Dhaka: Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said BNP’s demand for deferring the general election to facilitate the foreign observers to monitor the polls is funny, irrelevant, baseless and illogical.

‘A state can’t defer its election if foreign observers fail to monitor it for their personal reasons,’ he said while talking to reporters at the Awami League president’s political office at Dhanmondi, reports the UNB.

Quader, also Road Transport and Bridges Minister, came up with the remarks against the backdrop of BNP’s allegation that the general election date was fixed on December 30 at the behest of the government to rig vote amid the absence of foreign election observers and diplomats due to Christmas and New Year.

He said there are many countries which are friends of Bangladesh. ‘And our country is not inferior to anyone in respect to dignity,’ he said.

Replying to a query, the ruling party leader said if BNP tries to wage any movement demanding deferment of the election, the country’s people will resist them.

He, however, said the Election Commission (EC) will decide everything about the polls.

Earlier in the day, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, ‘The election date has been set on December 30 so that foreign observers can’t stay here and monitor the polls. The foreign observers, ambassadors, high commissioners and officials of different countries will be on leave on the occasion of Christmas, 31st and New Year.’

Speaking at a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he renewed their demand for deferring the election schedule by a month. ‘A fresh schedule must be announced further and a level-playing field will have to be created for all the political parties.’