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Download PDF The BNP-led four-party alliance will not participate in the August 4 polls to city corporations and municipalities if the government does not meet its demands including withdrawal of the state of emergency.
“There’s no question of legitimising the government by taking part in a farcical election,” BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain told reporters after a meeting of the alliance yesterday.
He reiterated the call for holding the parliamentary election first and asked the government to create an atmosphere conducive to free and fair polls by lifting the state of emergency and releasing all political leaders behind bars.
The meeting held at the Baridhara residence of Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) Chairman Andaleeve Rahman Partho was presided over by Delwar and attended by senior leaders of BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, BJP and Islami Oikya Jote.
Asked about the decision on local elections, the BJP chairman told The Daily Star last night that lifting emergency is a must for any election to go ahead.
“Why worry about participation of the political parties if the local body polls are non-political?” he questioned.
Queried what would be their final decision when the closing date (July 3) for submitting nominations is approaching fast, the BNP secretary general said, “We will consider contesting the polls only if our demands are met, and the time has not yet run out.”
Asked about the party leaders preparing for the local polls, he said, “It would be solely their responsibility if they choose to run for the polls while the party would decide on its own whether to participate or not.”
Criticising Awami League (AL) for its decision to participate in the polls, Delwar said, “It shows that the present government came to power with the connivance of Awami League.”
He said AL says it’s joining the elections to restore democracy, but people know how it had destroyed democracy after independence and also became party to a rigged election in 1986.
“Some countries and quarters who are the brains behind this government want it to stay longer in power, and they have chosen Awami League and some other parties to implement their plans,” he observed.
Addressing AL, he said, “Refrain from participating in the elections for temporary gains and at the expense of independence and sovereignty of the country.”
Calling on the authorities to send BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s detained sons Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko abroad for treatment, he said, “What they [government] are bargaining for anyway? BNP won’t trade the interests of people for anything.”
Delwar also demanded release of all political leaders and mentioned the names of Khaleda Zia, Motiur Rahman Nizami, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Tariqul Islam and MK Anwar.
Moments afterwards, he said, “You [journalists] might ask me if I’m demanding release of corruptionists. No, we don’t want that. And neither do we accept politically motivated trials under the emergency power rules.”
The BNP secretary general said they would accept a judgment only if the case is tried by an independent court and the highest court upholds that decision.
The four-party alliance demanded cancellation of the polls schedule immediately after their announcement on June 20.
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