Dhaka, November 11
Bangladesh’s main opposition BNP, led by imprisoned ex-premier Khaleda Zia, on Sunday said it would participate in the General Election next month, after it boycotted the 2014 polls that returned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League to power due to fears of rigging.
Opposition parties have expressed concern that the polls will not be democratic and have threatened protests.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is part of the newly-formed opposition alliance — National Unity Front (NUF) which has demanded that the December 23 polls be deferred by one month.
“We have decided to participate in the polls as part of our movement,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said at a press conference with senior NUF and BNP leaders present.
Prime Minister Hasina immediately welcomed the opposition party’s decision saying “it will strengthen the democracy.... we will jointly contest the poll to reflect the verdict of the people”.
Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader said the party would have no objection if the election commission (EC) deferred the election date. “It is up to the election commission whether it will defer the schedule or not, all matters related to the schedule fall under the jurisdiction of the commission,” he said. — PTI
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