BNP might not take part in polls
Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the BNP might not participate in the next general election.
She termed the activities and strategy of the opposition party "mysterious".
Hasina, also the prime minister, made the observation at a meeting of the AL's Parliamentary Nomination Board at the Gono Bhaban, said meeting sources.
She made the comments after an AL leader expressed an assumption that the BNP would join the parliamentary polls despite everything.
The next Jatiya Sangsad polls is scheduled to be held in late December or early January.
The AL chief said the BNP's strategy is different this time, and their next course of action is totally uncertain.
"I think the BNP may not participate in the election this time," a leader who was present at the meeting quoted Hasina as saying.
The PM rejected the US state department's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices which was released last week. The report, citing polls observers, said the December 2018 elections in Bangladesh were neither free nor fair because they were marred by serious irregularities, including ballot-box stuffing and intimidation of opposition polling agents and voters.
The premier told the meeting that her government would protest the report. She, however, didn't disclose how the government would counter it.
Hasina said the 2018 election was not questionable, and the BNP was going to take part in it, but it opted to boycott halfway through, which was not the government's failure in any way.
She also criticised the report for mentioning that the government's facilities for the specially abled people and ethnic minorities were inadequate. The PM said the AL government did a lot for the ethnic minorities and the specially abled people, and that they were enjoying various government benefits.
Hasina said the human rights situation in the USA is questionable.
About price hike of essentials, the PM said prices were increasing across the world and Bangladesh was enduring its effects. She said her government would do everything to bring the prices within the reach of the ordinary people.
Hasina said her government would give priority to the food and agriculture sectors for the sake of the people.
Referring to shutting of banks in the USA, the premier said banks in countries like Bangladesh are struggling to keep their heads about water due to the global turmoil in the banking sector.
The meeting nominated Chattogram city AL Organising Secretary Noman Al Mahmud as the party candidate for the April 27 by-polls to Chattogram-8.
The parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of AL MP Moslem Uddin Ahmed.
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