Environment needed for elections not created yet: Chunnu

Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu has said the environment needed to hold the upcoming 12th parliamentary elections has not yet been created in the country.

"An environment is needed for the elections, and that environment has not yet been created. The Jatiya Party has repeatedly asked to ensure a fair environment for the elections. If people do not have confidence that they can freely exercise their right to vote, how can we go to the polls?" he said while speaking to reporters at the party headquarters on Sunday (19 November).

"We will go to the elections but we have not come to a decision yet. But we have made all preparations to go to the polls – party manifesto, candidate list, printing of nomination forms. We have completed all the work. 

"But now, we are uncertain as to whether it would be right to go to the polls. We still haven't come out of this dilemma. That's why we are taking our time to decide. Let's see if we can come to a decision soon. We are actually prioritising the demands of the people," he added.

Mujibul Haque Chunnu further said if the election is held properly, his party wants to have candidates in all 300 seats. 

"We do not want to make any alliance or grand alliance, this time. There is no problem if we don't get a seat. The party that gets more seats will form the government.

"We don't want the government to resign nor do we want to force the government [in any way]. We want a middle ground, in light of the constitution, to find a way so that everyone can come to the polls."

Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition in the Parliament and Jatiya Party (JaPa) Chief Patron Raushan Ershad met President Mohammed Shahabuddin and called for holding dialogue with all the political parties.

Earlier, Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader went to Bangabhaban on Tuesday (14 November) and met the president.

The Election Commission received two letters on 18 November– one from GM Quader and another from Raushan Ershad – contradicting each other regarding the party's participation in the AL-led electoral alliance for the next parliamentary election.

The letter, which is purportedly from Raushan Ershad, wife of the party's founder Hussain Muhammad Ershad, reads, "We will go to the elections in an alliance with the Awami League. But we will make our decisions independently after the polls."

The other letter, which was from GM Quader, brother of Ershad, was signed by the party's secretary general Mujibul Haque Chunnu made no mention of any alliance. "The symbols and candidate nominations for the upcoming elections will be decided by our party chairman Golam Mohammad Quader," it reads.

The 12th national election will be held on 7 January.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal announced the election schedule in an address to the nation on 15 November.

As per the announced schedule, the last date for filing nomination papers is 30 November.

Nomination papers will be scritinised from 1-4 December. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is 17 December. Allotment of symbols will be done on 18 December.

The election campaign will continue from 18 December to 5 January.