BNP, allies will wait and watch new CEC
RAFIQUL ISLAM AZAD
The BNP and its alliance partners have decided not to organise any agitation or rally against the newly formed Election Commission (EC), led by KM Nurul Huda, at least for now.
The parties, though, have made strong observations about the neutrality of the head of the commission, according to alliance leaders.
The BNP-led 20-Party Alliance wants to put the new EC under the scanner by observing its next move closely before going for their next course of action, said theleaders. The BNPs policymakers and top alliance leaders put emphasis on formation of an election-time government, as they feel that no EC can work freely if elections are held under a political government.
The decision was taken at meetings of the BNP standing committee on Monday and the 20-Party Alliance on Tuesday at the BNP chairpersons Gulshan office, with Khaleda Zia in the chair, the alliance leaders added. BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, at a function organised by Chhatra Dal in Tangail, yesterday said that the CEC should tender resignation from his post as he was involved in AL-backed Janatar Mancha in 1996.
However, talking to The Independent, BNP standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said they would observe the activities of the new Election Commission.
We will observe the activities of the new EC. We will give an outline of the poll-time government. Then, we will go for our next course of action by observing the situation and government move, said BNP standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain. He also said there is need for a neutral poll-time government to hold a free, fair and acceptable election.
Thats why our leader (Khaleda) had said that she would give another outline for the poll-time government. Work on the proposal is in progress, he added.
The former minister described the newly-appointed CEC as controversial, saying he was an organiser of Janatar Mancha, a platform against then BNP government. He accused the President of failing to appoint a non-controversial person as the CEC.
Another standing committee member, barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, said they would observe the activities of the new EC. We, in the meantime, will work to drum up support in favour of a poll-time government to ensure a free, fair and acceptable election, he added.
The former speaker said they would sit again with the alliance partners after watching the activities of the EC and decide the next course of action at the party forum.
The chairman of the Bangladesher Jatiya Party (BJP), barrister Andalib Rahman Partha, criticised the appointment of Nurul Huda as the CEC. He said as the EC has a very important role to play in a democracy on the basis of neutrality. A person without bias and who is above all suspicion qualifies for such an important post, he added.
The BJP leader said as the President had appointed the CEC, they would observe the activities of the new commission before deciding on the next course of action.
On Monday, President Abdul Hamid formed the five-member Election Commission, headed by former bureaucrat KM Nurul Huda.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, while expressing the partys formal reaction on Tuesday, strongly criticised the appointment of the CEC, whom he described as a controversial person. He alleged that the newly constituted EC is merely the reflection of the Prime Ministers preference.
