Arafat Hasan of DOT
BNP has alleged that the Prime Minister’s Office is regularly giving various instructions to the Election Commission regularly in order to implement government agenda.
Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi also questioned the neutrality of three Election Commissioners.
“Election Commissioners M Rafiqul Islam, Kabita Khanam and Shahdat Hossain have been playing important roles in holding the upcoming election, but there is a hearsay that they’re working in favor of the ruling party,” he said, reports UNB.
The BNP leader also alleged that Prime Minister’s adviser HT Imam regularly discuss various issues with the three commissioners.
Of the trio, he said, the senior most one was given the main charge for implementing the government’s agenda. “HT imam gives his all directives through the Commissioner.”
“Various instructions are being sent from the Prime Minister’s Office to the Chief Election Commissioner through messengers, and it has been confirmed from the CEC’s office,” Rizvi claimed.
He alleged that a cell has been set up at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to control the returning officers. “The nominations of BNP candidates and Awami League’s rebel independent ones were scrapped during scrutiny on December 2 as per the suggestion of the cell.”
The BNP leader alleged that there was a strong instruction from the cell about the ruling party’s rebel candidates. “The Election Commission during the appeal hearing is also following the same direction regarding the independent candidates.”