Staff Correspondent

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said it is up to the country’s people to decide whether the Awami League should completely be banned or barred from the upcoming national election as per democratic principles.

"I have said before that people will decide it. We have repeatedly said that we are a liberal democratic party… we believe in democracy, trust in the principles and practices of democracy, and adhere to them… we have done so in the past as well," he said on Thursday.

The BNP leader made the remarks at a press briefing as a journalist drew his attention to the UN human rights office’s request to refrain from banning any political party.

He said their party believes it is not their place to decide which party should be banned, which can operate, or which cannot. “People will decide. The people will determine which party will remain, which party will not, which party will participate in elections and which will not.”

When asked whether the BNP supports banning the Awami League, he replied, “We’ve already made it clear that the people will decide. Whether we are for or against is immaterial…it’s up to people the people, not us.”

The BNP leader held the press briefing at the BNP Chairperson's Gulshan office following a meeting with Acting British High Commissioner in Dhaka James Goldman.

Earlier on Wednesday, a report from the UN Human Rights Office said Bangladesh’s previous government, along with security and intelligence services and violent elements associated with the Awami League, systematically engaged in various serious human rights violations during last year’s student-led protests.

The report also said former senior officials directly involved in managing the protests, along with other inside sources, described how former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other senior officials directed and oversaw a series of large-scale operations, during which security and intelligence forces shot and killed protesters or arbitrarily arrested and tortured them.

However, the UN Human Rights Office recommended against banning any political party in the interest of maintaining a multiparty democracy.

No to local body polls

Fakhrul said BNP is firmly against the introduction of proportional representation in upcoming general election.

“We strongly oppose it. We will not support any form of proportional elections because the people here are not accustomed to it. Such a question should not even arise,” he said.

Fakhrul said they are also against holding local government polls before the national election. “We completely disagree with this. This is nothing but a plan to push the country into an even more fragile political position.”

The BNP leader said they believe the quicker the national election is held, the sooner politics will return to normal, allowing the people of Bangladesh to move towards a more stable situation. The national election is urgently needed in Bangladesh to restore stability and good governance, he said.

"Currently, governance is facing serious problems... once (good) governance is restored, you will see the economy improving, and the situation in society and the state will also improve… universities and colleges are not even now functioning properly… those systems will be fixed. Without an elected government, it will be difficult to manage these issues. Right now, we are in a totally unstable situation," Fakhrul observed.

In response to a question, he said he is uncertain about what the interim government will do on February 15.

Fakhrul, however, said the head of the government informed them they are trying to arrange the election by December this year.