No party will accept EC’s unilateral decision on election: Fakhrul

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, on Wednesday said that no political party would accept the ‘unilateral decision’ of the Election Commission about the election schedule without reaching a consensus on the poll-time government. 
Fakhrul also condemned the prime minister’s remark that BNP leaders and activists had to appoint convicted Tarique Rahman as the party’s acting chairman as they had no other leader.
The secretary general came up with the comments at two separate occasions in the capital.
Addressing a commemoration meeting at the National Press Club in the afternoon referring to prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s comment, Fakhrul said Tarique Rahman was elected the party’s senior vice-chairman at its national council session and he became the party’s acting chairman as per the party’s constitution.
He said many convicted persons were also inside the government adding that Tarique was elected as a competent leader.
Fakhrul claimed that the Awami League would witness the popularity of Tarique once he had returned to Bangladesh. 
On Rohingya issue, he said the government failed to repatriate a single Rohingya refugee in Myanmar in six months after signing an agreement with the Myanmar government to this end.
At the commemoration meeting organised by Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu Smriti Sangsad to mark the third anniversary of death of former BNP assistant organising secretary Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu, Fakhrul came down hard on the  Election Commission for being ‘subservient ‘ to the government. 
Fakhrul reiterated that BNP want to contest the general election, but it should be ensured first that the election would be free and fair and people would be able to exercise their franchise without fear.
He also demanded release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, resign of prime minister, dissolve of parliament, formation of a poll-time neutral government and deployment of army before holding next general election. 
About Khaleda’s deteriorating health condition, Fakhrul warned that the prime minister would be held responsible if any harm happened to Khaleda.
He said Nasir Uddin Pintu was killed in police custody.
He also said that the killers of Pintu would be brought to justice.
Earlier in the morning, while talking to journalists over the Election Commission’s recent disclosure that schedule of 11th parliamentary election, Fakhrul said no political parties  would accept the decision. 
The 11th parliamentary election would have to be held within January 28, 2019 according to the constitution. 
On Monday, election commissioner Rafiqul Islam said they were mulling over announcing the schedule for the election in October.
Fakhrul was talking to journalists on the premises of the late president Ziaur Rahman’s grave at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital after paying tribute to the late leader on the occasion of Jatiyatabadi Sramikdal’s 39th founding anniversary.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net