BNP has no interest in EC talks: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said their party has no interest in the dialogue that the new Election Commission (EC) has initiated ahead of the 12th parliamentary election.

"We said earlier that we’re not involved in this EC formation process in any way, and we won’t be involved in anything (dialogue) of it,” he said.

Talking to reporters after placing wreaths at BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s grave, Fakhrul also said it is not possible for even a good EC to hold a free, fair and impartial election if the government is not neutral during the election period, reports UNB.

“That’s why we aren’t interested in it (dialogue). We’ve no headache about who's invited to the talks and who’re not and who’re joining it, and who aren’t and what they’re saying. Our only demand is the presence of a neutral government during the election period,” the BNP leader said.

Earlier in the morning, the new Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal sat in talks with 15 civil society members as part of the Commission’s ongoing dialogue to prepare for a roadmap for the 12th national election.

Although 40 civil society members were invited to the dialogue, only 15 of them took part in it.

In the political context of Bangladesh, Fakhrul said it is important what kind of government will remain in power during the election period.

He said the absence of many invited guests in the talks has proved that the civil society also has no interest in it because of their previous experience. "We’ve had experiences from the last two or three elections as well as the local government polls that no election can be held without an impartial government.