The election for the 10th Parliament is around the corner. The country’s political class can be stretching its legs and exercising its muscles in preparation for the coming electoral bout. Traditionally the elections elicit so much interest and ever passion in Bangladesh that this class -- irrespective of party affiliation — itches to join the fray, no matter how dicey its process may be.

The Awami League’s 14-party alliance which fought last general election as Mahajote or Grand Alliance is in the forefront of election enthusiasts for obvious reasons, the prominent one being its resolve to cling to the citadel of power.

BNP humbled in last election is not far behind in spite of its plethora of problems with regards to its field-level leaders, organisers and activists who are, under the government’s current politics, driven from the pillars to party. Yet the party ventured recently to participate in local government elections in four city corporations and scored enviable success by winning all of them with huge margins.

The tantalising prospect may push BNP, one of the two largest parties, to bite the bullet at long last after long wait for an opportune moment, although the moment eluded the party for long. After a resounding victory in four city corporations, the BNP can justifiably assert its hitherto suppressed political demands, the prominent of which is the party’s long pursued stand that the next general election would have to be conducted by a neutral, non-partisan caretaker government.

Notwithstanding a silver lining in BNP’s fortune, the real hurdle still lies ahead of BNP if the party has to reach the goal of doing equally good in the national election. BNP is in no way convinced that the incumbent government will fairly conduct the general election.

The AL perhaps wanted to set an example to allow the results of all city corporation elections to go to BNP’s favour, so that it can convince others about their fairness to keep the management of national election in its hand. After all, AL was once credited with the invention of caretaker system. Today the same AL is averse to it, although the party has sophistry galore in justifying their volte-face.

In all reckoning a new phase of confrontation is on card on this issue unless the parties can peacefully strike a middle ground: And we keep our finger crossed to see the good sense would prevail and the election for 10th parliament --seemingly the mother of all elections — will be peacefully held.

Brig (retd) Hafiz is a former DG of BIISS. - See more at: http://www.daily-sun.com/details_The-mother-of-all-elections_546_2_5_1_0.html#sthash.seUhWKMs.dpuf