In response to BNP’s allegation that the prime minister's remark regarding constitutional provision for a poll-time government is misleading, ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) general secretary Obaidul Quader on Monday insisted that the constitution stipulates the formula of the election-time government.

“Everything is in the constitution. BNP itself is in confusion over the election-time government,” Quader told a programme in front of the party’s headquarters at Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital.

The party organised the programme to distribute warm clothes among the destitute.

The ruling party general secretary emphatically said his party would not go beyond constitutional provision with regard to the formation of the election-time government.

“I’m clearly stating that we’ll not be able to go beyond the constitution.”

The AL leader alleged that his party’s rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is not giving any “clear position on the next general elections”.

“BNP hasn’t given any framework of election-time government as yet. It can give an outline as to what it wants. AL had expected that BNP will give at least a framework of poll-time government.”

Also the road transport and bridges minister, Quader said BNP is time and again referring to the controversial 5 January 2014 elections.

“There is nothing wrong with democracy here. It’s rather BNP’s political mistake. And that’s why, the issue of uncontested election of MPs comes.”

The AL leader claimed that the BNP is in a deep despair.

“No matter whatever the prime minister says, BNP’s stand is like a proverb: Faults are thick where love is thin [you find everything wrong with a person whom you do not like].”

In a televised address to the nation marking the completion of her government's four years in office after the controversial 5 January 2014 national elections, AL president and PM Sheikh Hasina on 12 January said an election-time government would be formed as per the constitution which would provide “all-out cooperation” to the election commission to conduct the election.

The next day, the BNP said Hasina’s remark about the election-time government is misleading as there is no provision in the current constitution to form such an administration.