Tarique vows accepting results if polls stay impartial

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday said his party would accept the election results if the polls are held in a free, fair and neutral environment.

“If the election is conducted in a free, fair and impartial manner without controversy, why wouldn’t we accept the results? We will accept them,” he told reporters after visiting several polling centres in the capital. He stressed that the vote must remain peaceful and unbiased to ensure a democratic beginning for the country.

Tarique made the remarks at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office following his tour of different centres in Dhaka. He said voters appeared enthusiastic after being deprived of their voting rights for more than a decade and that the overall atmosphere in the city seemed festive.

Urging citizens to exercise their franchise peacefully, he called on everyone to work together to build the “desired Bangladesh.” Responding to questions about the election outcome, he expressed optimism, saying he was hopeful about victory. When asked about seat expectations, he said the party aimed to secure enough seats to govern effectively.

On the prospect of forming a national government, Tarique said he wanted to run the country with those who had fought alongside him in political struggles.

He added that while he had not yet received detailed reports from across the country, he had seen media coverage on his phone showing isolated incidents in some areas. Without naming any group, he alleged that a political party was repeatedly creating unexpected situations and said such actions were unacceptable.

Tarique also emphasised that higher voter turnout would help defeat conspiracies against the democratic process. He warned that public perception would turn negative toward those involved in disruptive activities.

Regarding vote counting, he said there was no reason for delays and expressed hope that the Election Commission would announce results promptly. Referring to past polls in 1991, 1996 and 2001, he said timely results were a normal expectation and hoped the same would happen this time.

“We are seeing some undesirable events and attempts to mislead people,” he said, adding that such actions would not be accepted by the public.

Source: BSS