C T Online Desk: Faruk Khan is a presidium member of the Awami League Central Executive Committee, a member of its nomination board, a former minister, and a parliament member from Gopalganj-1 for five consecutive terms. He was also an officer in the military, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel on May 15, 1995, to concentrate on politics. In a recent interview at his residence with Dhaka Tribune Senior Reporter Ali Asif Shawon, the veteran politician shared his thoughts on the political situation in the country, the next parliamentary election, and the ruling Awami League’s strategies.
Dhaka Tribune: What happened during Friday’s meeting of the Awami League Nomination Board, chaired by party President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina?
Faruk Khan: We chose Mohammad Arafat as the candidate for Dhaka-17 during Friday’s meeting. We had decided that the vacancy in the constituency should be filled with younger male or female candidates for the party. We followed this policy in Dhaka-17.
Will the Awami League follow the same policy in the next parliamentary election?
There are five basic criteria for getting the party ticket in the national poll: popularity, involvement with the party, organizational capacity, performance during the Covid-19 time, and public image. We will judge based on these criteria and then pick younger candidates as much as possible.
We have heard that the Awami League has been conducting surveys ahead of the next polls. How many strongholds has the party found?
The first survey report is done and the second survey is running. We think about one third of the MPs are weak, so the nominations for 80-100 constituencies may be changed.
Do you think BNP will participate in the next polls?
I think the BNP will join the parliamentary election. I have observed that BNP nomination seekers are campaigning in all constituencies. This is a clear symptom of wanting to take part in the next election. At the same time, the maximum number of BNP central leaders are over the age of 70, and cannot run for the election next time. In addition, according to the US visa policy, the BNP cannot create an obstacle in this election. If they want to foil the election like they did in 2014, they will face US visa sanctions.
The BNP does not want Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the chief of the election-time government. What about this demand?
The BNP always wants to follow an unconstitutional path. That’s why they are raising these issues. During the election, an interim government will govern the country as per our constitution. That government will conduct only the routine work, and the Election Commission will conduct the election, not the government. BNP leaders should keep this in mind.
In addition, no country in the world has the right to say to go outside of the constitution. No country, not even America, and not the United Nations. Indirectly, America has neglected the BNP’s demand for a caretaker government.
Is there any possibility of dialogue with the BNP?
If the BNP says it will participate in the polls, we will have no problem. But we have previously sat for dialogue with the BNP, and there was no fruitful outcome because of their hierarchy. One thing that we can be assured of is that the next election will be free, fair, and participatory. If the US and UN want to, they can send their observers. We also welcome them to share their good practices with our Election Commission to conduct a good election. We will welcome them.
Do you think more international pressure might be visible before the election, like the US visa policy?
I do not want to comment about the future, but I can say that no country should act in such a way, in the name of holding a good election, that it jeopardizes the stability of another country. If our country is affected, then the region will be affected, and the world will face instability as well. Bangladesh is not an unimportant country of the world; we have a very important place in world strategy. I hope every quarter understands this reality.
