Dhaka, Jan 2 (UNB) – Opposition BNP spokesman Tariqul Islam on Wednesday said the government has no option but to accept their demand for restoration of the caretaker government.

“The government will have to meet our demand for reinstatement of the caretaker government. They have no other alternative to accepting this demand today or tomorrow,” he told a rally.

Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, the youth wing of the BNP, arranged the rally in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office demanding the release of detained BNP and Jubo Dal leaders, including BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Jubo Dal organising secretary AKM Mojammel Haque, and the withdrawal of ‘false’ cases filed against them.

Referring to Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam’s claim that they are in talks with the opposition to break the ongoing political deadlock over the polls-time administration, Tariqul said the government is only trying to melt the ice to ease the political crisis by speaking about dialogue. 

“We want to clearly state that the crisis won’t be resolved in this way. The government will have to amend the constitution to restore the caretaker government,” he added.

Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam on Monday said the ruling party is ready to sit across the table with the main opposition to resolve the ongoing political crisis over the polls-time administration.

“Discussion is the only way to have a solution to the problem. There’s no alternative…the sooner the issue gets resolved through dialogue the better it is for the nation and democracy,” Ashraf said while talking to reporters at his Secretariat office.

Referring to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s formula for the polls-time administration, Tariqul, also a BNP standing committee member, urged the government to accept it for the sake of the country’s welfare. 

At a rally in the city on Tuesday, Khaleda said, “No formula of the ruling party will work. The formula is clear… no election will be held under Awami League. Neutral persons will take over the charge. The chief of the election-time government and its 10 other advisers will be neutral ones, and their tenure will be 90 days. They’ll hold the polls and carry out day-to-day affairs…they won’t formulate any law.”

Opposing the draft of a law being formulated for private TV channels, the BNP leader said the government is trying to control the media with such a law.

He called upon the government to release all the detained opposition leaders and activists, and withdraw the ‘false’ cases filed against them.  

BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, opposition chief whip Zainul Abedin Farroque and BNP Dhaka city unit member secretary Abdus Salam, among others, addressed the rally held with Jubo Dal president Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal in the chair.