It will be known tomorrow whether the voting date for the 11th National Assembly election will be delayed or not. Meanwhile, some political parties including BNP, 20-Party Alliance, Jatiya Oikya Front, Yuktu Front, Islami Andolan Bangladesh have written to the Election Commission to postpone polling.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda told reporters whether the polling date will be rescheduled or rescheduled in view of the demands of various parties. A decision will be taken tomorrow. Earlier in the afternoon, Election Commissioner Rafiqul Islam told reporters in Rangpur that the commission members will sit and decide on the schedule.
According to the current schedule, the polls will be held on December 23. And nomination papers can be submitted till November 19.
Before the announcement of the schedule, Jatiya Oikya Front and Left Democratic Alliance demanded to postpone the announcement of the schedule. After announcing the schedule, BNP, United Front and Islami Andolan Bangladesh are now demanding to postpone it.
BNP sent a letter to the Election Commission on Sunday afternoon to postpone the schedule of the 11th Parliament election by one month. Khaleda Zia's advisory council member Bijan Kanti Sarkar, chairperson's media wing member Shairul Kabir Khan along with some went to EC with this letter.
The letter, signed by Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, spokesperson of Jatiya Oikya Front and Secretary General of BNP, said that BNP, 20-party alliance and Jatiya Oikya Front have decided to participate in the elections. It is not acceptable to hastily announce the schedule of the commission ignoring the views of the majority of political parties. The reason given is that it is not possible to complete various activities in such a short time and submit nomination papers. So BNP requested to postpone this schedule by one month.
AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, Chairman of United Front and President of Alternative Bangladesh, has sent a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner requesting to change the date of submission of nomination papers, verification and withdrawal of candidature along with the date of taking the vote.
On Sunday at 3:30 PM, B. Chowdhury's letter was taken to the EC by Omar Farooq, Presidium member Abdur Rauf Mannan and other members of the party.
B Chowdhury also said in his letter that it will be difficult to accept nomination papers, verify, interview etc. in a short time as per the announced schedule. He said that the date of submission of nomination papers should be moved back by a week to November 26 instead of November 19, nomination paper verification to November 29 instead of November 22, withdrawal of nomination papers to December 5 instead of November 29. Similarly, he proposed to make the polling date December 30 instead of December 23.
The Islamic movement has demanded that Bangladesh elections be postponed by a week. In a press release sent today, the party's Amir Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim said that various political parties have agreed to postpone the elections. All political parties should be given the opportunity to participate in the elections by postponing the elections for at least one week and creating an environment for the elections. They have sent a letter to the Election Commission seeking a meeting with the Election Commission tomorrow Monday.
