EC to be responsible if inclusive polls not held: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today warned that the Election Commission will be held responsible if the 11th parliamentary election is not arranged in a free, fair and inclusive manner.

“Make sure an election-friendly atmosphere and then make a roadmap. Otherwise, your efforts will go in vain and you will be held responsible for the failure to hold a fair election,” Fakhrul sounded the note of caution pointing finger at the Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda.

Calling upon the government to start talks with political parties to find out a solution to get rid of the prevailing political impasse, he said people will not go to the polling centre if the election is held like January 5.

He also said that holding a fair and credible election through talks is the only way for Awami League to avoid public anger for its “acts of repression and oppression”.

“The government will not be given a chance to flee if it doesn't take steps for holding a fair election,” he said.

Fakhrul said Awami League does not want BNP’s participation in the election as it knows very well that the ruling party will not be able to return to power.

Referring to the law enforcers alleged intervention during a meeting at Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rab) President ASM Abdur Rab's Uttara residence, Fakhrul said Awami League thinks that it has the only rights to hold rallies and meetings anywhere in the country.

“It can’t be a democratic attitude,” he added.

The BNP leader said ruling party men are getting richer by “plundering thousands of crores of public money” while the poor are becoming poorer gradually.