Majority rejected Gazipur polls
Claims BNP
The majority of voters in Kapasia rejected the "farcical" by-election of Gazipur-4 constituency by not casting their votes, the main opposition BNP said yesterday.
Only 20 percent of them [the voters] had cast their votes, said the party's acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, adding, "This proves that a free and fair election is not possible under the incumbent government and the Election Commission."
He was addressing a demonstration at Naya Paltan in the capital, demanding withdrawal of the cases filed against party leaders, including BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman.
The BNP has been demanding a non-party neutral administration to oversee the next general elections, and to suppress this movement, the government has filed "false cases" against the party leaders, said Fakhrul.
MOSHARRAF WELCOMED, HANIF REJECTED
If the caretaker government system was restored, the BNP would accept veteran lawyer Rafique-ul Huq as its head, BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain yesterday said at the Jatiya Press Club.
Speaking at a discussion organised by Sangbidhanik Odhikar Forum, Mosharraf also welcomed the step taken by Rafique to bring the two party leaders together for a dialogue.
Earlier on Saturday, the lawyer said that if offered, he would accept the responsibility of the interim government.
Meanwhile, Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif asked how a senior jurist like Rafique-ul Huq could propose to be the head of an unconstitutional government.
"Who has invited him to be the head [of the caretaker government]?" Hanif said when The Daily Star sought his reaction over the phone.
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