BNP to unveil polls-time govt formula at 'appropriate' time: Fakhrul

Stating that their party will unveil a "formula" on a non-party polls-time government at an "appropriate" time, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday said it is the responsibility of the current regime to incorporate this provision in the constitution.

"We'll definitely present that (non-party government's) formula when the time comes," he said.

Speaking at a press conference, the BNP leader said the current Awami League government must form a non-party neutral government and then hand over power to it for holding a credible national election.

As a journalist pointed out that the constitution should be amended for this, Fakhrul said, "They (govt) have to take the initiative to amend that constitution. Because they created the crisis and it is their responsibility to overcome the problem. Since it is the demand of the people, they must take the initiative by accepting the demand."

He recalled that BNP introduced the caretaker government system through the 13th amendment to the constitution in 1996. "They (current govt) can do it in the same way."

In 1994, Awami League spearheaded a campaign for installing a non-partisan caretaker government to oversee free and fair polls and forced BNP to accept it in 1996 in the face of a fierce movement.

The caretaker government system was abolished through the 15th amendment in 2011 as the Supreme Court struck down the 13th amendment to the constitution as illegal. The last two general elections were held under the Awami League-led government.

Fakhrul said they will force the government to accept their demand for holding the next polls under a non-party administration through a simultaneous movement.

He also said they will present the outline of the "simultaneous" movement very soon.

25,000 fresh cases against BNP

Fakhrul said their party's five leaders – Nur-e-Alam and Abdur Rahim in Bhola, Shaon Prodhan in Narayanganj, Shahidul Islam Shaon in Munshiganj and Abdul Alim in Jessore – were killed by the Awami League government during the movement in protest against the price hikes of fuel and daily essentials since 31 July.

Of them, he said four were killed in police firing while another was killed by the ruling party "cadres".

Besides, Fakhrul said 2,768 BNP leaders and activists were injured and 294 were arrested during the period.

At the same time, he said the government filed 75 "false" cases against around 25,000 leaders and workers of their party. "We strongly condemn the filing of such false cases. This unelected government is resorting to murder, torture, and false cases to suppress the ongoing movement on the justified demands of the people."