BNP won’t even join talks on polls until AL quits power: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday said their party even will not join any talks on the next parliamentary polls until the Awami League government quits power.

“I think there’ll be no talks until the Awami League government resigns,” he told a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office.

The BNP leader came up with the remarks as journalists drew his attention to a reported decision of the Awami League Central Working Committee to make all-out efforts to bring BNP to the next parliamentary election.

Fakhrul renewed their party’s stance that BNP will not join the next polls under the current government.

“Our position on the next polls is clear. There’s no question of holding an election if the Awami League regime does not resign and power is handed over to a completely neutral government.  We won’t go to the polls, if Sheikh Hasina remains in power,” he viewed.

Fakhrul said the government must meet two conditions to bring BNP to the next polls. "The first condition is that they (govt) must resign and hand over power to a neutral non-partisan government."

He said a non-party neutral government will reconstitute the Election Commission for conducting the polls based on public opinions and thus a government and parliament will be formed representing the country's people.

Sought his comment on Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader’s comment that the opposition parties would be given a scope to hold meetings and rallies, Fakhrul said Awami League is a party of frauds. "They are used to say like that…but they’ll do whatever they need to do.”