Govt wants to keep BNP in polls over threat: Fakhrul

BNP today alleged that the government is trying to keep the party in the next general election threatening that the party’s registration with the Election Commission will be scrapped if it does not participate.

"A deep-rooted conspiracy is on to force BNP to join the election. It's mandatory to join polls as per the law, but the law was enacted for people. The law is meaningless if it doesn't ensure people's welfare,” BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said.

He made the remarks while addressing at a discussion organised by Bangladesh Student Forum and Northern Regional Student Forum at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, marking BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman's imprisonment day.

Awami League leaders have been saying that BNP must join the next general election as the party’s registration with the EC would be scrapped if it does not participate in that polls.

In his speech, Fakhrul said, the government wants to win the next parliamentary polls by resorting to tricks and deception as it did in 2014.

Fakhrul said BNP wants a democratic governing system and a democratic government, not just an election.

"The January 5, 2014 national election was not an election at all. In the same style, Awami League is now trying to win in the next polls by resorting to a ploy and deceiving people. But, it won't be so easy." 

Claiming that there is no democracy in the country, he alleged that Awami League talks about democracy to fool people though it does not believe in it. 

Top leaders of BNP including the party’ senior joint secretary general Rizvi Ahmed, Bangladesh Jatiya Party Chairman Andaleeve Rahman Partho, among others also spoke in the discussion.