The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Sunday complained to the Election Commission that a certain political party had brought voters on a large scale to Dhaka city from different areas of the country so that their candidates could win in the coming general elections.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir revealed the allegation while talking to reporters after holding a meeting with the commission on Sunday evening and placed several allegations.
‘A political party is bringing large-scale voters to Dhaka city areas from different parts of the country to ensure the win of its candidates with immoral tricks and inclusion of them as Dhaka city voters,’ alleged Fakhrul.
‘We have requested details of those voters on an emergency basis -- how many voters were included, how many voters were registered in Dhaka city’s which parliamentary constituencies are from which areas of the country. We also wanted to know the reason why they have migrated.’
BNP secretary general Fakhrul alleged that activists of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami collected copies of National Identity Cards, BKash numbers by going door to door, which violates the personal secrecy and is a criminal offence.
‘We have urged them to take necessary steps in this regard,’ he added.
Mentioning the BNP’s conviction in level-playing field, he said, ‘The BNP believes in level-playing field and this was why our party chairman canceled his personal tour whereas different political parties, including party chiefs and other important persons, are campaigning regularly violating the code of conduct.’
‘We have also requested to take emergency actions in this regard,’ Fakhrul added.
He said that they had received allegations that some returning officers, assistant returning officers, superintendents of police, officers-in-charge and other officials in different areas were working for a particular political party.
‘The BNP asked for withdrawing those officials following investigations,’ he added.
He also alleged that some election officials, including senior ones, were also working for a particular political party and requested the commission to take actions against them.
Referring to the allegations of manipulation in postal ballots for expatriate communities living aboard, Fakhrul said that they had requested distributing postal ballots after printing the BNP’s electoral symbol on these properly.
‘We have noticed that the Election Commission’s activities are under question with their conduct,’ he added.
Asked about whether fair election is possible by the commission, Fakhrul said that if such issues were resolved, fair elections would be possible under the Election Commission.
The meeting was held at a time when the BNP’s student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal was holding a sit-in programme with three demand: stopping manipulation of postal ballots for Bangladeshi expatriate communities living aboard, cancellation of unprecedented gazatte notification issued by the EC to hold Shahjalal University of Secience and Technology student body polls before the general elections following pressure from a student body of a particular political party and the EC’s partisan activities after getting pressure from a particular political party.
Election Commission secretariat senior secretary Akhtar Ahmed could not be reached for comments despite several attempts and he did not even respond to text message.
