EC main barrier to fair polls: BNP

Deploring the Election Commission (EC) for its ‘subservient’ role, BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday said the current commission is the main barrier to holding free, fair and neutral polls.  They (EC) are the main obstacle to holding free, fair and impartial upazila polls,” he said. The BNP leader made the remarks while addressing a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office. Rizvi also criticised the EC for what he said its failure to check vote fraud and irregularities during upazila polls. He alleged that the government is desperate to manipulate the results of the remaining phases of the upazila polls in their favour by resorting to terrorism and vote fraud with the help of its puppet Election Commission. “The third phase of the upazila election will be held on March 15. He said the government with the help of law enforcers and local administration is harassing the pro-opposition candidates and their supporters in different parts of the country by filing ‘false’ cases against them, raiding their houses and arresting them in a bid to manipulate the polls, according to a news agency.