Next national polls to be 'very tough'

The next parliamentary polls, to be held in 2019, would be very tough for the ruling Awami League, said AL President Sheikh Hasina and asked her party colleagues to start preparing for it from now on.

She also asked leaders and lawmakers to frequently visit their areas and stay in touch with party activists and voters, an AL source quoted her as saying at a joint meeting of the AL central working committee and advisory council held at the Gono Bhaban last night.

"You should better assume that the BNP will take part in the next polls. Take preparation for the next polls from now considering BNP's participation. Don't think that you will just contest the elections and win without any hurdles like in the previous polls," she was quoted by a party central committee member.

The last parliamentary elections held on January 5, 2014, were boycotted by most of the political parties, including the BNP. In the elections, 153 lawmakers were elected unopposed and of them 127 were from the Awami League.

The polls triggered a huge uproar as more than half the electorate had no choice in voting.

Recently, the BNP has indicated that it would join the next national polls.

Meeting sources said the AL chief asked party leaders and MPs to visit door-to-door from now on to woo voters and avoid being surrounded only by friends and family.

The party's dialogue with President Abdul Hamid about reconstitution of the Election Commission, slated for January 11, was also discussed in the meeting.

The AL decided not to place any significant proposals in this regard before the president as it might put pressure on him. Rather, the AL would request the president to reconstitute the EC in accordance with article 118 (1) of the constitution.

The meeting decide that the party would accept any decision made by the president regarding the reconstitution of the EC and the AL would place proposals before the reconstituted EC.

Oddly enough, the meeting formed a 10-member committee, led by HT Imam, for preparing proposals to be made before the president on the reconstitution of the EC. The committee was asked to submit the proposals to Hasina.