Polls to be competitive, even without BNP: Quader

Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday said the next general election will be a competitive one even if BNP does not join it.

Speaking at the 22nd National Council of the Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB), he also termed unconstitutional, unnecessary and irrelevant Jatiya Oikya initiators’ 5-point demand, including installation of the neutral government, dissolution of parliament and deployment of army with magistracy power.

“We know there’ll be no shortage of competitors this time even if BNP doesn’t join the polls…all will get elected through contesting the polls,” he said.

Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, said 11th parliamentary elections will be held as per the Constitution. “There’s no scope to go beyond the Constitution.”

As his attention was drawn to Jukta Front and Jatiya Oikya Prokriya’s demand for dissolution of parliament before the polls, he said the national election will be held without dissolving parliament like neighbouring and other countries in the world.

About army deployment, the ruling party leader said, “We won’t say the army won’t be deployed in the next polls. If the situation demands, the army will be deployed. The government will take the decision on army deployment considering the practical situation and necessity if the Election Commission makes a request for it.”

Quader turned down the demand for reconstituting the Election Commission as she thinks the current one is working independently. “Even, there’s a BNP representative in it.”

Quader said Suhrawardy Udyan will remain open for all the registered political parties for their programmes from now on as the Prime Minister has given an instruction in this regard. “It’s now open for all, and police will give permission if any party wants to use it for their programmes.”

Source: unb