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Weeks ahead of the national elections in Bangladesh, Awami League leader Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury Nowfel has termed the exercise a "one-sided election" that will lead to a "waste of public funds."
He warned that any government formed under such circumstances would struggle to be sustainable, even as he asserted that his party remains resilient enough to navigate a period in the opposition. Speaking to ANI, Nowfel said, "If they want to force it (elections) on the people of the country, it will happen. The question is, what will be the consequence of such a waste of public funds? Will the government, whoever comes after this one-sided election, be sustainable? That is the question. We (Awami League) are well-versed in these protests. Most of the time of our existence as a political party, we've spent in the opposition. So we know how to survive time in opposition." Nowfel also pointed to external interference, claiming, "The ISI's second-in-command had visited Dhaka. The generals from the Pakistan army had been frequenting Dhaka. Pakistan has suddenly come out of nowhere, and they are destabilising not only internally but also trying to create regional instability by unnecessarily damaging the relationship between Bangladesh and India." Meanwhile, Bangladeshi theatre actress and director Rokeya Prachy criticised the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, saying, "Right now we don't have any freedom. "Right now, we don't have any freedom. There is a loss of Tawhidi Janata, like the dictators. They are radical religious fundamentalists, and Dr Muhammad Yunus, the meticulous design plan, always with Jamaat Islami and Islamist radicals, with him. They have lots of fatwas; they have lots of direction. All artists, they cannot do their duties. They cannot do shooting, no women's football teams, as they get a lot of threats. In Bangladesh, the situation of women and art & culture is horrible. There is no justice, law and order," she told ANI. Bangladesh is set to undergo parliamentary elections on February 12. Bangladesh Election Commission had, in May last year, suspended the registration of the Awami League as a party. The Interim Government has banned all activities by the Awami League. (ANI)
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