Announce fresh schedule for polls
Demand left-leaning parties
Left-leaning political parties yesterday demanded that the Election Commission (EC) announce a new schedule for the 11th national polls and cancel the declared one.
The parties, in separate press releases, said EC's role has become questionable after announcing the “one-sided schedule, which is just a trap for holding a one-sided election”.
On Thursday, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda announced to hold the polls on December 23.
Although issues like formation of a neutral polls-time government and reconstruction of EC remain unresolved, the CEC came up with the schedule, claiming that there is a congenial atmosphere for polls across the country, said the parties.
Communist Party of Bangladesh President Mujahidul Islam Selim said, “We requested the EC not to announce the schedule until dialogue [between the ruling quarter and the oppositions] ends. But it announced the schedule as per the government's plan…”
He was speaking at a meeting with the party activists at its office in Dhaka.
Meanwhile, Left Democratic Alliance (LDA), a coalition of eight left-leaning political parties, announced to hold a protest rally today in front of Jatiya Press Club at 11:00am.
Besides, Socialist Party of Bangladesh, a component of LDA, said announcement of the polls schedule before finding a solution to the ongoing crisis is contrary to public demand.