Quader: Polls rescheduling depends on EC adhering to constitutional deadline

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Wednesday said that if the Election Commission (EC) can reschedule the polls while maintaining the deadline as per the constitution, then his party or the government has no objection.

He said these things after a meeting with the Commonwealth pre-election assessment mission at the Dhaka district Awami League office on Wednesday morning.

He said: It is up to the EC how the elections will be conducted. There is a constitutional obligation to conduct elections within a specific time frame. In such a situation, if the Election Commission deems it necessary to postpone the polls for a few days, they can do so. Awami League or the government has nothing to say here."

Mentioning that the government has given a legal framework to the independent Election Commission, Obaidul Quader said: “The laws have been reformed in the country's election system through parliamentary laws. The steps taken by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to conduct free, fair and impartial elections are commendable.”

However, Quader also emphasized that assuming the upcoming election would be one-sided due to the BNP's non-participation is inaccurate.

He said: "It is not right to assume that the election will be considered one-sided because BNP will not join; many others will participate in the election. Elections cannot be decided around a party."

In response to inquiries from Commonwealth representatives about the state of democracy in various countries, Quader highlighted the positive interest expressed by Commonwealth representatives in Bangladesh's elections.

Regarding foreign opinions on Bangladesh's elections, he noted that he has not encountered any negative opinions so far. However, he asserted that the government is not overly concerned about foreign opinions.