Oikyafront to sit with EC tomorrow afternoon

Opposition political alliance Jatiya Oikyafront will sit with the Election Commission tomorrow afternoon to formally place its demand for deferral of the revised election schedule by one month.

The alliance’s senior leader Dr Kamal Hossain will lead the delegation. Election Commissioner Rafiqul Islam told The Daily Star that the commission will sit with the Oikyafront leaders at 3:30pm.

Earlier in the day, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced that Oikyafront leaders will visit the EC to press home their demand for deferral of the 11th parliamentary election by a month.

They also sent a letter to the commission in this regard.

He said the newly formed alliance will hold a meeting with the editors of print media on November 16, followed by another meeting with officials of electronic media.

Fakhrul alleged that the Election Commission is not interested to hold a free, fair and credible election.

WHAT IS THE RULING PARTY’S STANCE ON POLLS SCHEDULE DEFFERAL?

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.

WHAT IS THE CEC SAYING?

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda has ruled out further deferral of the general election, which is now slated for December 30.

“There is no scope of delaying further. A new parliament must be formed by January 29,” he said at a programme of returning officers in Dhaka today.

REVISED POLLS SCHEDULE

Yesterday, a fresh election schedule was announced by the Election Commission.

According to the latest updates, the election will now be held on December 30, what was previously on December 23. Accordingly, the last date of nomination filing has been extended to November 28.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda has said the deferral has been made in perspective of opposition parties seeking a delay in the election.

IS EVERYONE PARTICIPATING?

Chief Election Commissioner has said that there is a congenial atmosphere in the country – echoing the words of the ruling party.

However, major opposition alliances like the Jatiya Oikyafront, which includes BNP, and the Bikalpa Dhara-led Juktafront have sought for delaying the schedule.

Until thus far, it seems that the coming parliamentary election will not be the “non-participatory election” that was its predecessor.

All the major political parties are gearing up to contest in the election and there have been no threats of a boycott or withdrawal, unlike the last time.