Defeat of pro-AL candidates warning for govt

The defeat of the Awami League-backed mayoral candidates in all four city corporation polls is a warning for the government before the upcoming parliamentary election, said speakers at a dialogue yesterday.
However, this result will not weaken the demand for a caretaker government system to hold the parliamentary election, they said.
The dialogue, “BBC Bangladesh Sanglap”, was jointly organised by BBC Bangla and BBC Media Action in the capital's Bangla Academy auditorium.
The government must take initiatives to address issues like reducing prices of essentials and creating employment as per their last electoral pledge, said Workers' Party of Bangladesh President Rashed Khan Menon.
The election results were the impacts of demands, including for creating employment in Rajshahi and for gas supply to Barisal, he said.
The free and fair manner in which the elections were held will reduce the necessity for the caretaker government, he said.
“The local government election has become politicised and the government is paying the price for it,” said former election commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Shakhawat Hossain.
This has also caused some AL backed candidates, who implemented many development works as mayors, to be defeated, he added.
There will be no less demand for the caretaker government as local government elections and parliamentary elections, which had around 9 crore voters and which changes the government, are not the same, he said.
BNP Standing Committee Member Brig Gen (retd) ASM Hannan Shah said the wins would not adversely affect the demand for the caretaker government.
“Local government poll is an indicator of (the future of) politics but the national election is huge where we do not accept the leadership of Awami League (in conducting the election),” he said.
The speakers also criticized the recently amended anti-terrorism law, passed in parliament on June 11, stating that it would violate human rights.