AMN/ WEB DESK
Bangladesh Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq has said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will form a poll-time government whenever she feels like. Speaking to the media after inaugurating a refresher course of Judicial officers in Dhaka on Sunday, Law Minister Huq said that Bangladesh is a Westminster style parliamentary system of government.
In that case, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will form a small government or polls time government whenever she likes it. She has already given an outline about the people who can be included in such a government, said the Law Minister.
Earlier, on May 15, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had said a polls time government can be formed with the parties including the opposition represented in the parliament. Since all the 7 MPs of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) resigned from parliament in December last year, there is no possibility of BNP being included in such a government, Sheikh Hasina had said. She had pointed out that her government had asked BNP to nominate a member to represent it for the polls-time government ahead of 2014 elections also, but BNP had refused.
Opposition BNP has said it will not participate in elections under the current government led by Sheikh Hasina. It has been holding protest movements across Bangladesh demanding resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and holding of the national elections under a neutral, caretaker government. However, the constitution does not allow for it as in 2011, the Awami League government through the 15th constitutional amendment abolished the provision for a neutral, caretaker government to conduct general elections in the country. Opposition BNP questions the legitimacy of the amendment.
