B’desh: BNP says democracy not restored, uncertainty about free and fair polls

Dhaka, Aug 21 (IANS) Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has said that democracy has not been restored in the country, and free and fair elections are still not ensured, local media reported on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference at the BNP central office in Dhaka on Wednesday, the party’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, “Our work is not finished yet, democracy has not been restored yet, we may have to cross a more dangerous path to restore that democracy. For this reason, leaders and activists of all levels of our party and nationalist forces are ready.”

“Our free and fair elections are not yet assured. We hear about various conspiracies. We hear about various master plans,” leading Bangladeshi daily Jugantor quoted the BNP leader as saying.

Meanwhile, BNP senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan also called the demand by some political parties to introduce a proportional representation (PR) election system in the next national election “unrealistic and suspicious.”

“When such insistence is placed on this matter (PR), it creates doubts that this could be an unreasonable attempt, leading to serious negative consequences for holding the election,” said Khan.

He said that to apply PR in the upcoming elections, there was a need to amend the Constitution, which is not possible before the elections.

“Even if you agree on introducing PR, you still cannot apply it in the coming election, because the constitution would need to be amended first. Only parliament has the authority to do that. So, if you want to introduce it at all, it would only be possible in the following election,” he added.

On the other hand, the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami called for the implementation of the PR system for the upper and lower houses of parliament and recently threatened to launch a movement to press home the demand.

Earlier on August 19, Asif Nazrul, the Law Advisor to the interim government in Bangladesh, reaffirmed that the general elections will be held in February next year.

When asked regarding the prevailing confusion over holding elections, he asserted that the government remains determined to conduct the polls in February.

Last week, National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary said the polls slated for February next year cannot be held unless the reforms are completed.

Bangladesh has been gripped by uncertainty over the next general elections since the democratically elected government of Awami League, led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was overthrown during violent protests last year.

The parties that collaborated with Yunus to remove Hasina are now at loggerheads over reform proposals and the timing of the next polls.

–IANS

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