Fakhrul’s remarks on EC’s initiative to amend political parties’ registration law false: Quader

Ruling Bangladesh Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Friday said the statement of BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir about the election commission (EC) is completely false, fabricated, motivated and conspiratorial, reports news agency BSS.

“Such intentional and conspiratorial statement of Mirza Fakhrul Islam have deeply made the country’s people disappointed,” he said in a statement.

Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, said showing respect to the country’s sovereignty and constitutional norms, a responsible leader of a political party cannot make such a comment.

At an online discussion, he said, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged that the EC has taken an initiative to amend the registration law of political parties aiming at bringing the ruling Awami League back to power and this process has begun from One-Eleven changeover.

Condemning the statement of Fakhrul on behalf of the AL, he said such statement, which violates political norms, has made the country’s people disappointed.

Quader said removing the provisions relating to the registration of political parties from the Representation of the People Order (RPO) 1972, the EC is going to formulate a separate law into Bangla keeping its fundamental provisions intact.

The draft law, which the EC has released for opinion of the political parties, shows that the proposed law has been prepared to convert those parts of the RPO, stated in chapter VIA, into Bangla, he added.

Responding to another remark of Fakhrul, the AL general secretary said holding by-elections is a matter of the EC and “we have nothing to do to this end”.

As there is a constitutional obligation for holding by-polls within 180 days after any seat falls vacant, he said, the EC is going to hold the by-polls to the Bogura-1 and the Jashore-6 constituencies on 14 July amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.