BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday alleged that the Election Commission (EC) is showing questionable conduct in a number of areas through its actions.
“The Election Commission, through its activities, is engaging in questionable conduct in many cases,” Fakhrul said while talking to reporters after a meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner.
A BNP delegation, led by Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, met Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin at the city’s Nirbachan Bhaban.
Fakhrul said the BNP placed many election-related issues before the CEC during the one-hour meeting.
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He alleged that in various election areas, the returning officers, assistant returning officers, superintendents of police, officers-in-charge of police stations and other officials are working in an ‘objectionable manner’ in favour of a particular political party.
The BNP leader said they have received complaints in this regard and brought these matters to the attention of the Election Commission. “In the interest of a free and fair election, we have requested that those involved be investigated and withdrawn.”
The BNP secretary general also claimed that complaints have been received against several senior officials of the Election Commission, alleging that they are working in favour of a specific party. “We have urged the Commission to take appropriate action in this regard,” he added.
Raising their party’s concerns over postal ballots, Fakhrul said the issue has not yet been fully resolved. “Especially in the case of registered expatriate voters, there are problems in delivering ballot papers and with the way the ballot papers have been printed. We have submitted our complaints to the Commission.”
“We believe these ballot papers are not correct, there has been bias, and attempts have been made to give undue advantage to a particular party,” he said, asking the EC to change the ballots.
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He also urged that postal ballots be distributed only after the allocation of election symbols within the country.
Raising allegations against Jamaat-e-Islami, Fakhrul said Jamaat’s election workers are going door to door collecting copies of National Identity Cards (NIDs), bKash numbers and mobile phone numbers.
“This is a violation of personal privacy and amounts to a criminal offence. We had earlier raised objections over violations of the code of conduct, and we have now called for urgent action on this matter,” he said.
Noting that the BNP believes in a level playing field for an election, Fakhrul said the party chairman even cancelled a personal tour in this regard.
“Yet leaders and other important figures of various political parties are repeatedly violating the code of conduct by carrying out their campaigns. We have requested the Commission to take immediate action on these issues as well,” he added.
Asked whether a level playing field exists for all contestants, the BNP secretary general said, “We believe the Election Commission is trying to ensure a level playing field. There are some minor shortcomings, which we believe they will be able to rectify.”
Mirza Fakhrul also alleged that in several constituencies of the Dhaka city, a political party has adopted unethical tactics to ensure the victory of its nominated or supported candidates by transferring voters from different parts of the country and enrolling them as voters in Dhaka constituencies.
“We have requested, on an urgent basis, detailed information on how many voters have been transferred, from which areas, to which constituencies in the Dhaka city area, under what reasons, along with the lists and detailed particulars of the transferred voters,” he said.