By Mohiuddin Alamgir in The Daily Star, Nov 21, 2023
The Election Commission will consider rescheduling the upcoming national polls if major opposition BNP decides to join it following political consensus.
Two election commissioners said they have time to push the election date by five to seven days, as the five-year term of parliament will end on January 29.
They, however, said election commissioners have not held any discussions about the issue.
Asked whether there would be any scope for BNP and other parties to take part in the polls, Election Commissioner Rashida Sultana said, “If they want to join the election, we will surely discuss to find a way.”
“We will make a decision. We will welcome the BNP if it decides to join the polls. We of course respond to its call if the party wants to contest the election,” she said while talking to reporters at her EC office.
The election commissioner also said they want an election that is participated by all parties.
On November 15, the EC announced the polls schedule, slating that the 12th parliamentary election will be held on January 7.
The last day for submitting nomination forms is November 30 while the forms will be scrutinised on December 1-4 and the last date for candidature withdrawal is December 17.
The commission announced the schedule when the country is going through a political turmoil. Two major political parties — ruling Awami League and opposition BNP — are at odds over the polls-time government.
Soon after the EC announced the polls schedule, BNP and several other opposition parties rejected it, and called for nationwide hartals and blockades, demanding polls under a non-partisan caretaker government.
The opposition parties have been enforcing similar protest programmes since October 29, after the BNP rally in Nayapaltan was foiled in the face of police action.
The AL maintains the next election will be held under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government in line with the constitution.
Opposition Leader Raushan Ershad on Sunday urged President Mohammed Shahabuddin to hold dialogues with political parties to make the election more participatory and festive. She also requested him to extend the deadline for submission of nomination papers.
Talking to this newspaper yesterday, two election commissioners said they were not aware of anything about possible dialogues among the political parties and the demand for deferring of the polls schedule.
“We will not say anything on this issue,” said Commissioner Rashida.
One of the two commissioners said they would be able to defer the polling date, the last date for submission of nomination papers and other activities by five to seven days, if the BNP decides to join the polls. “But I don’t see any change in BNP’s political stance.”
He said the EC will need to hold the election by January 29. But the EC will need some days ahead of January 29 for completing other tasks.
The commissioner said if they hold the election on January 14 or 15, they will get some time to hold re-polls in the centres where voting might be stopped. It will also take time to complete jobs like issuing a gazette notification of the election results.
He also pointed out that the commission should keep in mind that the newly elected MPs are required to take oath. And the president shall appoint the prime minister, who has the support of the majority of the members of parliament. The new government will have to be formed before January 29.
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/polls-may-be-rescheduled-if-bnp-joins-3474756
