Even though the National Citizen Party (NCP) has made all preparations to participate in the upcoming elections, doubts have arisen whether they will be in the polls in the end or not. The party has alleged that the impartiality of the Election Commission (EC) is being questioned and that all parties are not getting equal opportunities.
In this situation, NCP spokesperson and election management committee chairman Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan said in a press conference last Sunday that whether NCP will participate in the election or not, it may be reconsidered. And yesterday the chief adviser of the interim government. After the meeting with Muhammad Yunus, he said, NCP is ready for any decision.
According to party sources, NCP leaders complained about EC’s biased behavior towards BNP in a meeting with the chief adviser. They feel that the EC is clearly favoring BNP especially on issues of dual citizenship, defaulters and violation of code of conduct.
A delegation led by NCP convener Nahid Islam went to Jamuna yesterday afternoon to meet the chief adviser. NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, secretary of the election management committee Monira Sharmin and head of the sub-committee on legal assistance Zahirul Islam Musa were also in this party. Culture Adviser Mustafa Saryar Faruqi and Special Assistant to Chief Adviser in charge of Ministry of Posts, Telecommunication and Information Technology Faiz Ahmad Tayyab were present at this time.
After the meeting with the chief adviser, Nahid Islam told reporters, ‘We are not seeing the environment that is required for a best election, the impartial behavior of the Election Commission and the field administration. We have conveyed these matters to the chief counsel. If the election is biased in this way, the blame will ultimately fall on the interim government.’
The leaders of NCP said that they are suffering from lack of confidence in the neutrality of the Election Commission. They claim that in recent events, the Election Commission has lost the ability to organize a fair and impartial election. The trust that political parties and people need to have on the commission has been lost. In the case of a BNP candidate from Chittagong, he has been declared legitimate despite having a debt of around Tk 1,200 crore. They claim that the interpretation of the law has been changed by not treating the guarantor as a defaulter. According to the NCP, the Election Commission has interpreted the Constitution and various laws in its own way, which is beyond their jurisdiction.
A joint member secretary of the NCP, who did not wish to be named, told Ajkar newspaper, “We have been demanding the EC’s reorganization since a long time ago. In the end, the boycott may be announced on this demand.’
Alauddin Mohammad, Co-Lead of NCP’s International Relations Cell and Convener of Dhaka Metropolitan South, said, ‘The Election Commission has committed the biggest fraud after the mass coup. They are shamefully biased.’
The leaders of the party alleged that candidates of other parties are being exempted on the same issue for which the candidates of NCP are being mourned. Asif Mahmood said, ‘Our candidates are being maligned completely biasedly and for the purpose of a media trial. But candidates of other political parties across the country are campaigning on posters, festoons and billboards using party names, marks or pictures of leaders, which is a clear violation of the code of conduct. However, the Election Commission or local returning officers are not taking any action against them.
According to party sources, NCP will continue to exert pressure on the Election Commission. However, if BNP’s defaulters and dual citizen candidates are in the final election, the party may withdraw from the polls. After that, they have the idea of building a strong movement in the field.
Monira Sharmin said, ‘We want fair elections. We will do everything for that. I will follow the legal path. I will sit with the Election Commission. If it still doesn’t work, we have to think of another way.’
There is no room for bias
After the Chief Adviser’s meeting with NCP leaders, a press release from his press wing said, “The field administration has been reshuffled through lottery to ensure impartiality in the elections and there is no scope for bias.” The chief adviser told the NCP leaders.
According to the press wing, the NCP leaders expressed their observations and concerns about the elections in the meeting. They said that NCP leaders and workers at all levels are actively campaigning for the ‘yes’ vote in the upcoming referendum. At the same time, they demanded the effective role of the government to ensure a level playing field during the election.
The Chief Advisor said that the field administration has been reshuffled through lottery to ensure impartiality. There is no room for bias in this election. This election is the election to determine the fate of the country. This election is an election to change the country. This election must be fair.
The Chief Adviser also said any election-related complaints and suggestions will be reported to the government immediately. The government will take the measures that can be taken by the government. Actions will be taken to ensure that no one violates the law.
NCP started election ‘crowd funding’
NCP has started ‘Crowd Funding’ centrally to conduct election activities and campaign candidates. Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan announced this in a press conference yesterday afternoon at the party’s temporary central office at Rupayan Trade Centre, Banglamotor in the capital.
In the press conference, Asif Mahmud said that about 90 to 95 percent of NCP candidates will manage the election expenses centrally under this crowd funding. Through this, transparency and accountability can be ensured in money management. He said that the donors can donate directly to NCP or to any candidate of their choice.
