The Awami League (AL) has called upon its arch rival, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and its allies to accept the results of the just-concluded 11th parliamentary elections where the ruling AL secured a landslide victory. Through Sunday’s landslide victory, the Bangladesh Awami League, one of the oldest political parties in the subcontinent, is going to form the government for the third consecutive time.

Speaking at a press conference, the AL’s joint general secretary and spokesperson for the elections Abdur Rahman, yesterday urged its arch rival BNP and said the country’s people have given the verdict in favour of the AL in Sunday’s general elections. “The BNP should accept the people’s verdict. They can’t reject the verdict,” he added.

The AL spokesperson evaluated Sunday’s polls, saying that through the general elections, the people of the country gave their verdict against the communal forces supported by the BNP.

He said the BNP will have to face such consequences as long as they (the BNP) do not sever ties with communal forces—Jamaat—which had committed crimes against humanity during the country’s Liberation War in 1971.

The AL leader claimed that many foreign journalists and election observers oversaw the polls on Sunday and did not find any irregularities.

They have already described Sunday’s general elections as peaceful, he observed. He also said Sunday’s elections were held in a free, fair, credible and peaceful manner, barring some

stray incidents.

Meanwhile, AL general secretary Obaidul Quader asked his party leaders and activists not to engage in the politics of vengeance after being inspired by the landslide victory of the Grand Alliance in the polls. “Politics has tides. Sometimes it experiences high tides and sometimes low. So don’t show any vengeance and attack the opponents after being inspired by experiencing a tide while achieving a landslide victory in the 11th parliamentary elections,” he said while exchanging views with his party’s leaders and workers in Noakhali yesterday.

“Don’t bring out jubilant processions—rather, celebrate the historic win at home. Don’t indulge in excesses as our Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, does not believe in the politics of vengeance.”

“The Grand Alliance has achieved a huge win as a result of the people’s upsurge against anti-Liberation forces and in favour of the massive development under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” he added.

He said the AL will start a journey afresh towards the country’s development after drawing lessons from the wrongdoings of the past.