Report in The Daily Star, Nov 24, 2023
The Election Commission may consider deferring the date of the national elections if “one party” decides to participate in the polls, Election Commissioner Anisur Rahman said yesterday.
He, however, did not name the party. The 12th JS polls is slated for January 7, 2024.
BNP, a major political party, along with other like-minded allies are on the street demanding polls under a non-partisan caretaker government.
Soon after the EC announced the polls schedule on November 15, BNP and its allies rejected it, and called for nationwide hartals and blockades.
“If they [one particular party] decide to participate, we will consider. We have the scope to defer the schedule as we have sufficient time. But we are yet to get any request in this regard,” Anisur Rahman told reporters at the Sylhet District Administration conference hall after a meeting with Sylhet and Sunamganj administration and election officials.
“National polls in the past were never participated by 100 percent of the registered political parties. If a majority of the parties join the polls, there will be an election atmosphere,” Anisur said.
Although there is a political movement centring the polls and sporadic incidents are happening, the situation is not yet threatening to the polls, he also said.
Meanwhile, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Ahsan Habib Khan echoed him saying that they are yet to take any decision regarding deferring the polls date.
The commission’s foremost aim is to hold a free and fair election, he said.
“We are sincere in our effort to hold participatory and acceptable national polls. We don’t want to be debatable by holding a controversial one,” he told journalists yesterday at the Jhenaidah DC office conference hall after meeting with Kushtia, Magura, Chuadanga, Meherpur and Jhenaidah district administration and election officials.
Rashida Sultana, another election commissioner, refused to make any comment on whether the EC would defer election if BNP decides to participate.
Stressing that the election would be peaceful and credible, she said any attempts to obstruct voters from reaching polling centers would be dealt with according to the law.
The EC faces no pressure from the international community or domestically, she told reporters after meeting with administration and election officials of Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Nilphamari, and Panchagarh districts at Dinajpur DC office.
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/elections/news/ec-may-defer-polls-date-if-one-party-joins-3477526
