The Election period interim is going to be formed according to the constitution, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. BNP might get offer to take responsibility of a few ministries like what was offered in 2014.
These are the talk of the political arena now. Awami League said as BNP was in the parliament in 2014, so they were offered to be part of pre-election period government. However, as they’re not in the parliament this time, they won’t be offered to be part of it.
On the other hand, BNP said they won’t participate in any pre-election period government under AL. They hope the government would be compelled to give non-partisan Election period interim government.
BNP was offered to be part of this kind of government before the national election of 2014, but they didn’t accept it. Meanwhile, the election commission (EC) is taking preparation for holding 12th national election, which would be within 90 days of ending the term of this parliament. The term of current parliament will be ended on January 29, 2024. The EC also want to hold national polls in the last of December, 2023 or the first of January 2024. The election cadaster will be announced in November 2023.
When asked about the chance of keeping BNP and other parties in the interim government, former Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed told The Bangladesh Pratidin, “The running government will conduct the election. The other parties can participate in it if they want and there’s no legal barrier to it.”
About the Prime Minister’s becoming the head of election period interim government, AL presidium member Lt. Col. (Retd.) Muhammad Faruque Khan told The Bangladesh Pratidin, “We’re not discussing anything about election period interim government. The current government will be the election-period government according to the constitution.”
About the offer of participation to BNP, he said, “As BNP was in parliament prior to the election of 2014, so they were offered to be part of interim government. But, as they’re now not in parliament, so there’s no question of giving them such kind of offer.”
When asked whether BNP would take charge of two ministries if they’re offered to do so, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, “There is no question of forming an election government under Awami League. This illegal government should be dissolved and the government should be handed over to a non-partisan neutral government. Through the movement, the government will be forced to accept the demand of a neutral government during the election.”
He said, “There is no question of trusting the words of Awami League. This is another ploy to mislead people. Now they will say that they have offered, we are not listening, not going.”
Mirza Fakhrul said we sat in dialogue with Sheikh Hasina in 2018, believing her. He did not save any of the words he gave in that dialogue. So we are very clear. In the last two elections people couldn’t vote and in the local government elections people didn’t able to do it. They took away people's right to vote. We are making movements so that people can vote.
Information Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr. Hasan Mahmud said, “The elections will be held in Bangladesh according to the constitution. The current government will serve as the election government and Sheikh Hasina will be the Prime Minister.”
The Information Minister said, 'In other democratic countries like India, Japan, Australia, United Kingdom and various countries of Europe, the governments that have been serving so far act as election government. It will be the same in our country according to the constitution.”
The Minister of Information said these things during an exchange of views with journalists on contemporary issues at the Ministry's meeting room in the Secretariat on Thursday afternoon.
At that time, when journalists asked about the representation of BNP in the election period interim government and the similar proposal given by Awami League in 2014, Hasan Mahmud said, "Our general secretary Obaidul Quader commented on the election government in response to a journalist's question. This is not a proposal for anyone. The time hasn’t come yet to say whether it will be done or not. If BNP boycotts elections or insists on not holding elections without a caretaker government, then there is no question of these discussions. The context of 2014 and today is different. Bangabandhu's daughter, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself made that offer in 2014, but they did not accept it.”
@The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on May 12 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque
