Staff Reporter:
Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yes-terday said there is no interference from the government in holding the 12th parliamentary elections on January 7.
“As the Election commission (EC) is playing an independent and authoritative role, the electoral code of conduct is being strictly ensured. Transparency in elections is visible as the EC is working independent-ly. There is no interference from the government side here,” he said.
Quader made the remarks while speaking at a press conference on contemporary issues at the AL Presi-dent’s Dhanmondi political office here.
The AL general secretary said wherever the election code of conduct is being violated, the EC is taking actions.
“There is no interference or hindrance from the government in performing duties (of the EC). AL Presi-dent and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is very strict in this regard,” he said.
Noting that the AL wants to hold free, fair and peaceful elections at any cost, Quader said democracy will be consolidated through the next elections.
“I hope the world will witness a good election in Bangladesh on January 7 with spontaneous participa-tion of the country’s people, where public opinion will win,” he said.
Claiming that BNP-Jamaat is now distributing leaflets after failing in movement, he said they (BNP) have got stuck in quicksand of failure and mistakes and are not able to get out of that.
“Their (BNP) negative programs, sabotage and blockades have been rejected by the people. Even if the statements of BNP that it will not commit violence could not be believed since they say one thing and do another. I am getting news that they are hatching plots,” Quader said.
Criticizing the “double standard” policy of Amnesty International, he said Amnesty International ques-tioned the human rights in Bangladesh in context of the verdict of Dr Mohammad Yunus case.
Amnesty International is showing headache about the verdict in a case filed to get the Bangladesh work-ers’ rights but it is not talking about the killings Israel is carrying out in Gaza in Palestinian, he said, adding that Amnesty did not say a single word against Israel.
About the foreign observers in the elections, the AL general secretary said, 80 observers from 11 coun-tries will come to Bangladesh to observe its elections.
Meanwhile, representatives of the European Union and the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute of the United States have arrived in Bangladesh, he said.
Quader said 50 journalists from different countries will also come to Bangladesh before the polls and a discussion will be held with the representatives of the Commonwealth at 8 am on January 5.
AL Organising Secretary BM Mozammel Haque, Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua and Deputy Office Secretary Sayem Khan were, among others, present at the press conference.
