Govt still has time to reschedule polls : BNP

BNP yesterday asked the government for rescheduling the municipal elections to void chaos and confrontation, reports UNB.

"Still you have the time to reschedule the municipal elections sitting with the opposition parties," BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said.

Addressing a discussion meeting marking the 63rd anniversary of the birth of Ziaur Rahman, the founder of BNP, Bhuiyan cautioned the ruling party that they should not be dragged to the streets for dislodging it from the power.

Bhuiyan said the movement on four-point would be turned into movement on single demand of ousting the government after the countrywide hartal on Tuesday.

"When all the opposition parties have expressed no-confidence on the Chief Election Commissioner, why he should be allowed to cling to the post," questioned the BNP leader.

Presiding over the meeting at the Jatiya Press Club auditorium, Bhuiyan said the four-point demand was raised by the opposition not to capture power or dislodge the government but to ensure fairness of the polls and uphold the spirit of democracy.

BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia was present at the discussion meeting.

Party senior vice-president Prof AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury said the popularity of Awami League has 'declined to 20 per cent' for its misdeeds and misrule.

Referring to the Prime Minister's Sheikh Hasina's claim he said it was Awami League which has deprived the people of their right to food and vote.

Terming the late president Ziaur Rahman as the most popular leader, Chowdhury said Zia had succeeded where Awami League failed.

"He had introduced the multiparty democracy ending one-party rule of BKSAL and production-oriented politics by uniting all the political parties.

Among others, Khondaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mir Shawkat Ali, Justice Habibul Islam Bhuiyan, Prof Yusuf Haider, Prof Jasimuddin Ahmed, Shajahan Siraj and Prof Jahanara Begum took part in the discussion.