Hasina-led alliance joins polls ending unrest

Dhaka, Dec 24: Bangladesh's main Opposition alliance led by Awami League president Sheikh Hasina has decided to join the parliamentary polls slated for January 22, ending weeks of political uncertainty in the country.

''We'll participate in the election as part of our movement,'' Awami League presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim told reporters here today.

The Awami League's decision to take part in the election came within hours of changing the poll schedule by the Election Commission. In its latest revised schedule, the Commission deferred the date for filing nomination papers of candidates to December 26 from December 24. However, the polling date set for January 22 remains unchanged.

''We'll submit nomination papers on December 26,'' Sheikh Selim said after a meeting with their newly found ally Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of former President Badruddoza Chowdhury at the Gulshan house of Awami League general secretary Abdul Jalil.

An official announcement by the Awami League-led alliance is expected later today.

The Awami League-led alliance had been pressing the interim caretaker government of President Iajuddin Ahmed to remove the controversial Election Commissioners and deferring the polling date to pave way for their participation.

The caretaker government has agreed in principle to send a controversial Election Commissioner S M Zakaria on a long leave while the Election Commissioner has made efforts to correct the existing voters' list to make way for the Opposition alliance to participate in the elections.

UNI

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