The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Awami League will submit its registration form to the Election Commission on Tuesday morning within the previously-set deadline after provisionally amending party constitution in preparation for the December elections.

Acting general secretary of the party Syed Ashraful Islam Tuesday said they welcomed the extension of the timeframe for registration, which they think in no way cause deferment of the general election set for December 18.

Talking to reporters at party's Dhanmondi office he said they would have no problem following the deferment of the registration date as they want all political parties to get registered with the Election Commission and participate in the parliamentary polls.

"We do not believe it also that extension of the registration date will create any possibility of deferment of the parliamentary polls," he said.

He noted as the Chief Adviser and the EC are repeatedly assuring the nation of holding the elections on the declared date, there is no scope for harboring doubt about the elections on December 18.

"The December 18 elections cannot be deferred even for a single minute," he said.

Ashraful also suggested the government to provide Awami League president Sheikh Hasina and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, the two former premiers, with special security ahead of the national elections being held at a critical time in the country's political history.

He made the demand when a journalist questioned if they are apprehending any militant or terrorist attack on Hasina on her return from the United States, where she has been staying since her release from prison on parole for treatment.

Ashraful asked the government to give the two leaders special security like prime minister of the country.

Awami League will formally approach to the government for Hasina's security after she returns from America.

Ashraful said Hasina might return on October 26, but the date is tentative.

The journalists asked him to respond to Monday's remarks of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) that the political parties should show specific reasons why the state of emergency would have to be lifted ahead of the polls.

Ashraful Islam said firstly, under the state of emergency, general elections would not be acceptable to the national and international communities and secondly, political parties might use the emergency law as an excuse to boycott the elections.

"These reasons, I think, are enough to remove the state of emergency fully before the polls," he said.

He said the coming general election is very much important in regional and global political context and the whole world would keep an eye on the Bangladesh polls.

"The global community will be eager to see what changes in the country's socio-politico arena have come in the last two years. Such an important election cannot be held under emergency," he said.

The emergency law is the biggest obstacle to having a free and fair general election, he remarked.

When journalists reminded him about the Awami League's participation in the four city corporation and nine municipality elections under the emergency, Islam said local elections and the general election are not the same thing.

He said there is no need to keep the emergency law in force during the polls as country's police and special forces like Rab are very much capable of maintaining law and order.

Asked if Awami League would join the polls if the government remained rigid on arranging the polls under the emergency law, he replied the government did not come up with such a stand yet.

Ashraful also informed that formation of the planned grand alliance would be finalized after Sheikh Hasina's return.

He said Awami League would start talks with its 14-party alliance in a day or two on the pros and cons of the grand alliance to give it a final shape.

About HM Ershad-led Jatiya party's seat distribution among its candidates in the 300 constituencies, though it is considered a component of the grand alliance, Ashraful said it is the seat distribution of a single party, nothing else.