BNP slams EC for violence during local body election

Accusing it of failing to hold fair and peaceful election in the first phase of Union Parishad (UP) election, senior Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Abdullah Al Noman yesterday alleged that the election commission (EC) is out to make the election system in the country dysfunctional.
Speaking at a discussion, he also demanded the resignation of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and his deputies for their failure to contain violence that claimed at least
20 lives.
“The Union Parishad (local bodies) election saw widespread violence. And terrorists, not voters, participated in the polls,” he said.
The BNP leader further said, “The subservient election commission is conspiring to make the country’s election system useless.”
Bangladesh Youth Forum, a pro-BNP platform, arranged the discussion at the National Press Club in Dhaka.
The first phase elections to 712 Union Parishads (UPs) were held on Tuesday amid violence. At least 20 people were killed in pre- and
post-poll violence.
Noman, a BNP vice chairman, said the government and the EC will have to take the responsibility for the election violence and the loss of lives. “There were no such huge casualties in any other election of Bangladesh in the past.”
Slamming the EC for what he said not taking any step to ensure a fair election, he said, “I want to tell the election commission that you won’t be able to lead a happy life once you’ll be out of your job ... where are Fakhruddin and Moyeenuddin? They’re now out of the country. Don’t forget, these polls are not the last ones.”
“Still there’s time,” he said, calling upon the EC to take lesson from the history that no one can be benefited by taking a position against people.
Noman also urged the government to take steps for ensuring a proper atmosphere for a credible election. “Or else, one day you’ll have to flee through the backdoor.”