Dhaka, Jul 31  Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's proposal to form a 'so-called' interim government with the participation of the opposition for overseeing the elections is nothing but a smokescreen, a senior BNP leader said on Tuesday.
"The BNP and the 18-Party Alliance will not take part in any election under a partisan government or an interim government led by the current Prime Minister ... we want a non-partisan and impartial government," party's National Standing Committee member Moudud Ahmed told a discussion at the Ladies Club at Eskaton.
Moudud recalled that then Commonwealth Secretary-General's special envoy, Stephen Ninian, had given a similar proposal to resolve a political crisis in 1994.
"But the current Prime Minister had rejected the proposal then saying it would not establish a non-partisan government," he said.
"Now she has come up with a similar proposal which is not acceptable to the BNP and the 18-Party Alliance," he said.
"No election under the current Prime Minister will be proper ... the BNP won't go for such an election," he added.
The former Law Minister also said his party would continue anti-government movement until it restored the non-partisan government provision in the Constitution.
"We believe that the Prime Minister wants to confuse people with this proposal," he said.
Daily Amar Desh's Acting Editor Mahmudur Rahman, among others, also spoke at the discussion.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Monday rejected the proposal Hasina gave during an interview with the BBC Bangla Service in London recently.
"No interim government ... the next elections have to be held under a non-party neutral government. No elections will be allowed to take place unless this is ensured," Khaleda had said on Monday evening.
Hasina had told the BBC: "If they (opposition party) want their stake in constitution of a poll-time government, we may allow it."
"We all can hold it (the elections) together. We can have a small Cabinet at that time (to oversee) the elections," she had said and urged the BNP to join parliament and place such a proposal.
The opposition has been protesting against the annulment of the constitutional provision of caretaker government through the 15th Amendment in June last year.
The BNP-led government had included the provision in the Constitution in 1996 following the demand of the Awami League, now in power.