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AL, BNP differ on EC roadmap: Report in The Daily Star, July 23, 2017

Dhaka: Health Minister Mohammed Nasim yesterday said the next parliamentary elections would be held in accordance with the roadmap announced by the Election Commission.

“I hope all the political parties, including the BNP, will participate in the polls.

The Election Commission already has announced its roadmap and is preparing to hold the elections in a neutral manner,” he said yesterday during a programme at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in the capital.

That election will be held under Sheikh Hasina-led administration, he said.

BNP Standing Committee Member Moudud Ahmed, meanwhile, alleged the main motive behind the EC roadmap was to ensure that ruling Awami League returns to power through a one-sided polls.

“There’s neither any road nor any map in the proposed roadmap of the Election Commission. The commission has taken an initiative to restore one-party rule and bring Awami League to power again,” he said during a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club yesterday, reports UNB.

The EC on July 16 announced a roadmap for the 11th national elections. The ruling party welcomed the move terming it implementable while the BNP alleged the roadmap was a “blueprint” to bring the AL back to power.

Nasim said the BNP made a “mistake” by not participating in the national polls in 2014 and hoped the party would not repeat it in 2019.

Responding to the BNP’s demand for an “election-time assistive government”, Nasim, also an AL presidium member, said the next national polls would be held under a Sheikh Hasina-led administration and Khaleda Zia-led BNP would join it.

Moudud said the EC roadmap had no directions to ensure a level-playing field and equal scope for all parties.

“They didn’t use the word level-playing field in their roadmap at all,” he said.

He said their party wanted to participate in a fair and inclusive election where all parties will be treated equally and given equal scope.

The BNP leader came down heavily on Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda for his comments that the “EC has nothing to do to ensure a level-playing field until the election schedule is announced”.

“His comment has exposed that the Election Commission is not willing to hold a fair election. They’re eager to ‘rehabilitate’ Awami League through the next polls,” he added.

The BNP leader also said an “election environment” and a level-playing field must be created from right now if the EC really wanted to hold a fair and acceptable election. http://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/al-bnp-differ-ec-roadmap-1437307

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