The BNP-led 20-party alliance on Wednesday voiced distrust about free and fair elections to the Dhaka south, Dhaka north and Chittagong city corporations slated for April 28.
In statement, the alliance said, “The voters of three city corporations and civil society are in doubt and concerned about free and fair polls due to the Election Commission’s indifference to taking due legal action despite having clear allegation of violating the election code of conduct by ministers, MPs, ruling party candidates, cadres and plunderers.”
Mentioning that their ongoing movement is for people’s emancipation, the 20-party said people will soon establish the rule of law, voting rights, freedom of speech, and civic rights and free the country from the grasp of the ‘autocratic’ rule.
In the statement, signed by BNP joint secretary general Barkatullah Bulu, the alliance once again urged the government to take steps for arranging a fresh national election under a non-party administration to save the country from violence and anarchy.
It also called upon the government to restore normalcy in politics by releasing the 20-party leaders and activists and stopping harassment of political leaders in the name of police remand.
The opposition coalition voiced frustration as the government and the law enforcers are yet to trace BNP joint secretary general Salahuddin Ahmed and other disappeared 20-party leaders and activists.
BNP meets CEC
Earlier in the afternoon, a seven-member BNP team, led by Standing Committee member ASM Hannan Shah, met Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad at the EC Secretariat on Wednesday, seeking steps on their five demands.
The BNP has demanded that candidates of the city corporation polls be protected from ‘harassment’ in criminal cases. They also demanded aspirants having cases against them not be arrested.
However, The Election Commission has said it can do nothing about most of the BNP demands related to city corporation polls since they are beyond the Commission’s jurisdiction.
After meeting the BNP leaders, the CEC told reporters, “I have made it clear to them that we will do everything possible according to the law to hold a fair election.”
Regarding the arrest and harassment issues, Ahmad said, “The (BNP) delegation itself has said that those who have cases will fight them in court. We can’t do anything about court-related issues.”
“The EC also cannot get those (aspirants) who are in hiding or are on the run out in the open. Those out on bail will get one kind of treatment and the fugitives another, as the law stipulates.”
The BNP leaders had drawn the CEC’s attention to many candidates having won elections in the past while being in prison.
Ahmad said, “The voters are more conscious now. They will choose the qualified candidates, and the (BNP) delegation said they believed that too.”
The Election Commission has nothing to do about the scrapping of BNP leader Abdul Awal Mintoo’s nomination papers, he said.
“An appeal, if made, can resolve it for good.”
Responding to queries from journalists on whether the army would be deployed during the city polls, the CEC said they would decide on that in the next meeting on law and order.
Meanwhile , BNP have formed two separate committees for Dhaka North City Corporations (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) to ensure one party-blessed candidate at every ward of the two cities.
The committees will finalise two lists — one for the DSCC and another for the DNCC — of the party’s potential councillor candidates and talk to the rebel ones pursuing withdrawal of their nominations by April 9, the last date for withdrawal of nomination.
According to the sources, a committee, headed by BNP’s Dhaka city unit convener and its mayoral aspirant Mirza Abbas, has been constituted to pick the party’s councillor candidates to contest the DSCC polls.
A BNP leader close to Abbas said the city BNP chief has started making a list of the party’s prospective candidates and will complete it within a couple of days.
Another committee, led by BNP joint secretary general Barkatullah Bulu, has been formed to prepare the list of the potential councillor candidates to contest the DNCC. BNP Dhaka city unit member secretary Habibunnabi Khan Sohel and city leaders MA Quayum and SA Khalek will assist Bulu.
Contacted, Bulu said, “Our party will extend support to only one candidate at every ward. So, we’ll request other party men to withdraw their nominations.”
He said though city polls are non-partisan ones, they are hopeful of being able to ensure single party candidate at every ward of the two cities in the capital.
According to Election Commission, a total of 705 councillor aspirants submitted nomination papers in the DSCC while 629 in the DNCC.
“It’s quite natural to have more than one party aspirant at every ward as BNP is a big party. I hope those who will not get party support withdraw their nominations in the interest of the party,” said BNP standing committee member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman.
He also said BNP leaders and activists will work together for the candidates who will get support from the party putting aside their differences and conflicts.
A leader engaged in making the list of councillor candidates said the conflict between the supporters of Abbas and Sadeque Hossain Khoka is the main reason behind having more than one aspirant at every ward.
While preparing the lists, he said, the party will take into account their activities and role during the movement, dedication to the party, popularity and image.
According to him, the party is giving special importance to councillor elections as it thinks if the opposition-backed councillors can come out successful in maximum wards that will help strengthen the party at the grassroots level and intensify the movement in the city after the polls.
Source: Weekly Holiday