Awami League advisory council member Amir Hossain Amu on Wednesday (June 7, 2023) said there is no scope to invite anyone to dialogue regarding the next general election. “There is no scope to invite anyone (to join dialogue) and none was invited,” he said. The AL senior leader was addressing a discussion arranged by Bangladesh Awami League (AL) at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city, marking the historic 6-Point Day. Also read: Amu’s remark on dialogue has no importance to BNP: Fakhrul The remark came a day after he reportedly said it is not possible to resolve the crisis through any other means than dialogue. Amu on Wednesday said the next general election will be held as per the Constitution as the leader of AL-led 14-party alliance and also Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed firm conviction to hold the polls in free, fair and neutral manners. “Today the election will be held on the basis of the Constitution. It can't allow the creation of a constitutional vacuum in the country,” he added. Also read: Amu opens door for govt to hold talks with BNP on election issues Amu said conspiracies continued repeatedly regarding elections, starting from 2013. “None was told about talks. None was invited to discussion,” he said. Amu claimed that he on Tuesday said the BNP accepted defeat in dialogue in 2013 and then the election was held in a fair manner in 2014. Also read: AL is yet to decide to hold dialogue with opposition on upcoming election: Quader

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday (June 7, 2023) said they are not giving importance to Awami League advisory council member Amir Hossain Amu’s remark on dialogue to resolve political deadlock over the next general election, Speaking at a press conference, he also said ruling party leaders’ contradictory comments on the talks with BNP have also manifested how the government has now become unnerved. "I don't want to give importance to this issue. I don't even want to talk about it," the BNP secretary general said as journalists sought his comment on Amu’s comment on the dialogue. Also read: Amu opens door for govt to hold talks with BNP on election issues As some journalists approached Fakhrul for his comment on the issue later in the afternoon, he said he did not know whether Amu has been made the official spokesperson of Awami League. “Why should we give importance to his statement? I don't want to make any comment on it.” Earlier on Tuesday, Amu said at a programme organised by the AL-led 14-party alliance at the AL headquarters on Bangabandhu Avenue that the door for dialogue with BNP is open. “Let a representative of the UN come. We want to sit with the BNP face-to-face and see where the differences are,” he added. Also read: US visa policy for Bangladesh an outcome of AL’s misrule: Fakhrul Meanwhile, BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the ruling party leaders’ comments on talks are reckless. Speaking at a programme at the Jatiya Press Club on Wednesday, he recalled that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a few days back said there is no question of holding talks with BNP on election as it is a terrorist party. “Amir Hossain Amu yesterday (Tuesday) said they’re ready to hold talks with BNP with the mediation of the UN. But Obaidul Quader (AL general secretary) today (Wednesday) trashed it. So, who is correct? In fact, they (AL leaders) have become unnerved and making reckless remarks,” the BNP leader said. Also read: AL is yet to decide to hold dialogue with opposition on upcoming election: Quader Mosharraf said Awami League will continue to be unorganised in the days to come as the party’s time is over. “People used to make unguarded comments when time is up.” He also said the ruling party must quit power by handing over power to a non-party caretaker government, paving the way for holding a fair and credible election.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday (May 29, 2023) said the government has softened its tone on talks to resolve the political crisis over the next election through talks as its overenthusiasm has waned following the US visa policy for Bangladesh. Speaking at a discussion, he also said their party wants a peaceful transfer of power through a credible election under a non-party caretaker government. In an oblique reference to the US visa policy, the BNP leader said, “They (AL) wanted to establish a one-party Baksal rule again under a different cover. But man proposes God disposes.” He also said the ruling party leaders were trembling with very much excitement just a few days back for holding the next polls under the current government. “But now their excitement has started to wear off. Their tone has come down. They’re now saying the problem has to be resolved through talks as they don’t want unrest.” Read more: US visa policy reflects people’s long-standing demand for restoration of voting rights: Fakhrul BNP arranged the discussion at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh marking the 42nd death anniversary of its founder Ziaur Rahman. Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government does not want any more unrest and conflict rather it wants to improve the quality of people's lives. Fakhrul said the government is inciting violence by attacking different peaceful programmes of the opposition. “But we (BNP) are not obstructing their programmes.” He said the movement that their party has been carrying out for a long time has come to the final stage. Read more: BNP’s plot to boycott election failed for US new visa policy: Obaidul Quader The BNP leader reiterated their party’s demand that the next election must be held under a non-party caretaker government. The BNP leader said the government must step down, and dissolve parliament by handing over power to a non-party neutral government for holding a credible election. “You (PM) must quit as the country’s people don’t think the election will be fair keeping you in power. The election must be held under a caretaker government. “Our political culture and previous experiences suggest elections can never be held in a free and fair manner under a partisan government, especially under the Awami League government,” he said. The BNP leader said there is nothing new to see the elections under the Awami League government as the nation witnessed what happened in the 2014 and 2018 polls. Read more: AL govt shaken, faces massive debacle in fair election: Ganatantra Mancha “We would like to say it clearly that we want the transfer of power peacefully. We want to establish a government of people through an election in a peaceful manner. We want to restore the system where people will be able to cast their votes,” Fakhrul said.  He said they also want the election to be held under a neutral caretaker government to be conducted by an impartial election commission so that people can exercise their right to franchise freely to elect their representatives by themselves.  The BNP leader also warned his party colleagues not to fall into the trap to be set by the government by conducting various propaganda and unleashing violence.  “They (govt) will try to shift the blame onto us after carrying out the arson violence by them. They also did the same thing in the past. So, everyone should be very careful. We’ll carry out our movement in a peaceful and democratic manner,” he said. Read more: New visa policy to help PM Hasina's govt in holding fair elections: US About the media reports on the sudden rise in the flow of remittance from the US, Fakhrul said it is surprising. “What magic is behind the rise in remittances from America? People are saying the thieves are bringing back the money that they have stolen and siphoned off America.”

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has once again urged the people  not to vote for BNP-Jamaat nexus in Bangladesh's next general election as they will just ruin the country. “They (BNP-Jamaat) will just destroy the country, nothing else. So, make it sure that BNP-Jamaat must not come to power again,” she said. The prime minister made the call on Sunday (May 07, 2023) while addressing a civic reception accorded to her by Bangladeshi expatriates in the UK at London Marriott Hotel. She said that BNP-Jamaat alliance is just a bunch of killers, thieves and corrupts. Read More: Khulna city polls: Miscreants attack BNP leader Kaisar’s house, threaten not to join election “So people should remain cautious and must not cast their votes for them,” she said.  Hasina, the chief of the ruling Awami League, expressed hope that people of the country will give their verdict in favour of Awami League in the next general election. “Inshallah people will vote for us in the next election to setve them one more time,” she said. She said that BNP-Jamaat nexus siphoned off money and put the country on the verge of destruction. Read More: BNP leaders losing their mind over world's praise for Bangladesh: Hasan Mahmud “How could people cast their votes for them,” she wondered. She said that Tarique Rahman (BNP vice chairman) has been convicted of corruption and the government has been able to bring back some Tk 40 crore that was smuggled by Koko ( late son of BNP leader Khaleda Zia). Reiterating her determination to build a developed and prosperous Bangladesh, Hasina said, “Bangladesh will be a smart Bangladesh by 2041. We have formulated Delta 2100 plan. We have to take the country forward.” She said that there will be no homeless, landless people in the country. Read More: BNP burning over PM's success on tours: Hasan Mahmud “Awami League works for the welfare of people. No person in Bangladesh will remain without food," she said. Criticising BNP leaders including Tarique , the PM said, "Today, where do you get the courage to call us vote thieves?" She said that Tarique Zia was a vote thief, and his mother ( Khaleda Zia) too. PM Hasina said that Awami League did not come to power by rigging the votes of the people. Read More: BNP-Jamaat protesters refuse PM Hasina's invite to meet her in hotel: Official “Awami League always fights for the rights of the people; Awami League has come to power after being elected by thecpeople. Awami League never grabbed or stole power,” she said. Hasina asked the BNP leaders to reflect on how many parties participated in the February 15, 1996 election and how many votes were cast. Awami League president said that the people of the country are now aware enough about their right to vote. "We have made the people aware.” The prime minister said that no one has anything to say about the fairness of the 2008 election that was won by the Awami League-led alliance. Read More: BNP, Ganatantra Mancha meeting held on future of anti-govt movement “What is the result of that election? How many seats did BNP's 20-party alliance get? The 20-party coalition won 29 seats in the election and 1 in a by-election, totaling 30 seats. And the remaining seat is Awami League-led alliance. We got it all. Where is their position among the people that they jump so much?” She briefly described various development programmes of the government that have been taken in the last 14 years.  

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has once again said that her country's upcoming general election will be free and fair. She made it clear after UK Foreign Minister James Cleverly during a meeting with her on Saturday (May 06, 2023) said that Britain wants to see a fair national election in Bangladesh in the coming days. Bangladesh is likely to hold the next general election either end this year or early next year. Cleverly called on Hasina at the Claridge Hotel where the visiting prime minister is staying on her official UK visit. Read: US wants Bangladesh to set a strong example of free, fair election Hasina urged cooperation from all to make the next polls free and fair, according to Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen who briefed the media after the meeting. “We want a fair election to be held. My party has always maintained democracy in the country. We have given the country’s democracy a strong footing,” she said. The PM further said that her government is committed to holding a fair election which requires participation of all. "I want cooperation from all to hold a fair election,” Hasina said. Read more: Awami League alone exercises democracy and holds fair polls in Bangladesh: PM Hasina She stated that the AL government had done everything required to hold a fair election. She mentioned introduction of a voter list with photographs of voters and making ballot boxes transparent so that none can manipulate the vote. “We have created a strong state of democracy in Bangladesh," she said. On the contrary the BNP during its rule had prepared a voter list with 1.23 crore fake voters for rigging votes, she said. “We have made the Election Commission (EC) as independent and powerful enough alongside bringing institutional frameworks to hold a fair election,” she said. Read More: Election is Bangladesh’s internal affair, would refrain from commenting: Japanese Ambassador The Prime Minister said they believe in Westminster like democracy following which Bangladesh has introduced a question-answer session in the Parliament. During the talks, several bilateral issues like climate change, trade and commerce alongside the Rohingyas came up prominently, Momen said. The UK foreign minister highly praised the humanitarian role of Bangladesh premier in sheltering a huge number of Rohingyas in Bangladesh. “Britain will remain beside Bangladesh for quick repatriation of Rohingyas,” Cleverly said. Read More: BNP not to join polls under AL: Fakhrul Momen said the British government introduced a resolution before the UN Security Council on the Rohingya issue and played an effective role for its adoption. Cleverly also expressed his gratitude towards Bangladesh premier for joining the coronation of King Charles III.