United News of Bangladesh

Outgoing Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda on Monday said though his commission could not gain the trust of some political parties, they are not embarrassed at all by their performance over the last five year. “None can earn cent per cent success. We also could not do so,” Huda said at a press conference in the city’s Nirbachan Bhaban on the last day of commission’s tenure. He added, “But we conducted elections lawfully with a complete neutral attitude. There were deviations in some places. Many voters were killed in different places …which were our failures. Now we’ve seen that some political parties are not happy and satisfied with us. We could not gain their trust.” Also read: Outgoing CEC, election commissioners call on President Hamid In reply to a question if their performance would embarrass them in the society during their retirement life, Huda said, “Not at all, not at all. We tried our best to arrange elections as per laws and rules.” “We didn’t have any deficiency in our neutral attitude. We made efforts to hold polls in such ways. So, we don’t have any feeling of embarrassment and weakness,” he said. Two election commissioners Rafiqul Islam and Kabita Khanam were present at the press conference, while another two commissioners Mahbub Talukder and Brig Gen (Retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury were conspicuous by their absence. Also read: Junaid Saki files contempt of court case against CEC  Shahadat Hossain could not join the conference as he is infected with Covid-19, and Mahbub Talukder talked separately to reporters later at his office.

The second phase of elections to 848 Union Parishads (UPs) will be held on November 11, while the seventh phase polls to 10 municipalities and Sirajganj-6 parliamentary by-polls on November 02. The election dates were finalised at a meeting of the Election Commission (EC), held with Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda in the chair. EC Secretary Humayun Kabir Khandaker announced the polls schedules for 848 UPs, 10 municipalities and Sirajganj-6 constituency after the meeting at the Nirbachan Bhaban. According to the schedule announced for UPs, the deadline for nomination submission is October 17, while the date for scrutiny of nomination papers is October 20 and the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is October 26. The 848 UPs are located in the country’s 63 out of 64 districts. Read: Cumilla-7 by-polls: Pran Gopal elected unopposed Polls to 10 municipalities: the 7th phase polls to 10 municipalities in 10 different districts will be arranged on November 02.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda on Wednesday urged the government to sit with the commission to discuss its decision to move the National Identity (NID) services from the election body to the home ministry. “If they want to shift it from us, they will have to talk to us over how they will take it or not. Then we’ll raise more logics in favour of our stance,” he said. The CEC made these remarks while talking to reporters after inaugurating a medical camp at Electoral Training Institute (ETI) Bhaban in the city’s Agargaon. READ: CEC wants NID services to stay under EC In reply to a question, KM Huda said the government should take the initiative of the discussion. “What will eventually happen or not is a matter of the next step (following the discussion),” he adde Asked if there will be scope for discussion even after the issuance of gazette notification to shift the NID services, he said surely, there is scope as it is a large institution, which can’t be shifted in this way.  “They must discuss how it will be shifted or not. There must be a discussion. It is not like a table or chair that can be picked up in this way (without having discussion),” he added. The CEC said the EC has already created skilled manpower to run the NID services. If the services are shifted to another place, it will need to create new manpower for it. READ: Claims of voter fraud nothing new for losing parties: CEC “So, it will be good if the services can be rendered by our experienced persons,” he said. The government wants to shift the NID services from the EC to the Security Services Division under the Home Ministry. But the EC wants to keep the services under its authority.

Claims of election wrongdoing and voter fraud are common across the world. Parties that lose general elections repeatedly make allegations of voter fraud.

America has a long history of democracy and Bangladesh certainly has many things to learn from them but the USA can learn a thing or two from us too, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda said Thursday.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda on Saturday explained the reasons behind the low turnout of voters in the by-elections to Dhaka-5 and Naogaon-6 constituencies saying that there was no chance for the change in the government with the by-elections.

The Election Commission on Wednesday cleared the draft of the Political Party Registration Bill, 2020 though a commissioner strongly opposed the move to enact a separate law with some articles from the Representation of the People Order (RPO) 1972.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda on Saturday directed the authorities concerned to ensure security of all agents of the candidates of Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) elections scheduled for March 29.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda has said the voter turnout in the elections to the two Dhaka city corporations was below 30 percent.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda on Friday urged voters to exercise their franchise in Saturday’s Dhaka city election, which he hoped will be “competitive, free, fair and neutral”.