National elections are due in about a year. The BNP and several other parties have already launched a simultaneous agitation demanding elections under a non-partisan government.
On this occasion, all eyes were fixed on the Awami League government and the Election Commission during the by-elections to be held on six seats. It seems from the picture of the by-election that the ruling party has not paid attention to anything. In contrast, BNP leaders feel that the new message given by the ruling party is that if the opposition does not join the upcoming national election, their strategy will be to woo and nominate anyone breaking away from the opposition.
Speaking to Prothom Alo on Thursday, BNP General Secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the recent bypolls have once again proved his belief that free, fair and neutral elections are possible under the Awami League government with the current Election Commission in place. Not there. He felt that the manner in which bypolls were held on six seats even without the participation of the BNP would add to the crisis of public confidence in the election.
However, the Awami League refuses to acknowledge any of these allegations. Talking to Prothom Alo, Joint General Secretary of the party Mahbubul Alam Hanif said that he feels that people’s confidence in the election has increased with this by-election. He said that since one party did not take the party along in the by-election, the contest was not tough. That’s why the enthusiasm among the voters was low.
Many were curious to see what model the government would follow in these bypolls to six seats. But some election experts predict that this model could be used in the next national election.
Election observer Munira Khan feels that if muscle power and irregularities are not stopped in the by-elections of only a few seats, then what will happen during the general elections? The government and the Election Commission should consider these matters.
* This analysis appeared in the print and online editions of Prothom Elo and has been rewritten in English by Ayesha Kabir
