Police selecting pro-AL officials for election duty: BNP
NTV Online
Dhaka: BNP on Wednesday alleged that police are making lists of around 6.5 lakh pro-Awami League election officers as the Election Commission (EC) ‘entrusted’ the law enforcers with the responsibility for holding the forthcoming general election.
‘It’s a matter of deep regret that the Commission, led by (Nurul) Huda, has given police all the responsibilities for arranging the 11th parliamentary elections. Police are making lists by selecting about 6.5 lakh pro-Awami League partisan election officials,’ said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, reports the UNB.
Speaking at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, he further said, ‘Police have already prepared a list of 41,000 presiding officers across the country. They’re now making the lists of around 2 lakh assistant presiding officers and 4 lakh polling officers. The subservient Election Commission is now going to finalise the lists made by the police.’
The BNP leader claimed that they have sufficient documents in their hands behind their allegation that police are making the lists of election officers.
He alleged that though different newspapers and online portals published reports on the matter, the ‘toothless and nail-less’ EC is playing a mysterious silent role in this regard. ‘In some cases, they’re also denying it.’
Rizvi said it has now become clear like daylight that the government and the Election Commission has indulged in a fresh plot to snatch people’s voting rights.
He also alleged that a fair and credible election is not possible under an EC which is loyal to the government. ‘The Election Commission is walking towards a path of stage-managed election. The Commission and police administration is responsible for not still creating a level-playing field.’
Rizvi also criticised the EC for not reshuffling the police and local administration even after the announcement of the election schedule. ‘The pro-Awami League partisan officials are still kept in different important posts. The Commission hasn’t yet transferred any SP, DC, UNO and OC.’
He urged the Commission to take steps for stopping the arrest of BNP leaders and activists and creating a level-playing field for holding a credible election.