BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said the national parliamentary election scheduled for 12 February is the outcome of a long struggle and a long-cherished demand of the people, expressing hope that voters will finally be able to elect candidates of their choice through the ballot.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday evening, he said the people of Bangladesh had been deprived of voting for years and were unable to form a government of their choice, adding that the government elected through the polls must work for the welfare of the country.
He stressed that the election must be free, fair and peaceful so that people can truly express their views, and said the party was working towards that goal under the leadership of Tarique Rahman, seeking cooperation from the media.
Nazrul Islam Khan was speaking after the first meeting of the BNP election steering committee, held earlier in the afternoon at the party’s election office in Gulshan. Committee coordinator Ismail Zabihullah and spokesperson Mahadi Amin were present at the press conference.
Nazrul Islam Khan, who is the convener of the BNP election steering committee, said the meeting focused on organisational matters, including introducing committee members to one another and outlining how the committee would work in the coming days.
He said sub-committees would be finalised soon and discussions were held on supporting party candidates, ensuring a peaceful and fair election, encouraging voters to reach polling centres on time and motivating them to vote for the party symbol and candidates.
Referring to Tarique Rahman’s return after 17 years, Nazrul Islam Khan said the BNP leader repeatedly emphasised peace at a massive public reception, adding that BNP would play the necessary role to ensure a peaceful election.
He said the people of the country achieved independence through the Liberation War and repeatedly sacrificed their lives for democracy, and called on all to seize what he described as a promising opportunity before the nation.
Responding to questions about the participatory nature of the election, given that eight parties are not taking part, and concerns over the rejection of opposition nomination papers, he said nomination papers can be rejected under existing laws and that BNP candidates had also faced rejection.
He said there were provisions and time to raise objections and that decisions could change following appeals. He added that anyone without legal restrictions on political activity faces no barrier to participating in the election, describing participation as a matter of choice.
He also said, to his knowledge, BNP had not requested any government office to cancel nomination papers, adding that government officials were not party workers and had no reason to comply with such requests.
At the press conference, Mahadi Amin said a free, fair and acceptable election would empower the people and bring a government that is accountable to them, adding that BNP aims to build a Bangladesh based on human rights, individual freedom and the rule of law, noting that the media had also come under pressure during what he described as a long period of fascism.
