BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday said a credible national election cannot be held if Awami League loyalists stay in the police and administration, and primary school teachers appointed during Sheikh Hasina’s regime are involved in the electoral process.
“Everyone wants the upcoming election in February, before Ramadan, to be free and fair. But a credible election is not possible under an administration dominated by the Awami League. So, Awami League cadres must be removed from the administration,” he said.
Talking to reporters after paying homage to BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, Rizvi also said 16,399 primary school teachers were recruited during the Awami League regime.
He claimed that most of these teachers were appointed without any merit-based competition.
Of these, the BNP leader said 55 to 60 percent are loyal to the Awami League. “If these teachers serve as polling officers, or presiding officers, can the election be fair? No.”
He said the only criterion for their appointment was whether they were involved with Chhatra League, Jubo League, or the Awami League.
“In this way, the administration has been organised with party loyalists, and they must be removed from the administration and excluded from the election process,” Rizvi said.
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He, however, said their party party does not want to appoint BNP loyalists in return. “We want neutral individuals, who are not biased in any way, to serve as polling officers and presiding officers.”
Rizvi, along with the new leaders of the Nilphamari district unit BNP convener committee, placed a wreath at the grave of Ziaur Rahman in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar by paying their homage to the party founder.
For the past 15–16 years, he said, the administration and police have been dominated by Awami League cadres. “A free and fair election cannot be held keeping them in the administration.”
The BNP leader said BNP believes the Election Commission will pay attention to these matters and ensure a credible election, allowing voters to freely go to the polling stations and vote for their preferred candidates.
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Rizvi also urged BNP leaders and activists to remain alert, saying associates of the Awami League are trying to create unrest in different parts of the country using various tactics.
“They are even being given military training. You have seen that two of them have already been arrested. Imagine how many more such activities they might be involved in… Everyone must stay alert,” he said.
Opposing the proportional representation (PR) system, the BNP leader said the people of the country are not ready for such an electoral system. “The PR system is not suitable for Bangladesh. There are doubts about the intentions of those who demand PR system.”