DHAKA, Aug 26: Bangladesh’s major political parties expressed doubts on Tuesday about the army-backed interim government’s commitment to holding a promised free and fair election before the end of the year.The government, headed by former central bank governor Fakhruddin Ahmed, took over in January last year following months of political violence, cancelled an election and detained hundreds of politicians in a crackdown on corruption.

Leaders held in the anti-graft drive included former Prime Ministers Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda Zia, who head the Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and Khaleda’s son and political heir Tareque Rahman.

The government said its actions were a necessary step to clean up politics before handing the country back to elected politicians following a December election.

But the BNP and Awami League which together won 80 per cent of the votes in the last national poll have threatened to boycott the elections unless their top leaders are freed unconditionally and a state of emergency lifted.

“We can see a sinister motive working within the interim government that wants to perpetuate its power in one or other pretext,” BNP secretary-general Khandaker Delwar Hossain said on Tuesday.

The parties are angry that the government has not eased emergency rules that place tight restrictions on political gatherings and other activities.

They have also cried foul over an Election Commission order that all political parties must register by mid-October fulfilling a number of conditions if they wish to contest the December parliamentary election.

Amir Hossain Amu, a senior leader of the Awami League, said: “There are reasons to doubt the government’s intentions, as it is trying to put the house in order according to its own choice.”

He said would Awami League would seek answers to its concerns at a meeting with the government expected soon.

The rising political tensions were highlighted on Monday, when supporters of Khaleda Zia went on a rampage in Dhaka, burning and damaging vehicles in a protest in which one man was killed and nine injured.

Seeking to soothe friction between the government and political parties, Fakhruddin reiterated on Tuesday that the national election would be held in December.

A senior government official, who asked not to be named, warned that a boycott of the election by the main parties would have serious consequences.

“If the elections fail to fulfil people’s aspirations for a flawless and sustainable democracy, the country will plunge into an unprecedented crisis,” he said.

“I hope that all players in the critical game will realise the dangers and agree not to let the country go to dogs.”—Reuters