Bangladesh to reconsider poll schedule if opposition joins contest, says official

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) – Bangladesh’s Election Commission on Monday assured the opposition parties of reconsidering the election schedule if they decide to participate in the upcoming national election slated for Jan. 7 next year.

“We will welcome the opposition parties if they decide to participate in the upcoming election. We will create opportunities as necessary by looking at the law,” Election Commissioner Rasheda Sultana told reporters in the capital Dhaka.

“We will see the issue (extending the election schedule) analyzing the previous instances and legal framework if required,” she added.

About 10 political parties, including the ruling Awami League party, agreed to participate in the upcoming national election, while the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and allies refused to participate in the election.

The opposition on Monday observed the 2nd day of their two-day strike demanding the election to be held under an interim setup, which the government rejected as unconstitutional.

The country’s apex court declared the caretaker system illegal in 2011 and subsequently the Awami League government amended the Constitution removing the system which was introduced in 1996.

The political rivalry between the ruling and the opposition parties intensified after the opposition demanded restoration of the system.

During the strike, at least 18 vehicles, including three in Dhaka, were set on fire from Sunday till Monday morning, said the fire service.

Meanwhile, paramilitary border guards and police have been deployed across the country to maintain law and order.