Khaleda backtracks from caretaker govt deman
She demanded a fresh election under a neutral government which can be called by any other name.
BNP Chairperson made the demand while exchanging views with newly elected leaders of B’baria district lawyers’ association at her Gulshan office on Saturday.
BNP boycotted the 10th parliament election saying that it would not participate the election without the caretaker government.
Khaleda Zia pointed out that it had been proved that the fair election was not possible under the Awami League.
“I would not stick to the gun that the election has to be held under the caretaker government. I demand a fair election under a neutral government which can be called by any name,” the BNP chief said.
The BNP chief told a group of lawyers on Saturday: “The last three elections to key city corporations have proved our fears once again. No fair election is possible under this government.”
Awami League-backed mayoral candidates won the polls to the three city corporations in Dhaka and Chittagong in April.
BNP boycotted the polls halfway through the voting day amidst alleging widespread vote rigging.
The caretaker government system was included in the Constitution through the Thirteenth Amendment in 1996.
Caretaker governments oversaw elections in 1996, 2001 and 2008.
The 2008 election followed a two-year rule by the military-backed caretaker government, raising questions on the system’s effectiveness.
In a historic verdict on May 10, 2011, the Supreme Court declared the Thirteenth Amendment illegal.
The government brought the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution in June that year to exclude the system from the charter.
BNP protested violently against the Amendment and boycotted the 2004 election overseen by the Awami League government. Hundreds of people died in the months of protests.
