Oikyafront demands CEC’s resignation

The opposition alliance Jatiya Oikyafront today demanded immediate resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner and urged the president to appoint a nonpolitical and neutral person in the post.

“We are demanding immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda and urging the president to appoint a non-political and neutral person as the CEC for the sake of the free and fair election,” BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the demand.

Fakhrul was talking to reporters after an emergency meeting with the alliance leaders at BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office in Dhaka this evening.

He said some top leaders of the Oikyafront held a meeting with the CEC and brought some instances of attacks and harassment on the opposition party men with facts and figures.

“But, without putting heed to the allegations, the chief election commissioner spoke in a biased and discourteous manner that made us angered, frustrated and surprised,” Fakhrul also the spokesperson of the Oikyafront said.

“A chief of a constitutional institute like the Election Commission can make such illogical and irresponsible statement seems unbelievable to us,” he said.

He also said, “The chief election commissioner is nothing more than a staff of his employer ruling Awami League and that has been proved through his activities.”

“It is impossible to get neutral behaviour from him (Huda) let alone expecting a free, fair and neutral election under his supervision,” the BNP leader said.

“Under this circumstance, it is an inevitable need to free the Election Commission (EC) from the leadership of such spineless and biased person for the sake of holding the upcoming general election in a free, fair and credible manner,” he said.

Citing several references of attacks on the BNP candidates, leaders and activists across the country including today’s attack on Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, he said the Oikyafront leaders went to the CEC seeking his step to stop the ongoing violence, but he did not take the issue into his account.

“We are calling upon the people to build resistance against such violence as the Election Commission does not want to hold the election in a neutral manner,” he said.

BNP candidate for Dhaka-3 constituency Goyeshwar Chandra Roy sustained injuries in his head in a clash during his electioneering in Keraniganj area this evening.