AL fears army deployment during polls: Khaleda

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has alleged that the ruling Awami League was afraid to deploy army during election while AL general secretary Obaidul Quader has denied the allegation saying that army would be deployed as strike force in the next general elections.
Inaugurating Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s two-month-long primary member recruitment and membership renewal drive at her Gulshan office Saturday night, Khaleda said that the Awami League feared army deployment as the ruling party did not want ‘fair’ election.
‘Why do you [Awami League] afraid to deploy army when army is engaged in rescue operations in disasters. Even army were deployed during elections in the past,’ she said.
Replying to press quarries after a meeting at Secretariat on Sunday, Obaidul Quader said that the army would be deployed during the next general elections as strike force as Khaleda deployed the army while in power.
He said that the Election Commission would deploy army at places where it might think necessary.
Khaleda, also former prime minister, said that army must be deployed at least seven days before elections so that voters might get courage to go to polling stations.
She said that people were eagerly waiting for exercising their franchise in a free, fair and neutral election as they could not cast their vote for the past 10 years. 
She demanded for an ‘election-time supportive’ government to ensure a free, fair and neutral election.
The former prime minister asked the government to ensure a level playing field for all during elections shunning clash, chaos and attempt to cling to power forever to avoid ‘severe consequences.’
She said that a state of fear prevailed upon people after witnessing elections under Awami League government.
Khaleda inaugurated her party’s countrywide member recruitment drive aiming to recruit 1 crore new members. She also renewed her membership paying a fee of Tk 10.
Some standing committee members renewed their membership while some people of Dhaka city became new members at the programme. 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net