Will the election be held like 2014, asks Jatiya Party

Jatiya Party lawmaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on Tuesday raised a question as to whether the upcoming 12th parliamentary election be held like that one in 2014.

The election commission said the election will be held on time, but how will it be conducted? Like that of the 2014 election? What is the answer to it? Hafiz Uddin Ahmed raised these questions while participating in a discussion on the Districts (Extension to the Chittagong Hill tracts) Bill, 2023 in parliament Tuesday.

Saying that the entire country is in turmoil, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed further said fighting is taking place during the blockade. The country is marching towards the situation that had arisen before the election of 2014, and a solution is necessary. The garment workers have also taken to the streets, he added.

The Jatiya Party lawmaker urged the government to restore an election atmosphere, as well as meet the demands of the workers.

It is to mention that most of the political parties including opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotted the 10th parliamentary election in 2014, in which lawmakers were elected uncontested in 153 constituencies.

The Jatiya Party negotiated with Awami League and participated in that election, and eventually emerged as the main opposition in parliament.

Awami League also shared the cabinet with Jatiya party. At that time, BNP and other parties had been waging a movement to form an interim neutral poll-time government.

BNP, however, took part in the 11th parliamentary election in 2018 under the Awami League government, but questions arose on the 2018 election at home and abroad with BNP and other parties bringing severe allegations on stuffing ballots at night before the voting day.

Another Jatiya Party lawmaker Shameem Haider Patwary said if a one-sided election is held, the economy of the country may deteriorate further. He urged the government to call for a dialogue immediately.

However, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ruled out the possibility of dialogue on the next election at a press conference at Ganabhaban moments before Shameem Haider Patwary made the call in parliament.

Saying that conspiracy is at play ahead of the election, Shameem Haider Patwary said the garment sector is seeing waves of movement; BNP is also waging movement, clashes are taking place. Eventually, violence became visible, he added.

Urging the prime minister to hold dialogue, Shameem Haider Patwary said, “State and the government is not for just a day, or just for a vote. They are for a long time. I think it is high time for the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to call for a dialogue, establish peace and take the country to a proper solution.”