Nazrul Islam Khan urges extended polling hours and additional booths

BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan today said the party remains firmly committed to the electoral process, announcing 36 more candidates ahead of the upcoming national election.

"God forbid, unless there is an unavoidable situation, we do not want to step outside this process," he told journalists around 6:00pm today at the Election Commission building in Agargaon, Dhaka.

Earlier at 4:40pm, a three-member BNP delegation led by Nazrul met Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin. The delegation included Ismail Zabiullah, a member of the BNP chairperson's advisory council, and Dr Mohammad Zakaria, former additional secretary of the Election Commission. Senior Secretary of the EC, Akhtar Ahmed, was also present.

Nazrul reiterated BNP's longstanding demand for timely elections, saying, "For the last 14 to 15 years, we have been saying that the people's right to vote must be returned to them. We want the people to exercise their voting rights and determine who will take responsibility for the state in the coming days."

Urging the EC to increase polling hours and the number of polling booths, he noted that voters will face two ballots -- one for the national election and another for the referendum. "Casting votes on two ballots will take even more time. So we want the Election Commission to ensure that all voters can cast their votes properly," he said.

Nazrul also mentioned prayers for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's earliest recovery and proper treatment, adding that she is likely to leave the country early tomorrow.

He said the announcement of candidates was made with her recovery in mind.

Asked about Tarique Rahman's voter registration, he dismissed concerns, "I don't think there is anything to discuss about this. He is a citizen of Bangladesh. He will come and complete the process. The deadline for getting his name enlisted has not yet passed."