised by the news of deploying the patriotic members of the armed forces in an election that has become a farce because representatives had been elected uncontested in more than half of the constituencies and chances of competition are slim in the remaining seats.
“The incompetent Election Commission has become a tool for the government to fulfil its wishes. The Election Commission has taken stance against the people. An evil attempt is on to use the army, who always stands beside the country’s people at times of distress, against the people. We strongly condemn this evil attempt by the Election Commission.”
Deploying army was unnecessary because there was no participation of people and the national and international community had already boycotted the polls, Nazrul explained.
On the prime minister’s statement that her government would dissolve the 10th parliament and hold fresh polls if the BNP cut ties with Jamaat-e-Islami and stopped violence, he said: “It is clear from the prime minister’s speech that an evil attempt is on to mislead people, who have been participating in the [opposition’s] movement. People will step into their trap.”
Nazrul also rejected the prime minister’s offer for talks after the 10th general elections. “We were never interested in talks on the 11th elections. We believe that the prime minister has herself closed the doors for any agreement by making such a comment.”
The BNP leader also slammed Awami League lawmakers and ministers for not submitting wealth statements in the past five years although it was one of their electoral pledges. “It seems that all the ruling party leaders and ministers got Aladdin’s lamp,” he said.
Nazrul claimed that one had been killed and 325 arrested on the first day of the ongoing 83-hour blockade enforced by the BNP-led opposition alliance.
