BNP demands removal of CEC Huda as nephew made AL nominee

The ruling Awami League has nominated chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda’s nephew SM Shahjada for contesting parliamentary elections from Patuakhali-3 constituency.

Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist has renewed its call for removing CEC KM Nurul Huda since, the paty argued, Huda has lost any moral ground to stay in office after his nephew is made the AL nominatee.

BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, addressing a press conference at the BNP’s Naya Paltan central office, demanded that CEC Huda must quit showing integrity to the position he is holding, if he has any.

“CEC Nurul Huda’s nephew SM Shahjada Saju received Awami League’s nomination letter yesterday (Sunday). Its another aspirant AKM Jahangir Hossain said the ruling party has nominated him to use the CEC (Huda) in the election in favour of it,” the BNP leader said.

Rizvi said, “We think the government has given the CEC a gift by nominating his nephew and that’s why he’s lost all the moral right to hold office.”

Shahjada Saju is one of at least 31 new faces who secured AL tickets for contesting the 11th parliamentary elections scheduled to be held on 30 December.

Those who get first nomination from the AL include Bangladesh cricket captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza from Narial-2 constituency, former inspector general of police Noor Muhammad from Kishoreganj-2, prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s personal assistant secretary (APS-2) and former general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), Saifuzzaman (Shikhor) from Magura-1, AL office secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap from Madaripur-3 and former BCL leader AKM Enamul Haque from Shariatpur-2.

Rizvi said it is in no way possible for CEC Huda to conduct the elections in a free and fair manner as his nephew is in the race with an AL ticket.

“The CEC through his activities have already demonstrated that he’s an undeclared Awami League leader and he managed the ticket for his nephew,” Rizvi added.

He also demanded the EC secretary Helaluddin Ahmed be withdrawn from the commission as his statements are similar to the ones made by the ruling party leaders.

Rizvi accused the EC secretary of plotting to hold a ‘state-managed’ elections in the country.