No plan to keep BNP in poll-time cabinet: Quader
STAFF REPORTER
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday said they had no plan to include the BNP in the Cabinet of the poll-time government as the party lacked representation in parliament. Referring to the formation of an election-time administration before holding the next polls, Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said, Before the last election in 2014, we asked it to join the poll-time government and even offered the home ministry, which was an open secret, as they had representation in Parliament.
But this time, the government has no plan to include the BNP in the Cabinet of the poll-time government, he added. The AL leader also said the next general election would be held in due time and ruled out the possibility of the Prime Ministers resignation before the polls. The incumbent government would assist the Election Commission (EC) in holding the polls, he added.
Talking to reporters at his
secretariat office in the capital, Obaidul Quader said there were many political parties other than the BNP ready to join the next parliamentary elections slated to be held by the end of the year.
If the BNP intends not to join the next polls, were not going to request them to do so. Many political parties are eager to join the polls. Its up to a political party to decide whether it would participate in an election, he added.
On the one hand, the BNP says it would not participate in the next polls without their party chief Khaleda Zia. On the other hand, its still unable to organise any vigorous movement to free their chief. We cant do anything in this regard, he said.
People would resist the BNP if it again tries to obstruct the holding of the next general election, he added.
Replying to a question on the return of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, Quader said it involved an ongoing legal process.
Meanwhile, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday again urged the government to sit for talks to settle the issue of forming an election-time administration to oversee the next national polls.
