Dhaka, July 21 – Describing newly appointed Election Commission (EC) Secretariat’s acting secretary Helal Uddin as a pro-ruling party bureaucrat, BNP on Friday voiced doubt whether the government and the Commission are jointly heading towards holding a ‘unilateral and staged-managed election’.“The government yesterday (Thursday) appointed a pro-Awami League bureaucrat as the acting secretary to the Election Commission. So, a big question has arisen in public mind whether a lopsided election is going to be held with the joint efforts by the government and the EC,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
He came up with the remarks at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office.
Earlier on Thursday, Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Helal Uddin Ahmed was appointed acting secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat. He replaced Muhammad Abdullah who was made Industries Secretary.
Reacting to Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader’s comment that BNP is trying to make the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) controversial, Rizvi said KM Nurul Huda is already known to people as a controversial person. “He (Huda) himself invited controversy through his activities.”
He alleged that Huda had behaved like a party man while performing his assignments as an administrative officer during his service.
The BNP leader alleged that the CEC had joined ‘Janatar Mancha’, an anti-government platform sponsored by the then opposition Awami League in 1996, and damaged then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s photo.
“He (Huda) worked as Awami League’s chief election agent in his home constituency in Patuakhali during the last parliamentary elections. “So, it’s become clear to people that Awami League has appointed KM Nurul Huda as the CEC to implement its agenda. Some of his recent remarks have also demonstrated that ” he said.
Rizvi also alleged that the CEC is unilaterally appointing and transferring the field level election officials without any consultations with other commissioners.
He said the Prime Minister and the ruling party leaders are carrying out an election campaign abusing their power while BNP is being obstructed even from holding indoor meetings. – UNB
