Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has alleged that some Election Commission (EC) officials are working in favour of a specific political party.
The party's secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, conveyed these complaints against the officials to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).
Mr. Fakhrul visited the Election Commission in the city's Agargaon on Sunday afternoon -- the final day of appeal hearings for the 13th Parliamentary Election scheduled for February 12.
He was accompanied by Nazrul Islam Khan, chairman of the party's election management committee.
After nearly an hour-long meeting with CEC AMM Nasir Uddin, Mirza Fakhrul told reporters that they believe that the EC was behaving in a biased manner in many instances.
They informed the CEC of such issues and demanded that the EC would maintain a neutral role.
Raising the allegations against some election officials at the field levels, he said: "We have received complaints that some returning officers, assistant returning officers, superintendents of police, Officers-in-Charge of police stations, and other officials in various constituencies are working reprehensibly in favour of a particular party."
He further said: "We have brought these matters to their (EC's) attention. For the sake of a fair and free election, we have requested their withdrawal after investigations."
"We have also received complaints against several individuals, including some senior officials of the EC that they are working for a specific party. We have requested them to take action in this regard," he said.
Specifically naming Jamaat-e-Islami, Mirza Fakhrul said: "Jamaat election workers are going door-to-door collecting copies of NIDs, bKash numbers, and mobile numbers, which is a breach of personal privacy and a criminal offense. We have previously raised objections about this. We believe urgent steps should be taken regarding the matter."
The BNP leader also sought necessary steps from the EC to this effect.
He also alleged that a political party is employing an 'unethical tactic' to ensure the victory of its candidates in various constituencies of the Dhaka Metropolitan area by massively transferring voters from different parts of the country.
Fakhrul stated that they have requested the EC to urgently provide detailed information on the total number of voters transferred, from which areas they originated, to which parliamentary seats in Dhaka they moved, and the reasons for such transfers.
BNP also lodged a complaint with the CEC regarding postal ballots.
Mirza Fakhrul said: "We believe this ballot paper is not correct. There has been bias here, and an attempt has been made to provide special advantage to a specific party. We have called upon the EC to change it."
BNP also advised the EC to supply postal ballots only after the allocation of symbols.
Stating that BNP believes in a "level playing field" for an inclusive election, the party's secretary general said: "For this reason, our party Chairman even cancelled a personal trip (following a request from the EC). Yet, heads of various political parties and other important individuals are constantly violating the code of conduct by carrying out party campaigns. We have requested urgent measures regarding this as well."
When asked whether an equal opportunity for everyone has been created in the election, he avoided a direct answer, saying: "We believe they (the EC) are trying to maintain a level playing field. There are some minor flaws, and we believe they will be able to rectify them."
Before Mirza Fakhrul arrived at the Election Building, activists and leaders of BNP's affiliate organisations held a sit-in programme in front of the EC building since morning, raising various election-related complaints.
When asked by journalists about the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) programme, the BNP Secretary General said: "They (BNP) will explain how and why they are doing it."
He further said: "…the Election Commission has granted permission to hold a university election that had previously been stopped. We believe this was not correct. It will create further problems. Therefore, the Election Commission should reconsider that decision."
The meeting with the CEC was also attended by BNP Chairman's Advisor Ismail Zabiullah, former acting secretary of the EC Mohammad Zakaria, and former secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association Ruhul Quddus Kazal.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal staged a sit-in programme in front of the EC office.
However, immediate reactions from the EC regarding his allegations were not available.
The three allegations of Chhatra Dal are:
1. The EC has taken biased and questionable decisions regarding postal ballots, which has created serious doubts about the neutrality of the election process.
2. In the face of pressure from a specific political group, the EC is taking rash and short-sighted decisions instead of responsible and logical ones, which calls into question the independence and professionalism of the Commission.
3. Due to the direct influence and interference of a specific political party, the EC has issued an unprecedented and controversial notification regarding the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) student union election, which is an ominous sign for democratic practices in universities.
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