BNP on Sunday urged Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda to give police necessary directives for allowing Jatiya Oikyafront to hold its planned rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on December 27.
“We’ve planned to hold a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on December 27 as part of our election campaign and the RPO permits us to do so,” BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said while talking to reporters after handing over a letter to the CEC at Nribachan Bhaban.
The BNP leader said Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) did not permit Oikyafront to hold the rally at Suhrawardy Udyan violating the Representation of the People Order (RPO)-1972.”Police said they won’t give permission to arrange any rally after December 24, but we can campaign till December 28 as per the law. This is not logical. They violated the RPO,” Nazrul added.
Under the circumstances, he said, they want the CEC to take steps in this regard so that Oikyafront can hold the rally on December 27. Nazrul, also an Oikyafront leader, alleged that their candidates and their supporters are being attacked and harassed by police and Awami League activists at different parts of the country.
“Though police don’t belong to any party, they’re acting like the activists of a particular party. “The image of the entire police force is being tarnished for the biased role of some policemen,” he observed.Replying to a query, the BNP leader hoped that the Armed Forces will play an impartial role in discharging their election duties.
Nazrul said the Bangladeshi Armed Forces members have long been successfully maintaining peace in the UN peacekeeping missions and assisting many countries to hold credible elections.”We hope they’ll maintain their good track record by performing the election duties neutrally in their own country,” he added.
source: UNB
