People don't want polls under this Election Commission: Islami Andolon
The party announced protest marches in cities and districts tomorrow
The people of the country do not want to see any more elections under this Election Commission which is subservient to the ruling Awami League, said Islami Andolon Bangladesh Presidium Member Principal Maulana Syed Mosaddeq Billah Al-Madani.
"The Election Commission announcing the election schedule in compliance with the current government is nothing but a farce," he said at a rally at the north gate of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the capital on Wednesday (15 November), according to a press release.
"If the elections are held ignoring the demands of all the opposition parties, the people will be forced to take to the streets and resist the illegal election," he added.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Mosaddeq Billah also said the party will bring out protest marches in cities and districts tomorrow (16 November) if the election commission announces a "one-sided" election schedule today.
After assembling at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, Islami Andolon Bangladesh leaders and activists brought out a protest march around 3:30pm towards the Election Commission (EC) building that ended at Shantinagar amid police intervention.
The police intervened and blocked the march as it reached the Shantinagar area around 4pm, resulting in the IAB activists concluding the protest there.
Later, the IAB protesters started moving towards Baitul Mukarram.
Earlier on Tuesday, the party announced the plan to hold a protest march towards the Election Commission building if the election schedule is announced without reaching a political consensus.
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal is set to unveil the schedule for the 12th national election at 7pm today amid an escalating political crisis over the election-time government.
Meanwhile, security measures have been intensified around the Election Commission building ahead of the anticipated announcement, with additional forces from the police, RAB, and BGB have been deployed in the vicinity. Armoured personnel carriers and water cannons were observed outside the Election Commission office in Agargaon on Wednesday morning.
The political impasse persists with no signs of resolution, as both the ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP remain entrenched in their positions ahead of the national elections, which could be as early as the first week of January.
While the BNP and other opposition parties demand the ouster of the government and national polls under a neutral caretaker government, the ruling Awami League maintains the election will be held as per the constitution and under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
On Tuesday, six Islamic parties urged the Election Commission to refrain from announcing the specifics of the national election until a non-partisan government is established for the electoral process.
