Arafat Hasan of DOT
The ruling Awami League has ‘warned’ the Election Commission to not give in to any form of pressure.
A delegation from the party spoke to the EC yesterday before it was to deliver its decision on whether to allow BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to compete in the polls. The delegation was led by Awami League Joint General Secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak and included BM Muzammel Haque and Mahmud Chowdhury Pramukh, reported BDnews.
After it heard an appeal from Khaleda Zia, the later rejected all appeals from the former prime minister, currently serving time in prison.
The Awami League delegation went to the EC’s offices in Agargaon immediately after the EC’s announcement. “The Election Commission cannot go beyond the constitution,” Nanak told reporters on the topic of Khaleda’s appeal.
Asked why the delegation had come to the EC, he said, “The BNP, Oikya Front and Jamaat are trying to foil the election by making non-issues into issues. The people of the country are outraged.”
“We came to warn them and tell them not to give in to any pressure.”
Meanwhile, BNP has accused EC of working for the ruling party.