Election Will Not Be Acceptable Without Participation of All Parties, Says DU Nil Dal

Staff Correspondent

The Nil Dal of Dhaka University has said that the national parliamentary elections and referendum will not be acceptable to the nation without the participation of all political parties. They said that the elections organized unilaterally are a farce and a deception to the nation.

This demand was made in a statement signed by Dhaka University’s blue party convener Professor Dr. A. K. M. Jamal Uddin on Monday.

In a statement, the teachers of the Nil Dal said that they are deeply concerned that if the participation of all political parties in the 13th National Parliament election is not ensured, it will not be an inclusive election and will not reflect the true verdict of the people.

The statement said that the people expected the interim government to organize a free, fair and acceptable election with the participation of all parties in a democratic process. But the reality is completely different. The Blue Party claims that the government and the Election Commission have failed to create an environment for an acceptable, free and participatory election by keeping many political parties that support independence and the liberation war, including the Bangladesh Awami League, out of the election.

According to the Nil Dal, a neutral and inclusive election with the participation of all political parties is essential for the sake of democracy, the spirit of the Liberation War, and protecting the sovereignty of the country. If the people’s right to vote is not ensured, this election will not only be unacceptable to the common people of the country, but will also be questionable to the international community.

The statement further warned that such flawed and unfair elections would severely tarnish the country’s image and would prolong the ongoing political conflict and violence, hampering the country’s overall socio-economic development.

The Nil Dal said that the country’s leading think tanks, including CPD, TIB, Dhaka University Teachers’ Association, Journalists, Doctors, Engineers and Agriculturalists’ Union, have already advised the government to organize a participatory election by including all political parties, including the Awami League.

Calling on the government, the Nil Dal of Dhaka University said that it must step away from the path of organizing one-sided elections and immediately take initiatives to hold a free, fair and inclusive election with the participation of all political parties, including the Bangladesh Awami League.