Questions raised by one or two nations on the credibility of the election are only natural, says ruling Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader.
His remarks come on the heels of opposition alliance Jatiya Oikya Front briefing the diplomats on the political situation.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, Quader said, “If you have discussions with a lot of countries, a few will obviously raise questions … it might also have risen as the BNP is spending a lot on lobbyists.”
On the election slated for Dec 30, the Cabinet member said that it was the Election Commission’s job, not the government’s, to ensure a level playing field.
“Why is that even coming up when the nominations are yet to be finalised?” he asked while speaking to reporters at a Dhaka hotel.
Speculations are rife that if the Jatiya Oikya Forum forms the government then its chief Dr Kamal Hossain will be the president and acting BNP chief Tarique Rahman will be the prime minister. However, the alliance’s top leaders evaded a direct answer on Friday (Nov 16), when newspaper editors raised the issue during a discussion.
“I have been asking the same question from the very beginning but yet to get an answer,” said Quader, who serves as the road transport minister under the Sheikh Hasina administration.
Coming down hard on the BNP over the clash at Naya Paltan on Wednesday (Nov 14), he said, “How does the party expect a free and fair election after they blatantly attacked the police in broad daylight?
It proves that BNP still has fears about their chance to win the forthcoming polls, according to the senior ruling party leader.