BNP: Next general election must be under neutral government

The next national election has to be held under a neutral and non-partisan government, says BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam. 

“We would like to say it unequivocally that there’ll be no such election in Bangladesh where voters can’t go to polling stations. The election must be held under a neutral government and it must be conducted by an impartial election commission,” he said on Saturday.

Mirza Fakhrul made the remark at an event organized by Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka marking its founding anniversary.

Fakhrul also said before holding the next national election, the government will have to free Khaleda Zia and all other political prisoners and withdraw the “false” cases filed against 3.5 million opposition leaders and activists. “Otherwise, no election will be allowed to be held in the country.”

File photo of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir <strong>Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune</strong>He urged the government to take necessary steps and create an atmosphere conducive to constituting a neutral election commission.

“You (government) are talking about the formation of a law for constituting the Election Commission… people won’t accept it if you pass a unilateral law for your own benefit in parliament and form the Election Commission under it,” he said.

He further said: “ The government has politicized the judiciary, administration and the law enforcement agencies. You're even trying to politicize the army. We now can't speak and write freely.”

Journalists also can not write anything without fear as they are being harassed and implicated in cases under the Digital Security Act, Fakhrul added.

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The BNP leader mentioned that the people of Bangladesh who liberated the country through a long battle will never accept an authoritarian and one-party rule.

He urged the leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal to get united for waging a strong movement for the restoration of democracy and having Khaleda Zia freed from jail.

Speaking at the program, BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said there is no other alternative for their party to waging a one-point movement for ensuring the fall of Sheikh Hasina.

“We’re trying to forge a strong national unity to force Sheikh Hasina to quit for holding a free and fair election… we won’t get any benefit even if the next election is held under an ‘angel’ keeping Sheikh Hasina in power,” he added.