Jukto Front coalition chief AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury says he is drawing heart from the way the pre-election dialogue has kicked off with the ruling coalition headed by Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina.
If the government lets the Election Commission work independently to create the atmosphere for free and fair polls, the Bikalpadhara Bangladesh-led alliance is “positively” considering contesting in the parliamentary elections, he says.
“We are very happy that we could clearly say everything we had in mind. Based on that (Jukto Front speech), we agreed to some of the points,” Badruddoza said while leaving the prime minister’s residence after the around three hours of talks at around 10:45pm on Friday.
“They have apparently accepted our points,” the Bikalpadhara Bangladesh president said when asked whether the talks held ahead of the parliamentary elections were successful.
“It appeared that they are happy,” Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader told reporters who gathered outside the Ganabhaban, with all the eyes on the crucial talks.
Later, Badruddoza briefed the media at his Baridhara home about the dialogue in details.
“The honourable prime minister responded positively to the demands we raised for fair polls,” he said.
The journalists asked him whether the Jukto Front decided to join the next elections with Hasina in power while the Dr Kamal Hossain-led Jatiya Oikya Front, of which the BNP is a part, sounded frustrated after the prime minister opened the talks with them on Thursday.
“If the government can be neutralised, if the EC can remain totally independent of the government influence, then of course an atmosphere will be created. We can join the elections if an atmosphere for impartially organised polls is created after our other demands are met. We will consider it positively,” Badruddoza replied.
Hasina opened a series of pre-election dialogues, on Thursday. She is scheduled to hold talks with HM Ershad’s Jatiya Party next Monday.
A 21-strong Jukto Front delegation joined the talks with the demands for dissolution of parliament before the general elections to be overseen by a nonpartisan government.
Their other demands included evening the playing field and deployment of the army with magistracy power during the polls, and no use of electronic voting machines or EVMs in the elections.
The ruling coalition specified which points raised by the Jukto Front can be executed and which they will consider, according to Badruddoza.
The 14-Party coalition led by Hasina agreed that the EC will be answerable to no-one but the president and the government will not interfere in the EC’s jobs before the elections, he said.
Parliament will not take any new project or decision once the election schedule is announced, the ruling coalition told the Jukto Front during the talks, according to the Bikalpadhara chief.
Hasina also agreed that the ruling coalition leaders will dismantle all their billboards, banners and other means of publicity immediately after the announcement of the schedule, Badruddoza said.
But the prime minister said the army would not be deployed with magistracy power during the polls as demanded by the Jukto Front and Oikya Front, but work as a reserve striking force, the Bikalpadhara chief said.
About EVMs, Hasina said she would discuss the demand for not using the machines with the president as an ordinance paving the way for the use of EVMs in parliamentary polls had already been issued, according to Badruddoza.
She also noted that she had already sought a list of those arrested in political cases from the Oikya Front, Badruddoza said.
Though Hasina did not accept the demand for a nonpartisan election-time government but it will be possible to get much closer to a level playing field if the EC remains free from government influence, he believes.
He was quoted by bdnews24.com as saying, “At least some of our demands were accepted today. We have had a good start. We’ll see now. We’ll discuss this among ourselves.
“We are politicians. We must accept that everything cannot be done in one go.
He continued, “I can’t say whether our demands will be met. But they’ve agreed that these demands are realistic and acceptable
“I won’t say more. We will see how they execute these. In this way, it appeared to me that the dialogue was held in a sincere atmosphere.
“If the government delivers on its words, then this (dialogue) will raise hopes,” he said.
