BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday demanded the constitution of a new election commission with “competent persons,” terming the current commission as - “worse than an obedient slave.”
“The incumbent election commission is even worse than an obedient slave. Even before the government makes any remark, they say the election was held in a good and fair manner where Awami League candidates win,” he said while addressing a rally in the city.
BNP’s Dhaka City North Unit organized a program making a makeshift stage on two trucks in front of Taltola City Corporation Supermarket in Dhaka’s Khilgaon area to press home their demands for ensuring neutral elections and annulment of the Digital Security Act.
Fakhrul demanded the resignation of the current election commission. “We want this election commission to resign soon. The election commission will have to be constituted afresh with competent persons,” he said in this regard.
The BNP secretary general also demanded resignation of the incumbent government and arrangement of the general election under a neutral government.
Referring to six BNP mayoral contenders in the latest city elections in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Barisal and Rajshahi, he said: “Can we get the scope to cast votes if we go to any polling station? Our six mayoral candidates are now sitting here [pointing them out in the rally].
“No one of them could contest the polls as all of their agents were ousted from polling stations and they [the commission] announced the election result of their choice in the evening.”
About the last two general elections, Fakhrul said the previous Election Commission also announced 154 MP candidates elected uncontested in the 2014 general election when BNP did not join it. But in the 2018 general election, the polls’ results were snatched at night before the voting by changing their strategy, he said in regard to their demand.
Expressing outrage for creating obstructions to holding their rallies in different cities to protest the recent elections, he said: "Why’s there so much fear? Why are the rights to speak gagged? Why was the people’s voting right snatched? Because, we know if the people get the scope to vote and cast votes, you’ll never be able to come to power,” he claimed.
Demanding the abolition of the Digital Security Act, the BNP leader said this government is very weak. “So, it formulates new laws like digital security act in order to protect themselves.”
He claimed that even the government controls and monitors the people’s phone conversations and facebook activities.
BNP leaders Mirza Abbas, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Amanullah Aman, Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Barkatullah Bulu and Abdus Salam addressed the rally presided over by BNP mayoral contender in the last Dhaka north city election.
Besides, five other BNP mayoral contenders in the recent elections – Ishraque Hossain in Dhaka south, Dr Shahadat Hossain in Chittagong, Mujibur Rahman Sarwar in Barishal, Nazrul Islam Manju in Khulna and Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul in Rajshahi – also addressed the rally.
