Bangladesh News

Awami League (AL)-led 14-party coalition yesterday rejected an alternative proposal offered by the negotiating team of advisers in the face of an ongoing impasse in implementing the previously negotiated package deal due to Election Commissioner SM Zakaria’s intransigence to going on a leave of absence.
The alternative proposal offered sending of Election Commissioners SM Zakaria and Modabbir Hossain on leaves of absence but no appointment of new election commissioners.

“We had given a 24-hour ultimatum which already expired. But the caretaker government is rather offering us an alternative proposal. We have asked them to come up with a decision immediately,” 14-party coordinator Abdul Jalil told a press briefing at AL’s Dhanmondi office in the capital.

As the advisers were discussing to take their decision, for this reason we have been refraining from declaring our final decision, Jalil, also AL general secretary, said adding that they would formally announce their further programmes today. He also said the caretaker government (CG) would be responsible if the package deal negotiated between them is not implemented.

On Friday the 14-party and its allies issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the CG to implement fully the package deal and said otherwise it will not be possible for them to participate in the next general election within the stipulated 90 days. The alliance also threatened to go for tough movements including non-stop sit-in demonstrations around Bangabhaban.

Jalil said the negotiating advisers contacted with AL president Sheikh Hasina and offered the alternative proposal. But his party chief told them that they have been bringing new proposals one after another only to mislead the people and to push the nation into uncertainty.

“There is no scope to discuss any alternative proposal. You [advisers] just let us know about your decision over implementing the package deal that you had given us and we will let you know about our decision,” Jalil quoted the AL chief as saying.

The AL leader said the Election Commission (EC) is not updating and correcting the voter list as per the decision of the CG. He demanded that the EC gives instruction to its field level staff to prepare a draft of the voter list immediately.

Jalil said a correct voter roll is a prerequisite for holding a free and fair election. “We have instructed our leaders and workers to assist the field level staff of the Election Commission in preparing a correct voter roll,” Jalil added.

About reshuffling of the administration by the CG, he said the move had no effect in the field level, adding that the CG has still not removed the directors general of NSI, DGFI and Ansar Battalion despite their repeated demands.

Jalil urged his political counterpart BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan to come forward to hold a free and fair election to save the country. Referring to Bhuiyan’s statement over 14-party’s demand for EC reconstitution, Jalil said if the demand is unconstitutional and illogical then why four-party agreed in principle with the advisers’ proposal of reconstituting the EC.

He said BNP-Jamaat alliance has long been conspiring to come back to power through holding a farcical election. “But we are demonstrating for a free and fair election,” he added.

Senior leaders including Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Motia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Obaidul Quader, Rashed Khan Menon, Akhtaruzzaman, Abdul Mannan, and Dilip Barua were present at the briefing.