Bangladesh News

The Election Commission’s decision of not announcing the national polls schedule on November 2 as planned earlier has created fresh uncertainty over holding the parliamentary elections on December 18, said Awami League (AL) acting president Zillur Rahman yesterday.

“It is shocking that the Election Commission said the polls schedule will not be announced on November 2. It will create fresh uncertainty over holding the elections on December 18,” he told journalists at his Gulshan residence after a meeting with leaders of Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SKOP).

He said if the election is not held on December 18, the present political crisis will not end.

Asked whether the Supreme Court’s denial of bail yesterday to AL President Sheikh Hasina will create any uncertainty over her return, Zillur said there is no uncertainty about the former premier’s returning home.

Expressing frustration over the court decision, the AL leader said, “The denial of bail is unfortunate and it came as a shock to us.”

He also said Hasina will return home any day between November 1 and 7. However, Tofail Ahmed said Hasina will return home by November 10.

Zillur said Hasina had been denied bail at a time when everybody thought that she would be able to contest the elections.

AL presidium member Tofail Ahmed who was present at the briefing said there is no alternative to elections and it must be held on December 18.

“If the elections are not held on December 18, there will be serious political and economic crises in the country,” he said.

Tofail said the caretaker government has to remove all barriers to holding the elections on December 18.

If needed the government should hold elections as per the old electoral boundaries of constituencies, he said.

The attorney general opposed Hasina’s bail prayer strongly, but they did not oppose BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s bail petition, Tofail added.