Situation to get complicated if AL tries to take BNP to polls without caretaker govt: Gayeshwar

BNP senior leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy warned on Sunday that the situation will turn more complex if the government tries to take BNP to the next elections without a caretaker administration.

Speaking at a human chain programme, he also asked the government to forget the dream of holding the 12th parliamentary election like those in 2014 and 2018.

“BNP was taken to the elections in 2018, but this time it is impossible to get the party to the election without a caretaker government in place. If you try to make this impossible task possible very easily, then things will only get complicated,” the BNP leader said.

He also said it may not be possible to get some BNP leaders to the election by luring them as no one will board the boat with cracks in the bottom only to drown.  ‘People don't jump into the river where there is no water.  Now people say that if we had known earlier, we would not have boarded your broken boat."

Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Projonmo 71, a pro-BNP platform, arranged the human chain programme at the Jatiya Press Club, demanding the unconditional release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Volunteer Affairs Secretary Mir Sarafat Ali Sapu and other detained leaders and activists.

Gayeshwar, a member of the BNP standing committee, said people actually did not vote for the boat, the election symbol of Awami League, but police managed some votes for it through manipulation. “Keep it in your mind whether the police will manage that vote for you again.”

He said the ruling party knows very well that it has no ability to win a credible election.

“Abandon your desire to stay in power through vote rigging amid famine, misrule and plundering of public money. Go to the people with confidence that you have carried out development activities,” the BNP leader said.

He, however, said the government will not be able to hold a stage-managed election this time with the help of a neighbouring country and different law enforcement agencies and by keeping BNP leaders and activists, including party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, in jail.

The BNP leader categorically said the people of Bangladesh and the political parties will not go to the polling station if Sheikh Hasina stays in power. “No acceptable election can be held under her.”

He also urged the government to think twice about whether its lackeys and brokers will be able to protect it in the face of public wrath. “So, I say, step down in time and make arrangements so that people participate in the election and cast their votes.