BNP Vice-chairman Selima Rahman on Sunday alleged that police were obstructing BNP candidates from carrying out electioneering across the country defying Election Commission’s directives.
“Police are hindering our election campaign. They’re not following the Election Commission’s directives,” she told reporters after lodging a written complaint with the EC against ‘police’ attacks on their candidates and activists, and their arrest.The BNP leader handed over the complaint to EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed at the latter’s office in the city’s Nirbachan Bhaban.
Selima Rahman said no BNP candidate can conduct electioneering in Dhaka. “Police act like our rivals. They don’t allow us to carry out our campaign. The government wants to arrange a 2014-like lopsided election.”In the written complaint, BNP alleged that the ruling party men and police were carrying out attacks on the candidates and activists of Jatiya Oikyafront, BNP-led 20-party alliance and BNP while wholesale arrest continued.
Attack by the ruling party men and police, arrest and filing of cases against them have been on the rise since the official campaign began, it claimed.The party also cited the attacks on its candidates, including Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon in Noakhali and Mirza Abbas in Dhaka, in several places.
Meanwhile, Khokon’s son Barrister Shakib Mahbub on Sunday demanded the Election Commission withdraw officer-in-charge of Sonaimuri Police Station in Noakhali Abdul Majid immediately for ‘attacking’ the BNP candidate and 40 other party leaders and activists on Saturday. Shakib placed the demand in a letter submitted to Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda.
source: UNB
