BNP on Saturday demanded reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC) with neutral persons before the announcement of the schedule for the next general election.
The party also turned down the recent re-demarcation of 25 parliamentary constituencies by the Commission for what he said doing it with a ‘motive to help’ Awami League candidates in the next polls.
“We reject the re-delimitation of the 25 parliamentary seats as the Election Commission did it abusing its power,” said BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed.
Speaking at a discussion, he further said, “We would like to say a fair and credible election is not possible under the current Election Commission. That’s why the current Commission must be reconstituted before the announcement of the next national election.”
The BNP leader said non-partisan and neutral persons must be included in the reconstituted EC for ensuring credible and inclusive polls.
Nagorik Odhikar Andolon, a pro-BNP Platform, arranged the programme at the Jatiya Press Club demanding the release of ailing BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.
Moudud, a BNP standing committee member, alleged that all the decisions the EC has so far taken with their only a motive to ensure the victory of the ruling party candidates.
He said the constituencies of many BNP leaders, including Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and him, were redrawn in such a way so that they cannot join the election.
“The Commission has re-demarcated the constituencies to help the government-supported candidates and put us in trouble. It (EC) has played an utter biased role in redrawing our all senior leaders’ seats,” the BNP leader added.
He said the way the 25 parliamentary seats were redrawn it is against the customary law of the land. “We think the Commission has abused its power extremely in this regard.”
About the redrawing of his home constituency of Noakhali-5, Moudud said two unions—Ashwadia and Newajpur known as strongholds of BNP–have been excluded from the seat only to favour an influential ruling party candidate.
“Through the re-delimitation, the Election Commission has once again proved that it has turned into a subservient organisation of the government. It’s doing everything as per the directives of the government,” he said.
The BNP leader said hundreds of people in his constituency protested the EC re-demarcation decision by putting their mass signatures. “The two unions have been there in the Noakhali-5 seat since 1979. So, the Commission should take steps to keep the constituency intact, including the two unions.”
He said the government is hatching various plots to keep BNP out of the next election race. “I would like to clearly say the next polls will be free and fair as people will foil all the conspiracies of the government through a mass wave.”
