BNP, 38 others want polls schedule to be scrapped

Opposition BNP and 38 other parties have demanded scrapping of the schedule of the 12th parliamentary election.

They said the government is planning to hold another one-sided election defying the people’s aspiration.

A joint meeting of 39 parties including BNP said this at Shishu Kalyan Parishad Auditorium in the city today, Thursday.

In a joint press statement following the meeting, the parties alleged that the government and the ruling party foiled the rallies of BNP and other opposition parties on 28 October by orchestrating violence in a planned way.

The government launched stringent repression and arrest spree against BNP and opposition men by putting the blame of violence against them.

“We noticed with surprise that the government has been planning to hold yet another one-sided farcical election in the country like in 2014 and 2018 ignoring the public demand of government’s resignation. To implement this agenda of the government, the election commission as as associate of the government has announced the schedule to hold 12th general election on 7 January 2024,” reads the release.

The joint release added that if the government remains headlong to stage another farcical election, the people of the country will have no alternative to resist it.

Presided over by Bangladesh Jatiya Party president Mostafa Jamal Haider, BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, Ganatantra Mancha leader Zonayed Saki and leaders of other parties were present at the meeting.