House formed without voters' mandate: BNP

The BNP yesterday alleged that the current parliament has not been formed with people's mandate and demanded re-election under a neutral administration.

“We turned down the election results just after the voting. Today, we reiterate our demand for re-election scrapping the election results so that a government and parliament can be formed based on the people's verdict,” BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said addressing a human chain in front of Jatiya Press Club.

The human chain was the first political programme of the BNP after the December 30 election. A huge number of law enforcers were deployed in and around the area to avert any possible trouble.

Fakhrul alleged that the parliament was formed through a “farcical” election, during which “law enforcers also indulged in vote rigging by snatching people's voting rights.”

He further alleged that thousands of the BNP's leaders and activists were arrested before the polls to keep them away from the election, while party Chairperson Khaleda Zia was sent to jail after being convicted “in a false case” ahead of the polls.

He demanded that the government immediately release Khaleda and other arrested party leaders and activists.

BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the government and the Election Commission announced the names of so-called MPs “through a plot on December 30” instead of holding a credible election.

“The current parliament is illegal as it was not formed with people's mandate. This is a so-called and stigmatised parliament.”

He also demanded a fresh re-election as their party did not accept the current parliament.

Another standing committee member of the party, Moudud Ahmed, said they were stunned at the way the election was held. “We never expected to witness such an election.”

Senior BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan said the MPs of the current parliament are not representatives of the people.

He alleged that the parliament was formed through “vote terrorism” unleashed by the police and the administration.