BNP’s demand for polls deferral illogical: Quader

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said that BNP’s demand for deferral of the 11th parliamentary election in the pretext of the international observer is “baseless and illogical”.

“It is an illogical and baseless demand,” Quader said while addressing a press conference at AL President Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi office this afternoon, hours after Jatiya Oikyafront, an alliance of the BNP and several other parties, reiterated its call for deferring the election by a month.

Earlier in the day, Oikyafront announced that its leaders will meet the election commissioners tomorrow to press home their demand.

Besides, BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi today said, “December 25 is the biggest religious festival of the Christian community (Christmas). Foreign observers, envoys and officials of missions of different countries will be on leave due to the New Year, he said.

Hours before the Rizvi’s remarks, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda revised the polls schedule, deferring the election by a week to December 30. The previous date for the election was December 23.

Rejecting the revised schedule, ASM Abdur Rab, a top leader of the Oikyafront, yesterday said that there will be no diplomats as well as the international election observers in the country if the election is held on December 30. “The government has taken the decision to hold the election on December 30 with an ill motive,” he said warning that the Oikyafront would go for movement to meet their demand.

Trashing their demand, Quader, also road transports and bridges minister, said, “The entire nation is now in election mood. BNP will be resisted by people if it plans for any movement centring the issue.”

FRESH SCHEDULE FOR THE POLLS

The national polls would be held on December 30, according to the revised schedule announced by the Election Commission yesterday. The decision comes four days after the commission announced that the polls would be held on December 23.

According to the revised schedule, the last day for filing nomination papers is November 28. The nomination papers will be scrutinised on December 2. The last date for withdrawal of nomination is December 9.