Bangladesh News

BNP Chairperson and immediate past prime minister Khaleda Zia last night met President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed, urging him to start the electoral process, including announcement of the election schedule, immediately.

“We asked the president and chief adviser to start the election process and announce the election schedule without delay,” BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said at a press conference referring to the discussion with the caretaker government chief at Bangabhaban.

“We also inquired him about the progress of the preparation for the upcoming election,” Bhuiyan said, adding that the election process has to be completed before 15 days of the 90-day tenure of the caretaker government.

The high-power BNP delegation led by Khaleda also told Iajuddin that the BNP will keep supporting the caretaker government if it goes by the constitution.

“The task of the caretaker government is to carry out routine work and cooperate with the Election Commission,” Bhuiyan said.

The BNP chairperson’s first meeting with the chief adviser took place at a time when the caretaker government is under tremendous pressure to end the existing political deadlock through reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC).

From the outset, the BNP and its allies have been vehemently opposing the move to reconstitute the EC through removal of the chief election commissioner (CEC). The top leaders of the alliance have also been critical of the caretaker government for initiating the move for reconstitution of the EC.

Meanwhile, the council of advisers to the caretaker government yesterday sat at an emergency meeting to find out ways to resolve the ongoing crisis.

The advisers sat first in the morning and discussed over two hours before adjourning the meeting until 9:00pm. The BNP chairperson met the chief adviser in the evening.

Sources said the BNP delegation at the meeting strongly opposed the caretaker government’s move to reconstitute the EC.

The BNP leaders also discussed the issue of transferring the civil servants.

The former ruling party leaders expressed dissatisfaction over the caretaker government’s moves to sack and transfer government officials who are not related with the election process.

“The civil administration is about to disintegrate completely due to massive transfer within it,” Mannan Bhuiyan told the press, adding, “A large number of officials have been transferred although their jobs are not related with the election.

“Termination of a few government officials were even beyond the capacity of the caretaker government,” Bhuiyan said.

Replying to a query, Bhuiyan said the president assured them that he will look into the matter.

The BNP high command also urged the president to take necessary steps to maintain law and order and to protect life and property of the people.

On the 14-party demand for termination of the CEC and three other election commissioners, he said, “This is not our concern…We asked the chief adviser to run the caretaker government as per the constitution in all matters.”

The BNP delegation, which entered the Bangabhaban at 6:40pm and emerged from it at 8:40pm, included BNP Standing Committee members Saifur Rahman, Dr Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, KM Obaidur Rahman, Moudud Ahmed, Tanveer Ahmed Siddiqui, vice-presidents MK Anwar, Tariqul Islam and M Shamsul Islam.