Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said that the ruling party wants to hold a competitive parliament election, which is slated to be held in late December this year or early January in 2024.
“The United Nations (UN) wants to see a free, fair and peaceful election . . . AL wants to hold a competitive poll,” he told after a meeting with UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis in the city’s Gulshan area in the afternoon.
Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, said the more election will be competitive, the more will be credible to home and abroad.
AL wants that big political parties like BNP will participate in the election, he said, adding, “Why should we request them (BNP) to take part in elections? It is their right to participate in polls as a political party”.
Noting that the UN had no attention to BNP’s demands like resignation of prime minister, abolishment of parliament and restoration of caretaker government system, the AL general secretary said, “They (UN) said those are internal matter of Bangladesh”.
The UN representative expressed satisfaction over the massive development taken place in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Quader added.
AL Presidium Member Muhammad Faruk Khan, International Affairs Secretary Shammi Ahmed, Information and Research Secretary Selim Mahmud, Office Secretary Biplab Barua and Central Working Committee Member Mohammad Ali Arafat were present in the meeting.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha