BNP briefs foreign diplomats on the issues of election code of conduct 

Dhaka, Jan 27 – The opposition BNP on Sunday briefed foreign diplomats based in Dhaka on various issues including violation of election code of conducts by the ruling Awami League.BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir briefed them at chairperson’s political office in Gulshan in the afternoon.
During the hour the closed door briefing began at 4:00pm, the BNP leaders focused on incidents of ruling party attacks on their candidates contesting in the two city polls, filing cases, arresting them and violation of election code of conduct.
Emerging from the briefing, BNP standing committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said they discussed overall situation centering the city polls and latest development in the political arena.
He said the people are deprived of their rights. The entire issues of voting rights of people, voting process and how the people could franchise their rights came in the discussion.
The bNP leader alleged that the ruling party candidates built big size poll camps on footpaths, published big size posters and using mike freely which he said were violations of the electoral code of conduct.
He said the Election Commission does not take the irregularities into their cognizance.
“In such a situation, there is no level playing field. How the people will depend on the votes if there is no level playing field,” he observed.
He also said that they also informed the diplomats of the attacks on party mayoral candidates Tabith Awal and Ishraque Hossain and implicating them in cases.
The BNP leader said that the developed countries do not use the electronic voting machines (EVM) as those involve programming by which one can manipulate the results.
He said the election has been made questionable through use of the EVMs in the city polls.
Ambassadors, High Commissioners and representatives from different countries and agencies including USA, UK, China, Canada, India, Australia, European Union were present at the briefing.
BNP leaders Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Sabihuddin Ahmed Tuku, among others, were present on the occasion. – Staff reporter