Dhaka: BNP on Wednesday termed ‘deceptive’ Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda’s comment about holding the upcoming by-polls to Dhaka North City Corporation ‘as fair as the 11th parliamentary election’.

‘The CEC yesterday (Tuesday) said the city corporation by-polls will be fair like the national election. With such a comment, he has just given a hint of making another fraud with the nation over the election,’ said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, reports the UNB.

Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he also said Nurul Huda’s remark about the city polls has exposed that he has become a ‘cruel clown’ after arranging a national election of grand vote ‘robbery’.

Rizvi said it is difficult to imagine how a CEC who held different important posts, including that of secretary, of the government can be so much shameless. ‘It’s very unfortunate that he is indulging in impudicity after selling his soul.’

He said the entire nation has got stunned over the activities of the CEC who is working to destroy the country’s election system.

The BNP leader said the 11th parliamentary election was accepted nowhere—neither at home nor abroad—due to massive vote ‘robbery’. ‘The law enforcers stuffed ballots the night before the voting day while voters were barred from going to the polling stations.’

Referring to Awami League-led Grand Alliance’s component JSD’s statement over vote robbery and stuffing ballots on December 29, Rizvi said how ruling party general secretary Obaidul Quader will now defend the election when their alliance partner is bringing the allegation of vote ‘robbery’.

Rizvi alleged that the government is playing the ‘game of hide and seek’ over the bail of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in different cases filed against her. ‘When she obtained bail in one case, her bail in another case was annulled. When she got bail from the High Court, the Appellate Division stayed it. When the Appellate Division granted her bail in any case, the lower court canceled bail in another case. These things happened over the last one year regarding Khaleda Zia’s cases.’ 

He said Khaleda is not getting bail in many cases though all other accused in those cases were granted bail. ‘The government is doing such things by establishing its control over the administration and the law enforcers through politicisation.’

Khaled has been in jail since February 8 last year as she was convicted in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. She has been facing a total of 36 cases.

Mentioning that Khaleda is seriously ill in the jail, Rizvi urged the government to free her stopping repression on her.

He also demanded that the other arrested party leaders and activists across the country be released from jail.