The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The BNP-led four party alliance at a meeting yesterday placed five-point demand to the caretaker government for ensuring a fair, credible and transparent parliamentary elections in the country.

After the meeting of the secretary generals of the four component parties, BNP Secretary General Khondoker Delwar Hossain spoke about the demands to the waiting journalists at his NAM flat .

The demands are withdrawal of the state of emergency, scrapping of amendments of the Representative of People's Ordinance (RPO), reschedule of upazila election dates with a rational gap from the parliamentary polls, withdrawal of all cases against the alliance leaders and activists and setting them free before the Eid-ul-Fitr.

Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, Secretary General and Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan, Member, Central Executive Council of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, Abdul Latif Nezami, Secretary General of Islami Oikya Jote (IJO) Barrister Andalib Rahman and Shamim Al Mamoon of BJP and Ahmed Abdul Quader of Khelafat Majlish among others, attended the meeting.

The meeting began at 11:30 am and lasted till 1:30 pm. It was presided over by BNP Secretary General.

Replying to a question on four party alliance's decision on taking part in the election, Khondoker Delwar said, "We'll wait till October 12 for the government response to the demands. Decision will be taken on the basis of the government action."

He, however, said that four party alliance is always in favour of election and will take part in the election. He urged the government to remove the impediments for holding an all-party participatory election.

BNP Secretary General announced that the alliance would hold meetings and rallies across the country on October 12 to realise the demands.

He thanked Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed for assuring the United Nations General Assembly that general elections in Bangladesh would be held on December 18.

"People are looking forward to the elections and we want see that his (CA's) pledge to the world body will be implemented by removing all doubts about the polls," he added.