Hasina planning ‘minus-one formula’ ahead JS polls: BNP

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed today blamed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for heading with a plan to execute a "minus-one formula" ahead of the upcoming 11th parliamentary election.

"Sheikh Hasina is drawing a blueprint to implement the minus-one formula. We are telling very clearly that we wouldn't participate in the election keeping Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman out of the polls process," Rizvi said.

Rizvi came up with remarks while addressing a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka this noon.

Accusing the prime minister of not taking any lesson from the previous “one eleven” government, Rizvi said, "Sheikh Hasina has engaged in a dangerous political game keeping gun on the shoulders of the judiciary."       

"Sheikh Hasina will not be able to protect her step-down by doing so as we, the people, will form a strong resistance to thwart the minus-one formula," he added.

He came down heavily on several leaders of the ruling quarter for their threat to sent Khaleda Zia to jail in connection with the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case and said that no election will be allowed to hold in the country keeping BNP away from it.

Earlier on Thursday, a special judge court in Dhaka fixed February 8 to announce verdict in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and four others.