Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) yesterday called upon the Election Commission (EC) to hold a free and fair election in the upcoming municipal polls to restore the confidence of the people on the EC. The EC lost people’s faith for holding staged managed elections earlier and they also failed to keep their commitment to hold free and fair elections, though they gave commitment to the nations to hold fair elections, said the party leaders in a press briefing yesterday at Chittagong Press Club.
“The Election Commission is trying to hold the municipality election like that on January 5; however. We apprehend farce in the election. We will be in the field till the voters can exercise their franchise,” said Abdullah Al Noman, vice-president of BNP in the press briefing. “If a fair election is held, the EC can come out of its past tarnished image. If the election is held in the same way as in the past, the people will turn away from the EC. So, the EC has to deicide from the two what they will do in the municipal polls,” said Noman urging the EC to hold a free and fair election. “We have arranged the press briefing to present the overall situation of municipal polls. The situation of the whole country is same. Terrorism is seen all around and our leaders and activists are being threatened and being implicated in false cases.” added Noman.
Demanding that a free and fair election be held, he said, “There is still time to hold a fair election.” He also urged the EC to take actions against terrorists otherwise the election will be a meaningless one. The briefing was also addressed by Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin, advisor to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
He said “Election Commission is a legitimate organistaion. It is their duty to hold fair elections. If they fail to carry out their duties, people will decide what compensation they have to pay for this.” “A commitment was given by the EC to the nations to hold fair elections, but the EC has failed to keep its commitment during announcement of schedule,” added Nasir. “Our candidates, activists and supporters will remain in the polling centres. As long as there remain left any ballots, we will be in the polling centres,” added Nasir.
Golam Akbar Khandaker, organising secretary of central BNP, also addressed while Major General (Retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim, chairman of Bangladesh Kallyan Party, Mahbubur Rahman Shamim, organising secretary of BNP, Jafrul Islam Chowdhury, president of Chittagong district (South) BNP, and Sarwar Zamal Nizam, member of central BNP, among others.