Next EC not to make any difference, says BNP

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday said that the search committee will send a list of people like outgoing CEC KM Nurul Huda to the president.

"They (govt) will now form the Election Commission as per their wish to be reelected. They formed a search committee and enacted a law to constitute such a commission. All these steps were taken to fool people," he said.

The BNP leader came up with the remarks at a discussion meeting on the eve of the last meeting of the search committee scheduled to be held in the afternoon.

He alleged that the search committee was formed with all belonging to the ruling party. "Not a single one is left out. They'll send the names to the president today (Tuesday). The Election Commission (EC) may be formed with persons like Huda (KM Nurul Huda)."

Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal arranged the programme at the Jatiya Press Club titled "Farmer suicide in crop field: A small picture of fascist rule".

On 2 February, a farmer, Shafiuddin, of Sherpur's Nalitabari killed himself in his crop field in protest against the obstruction to installing an irrigation pump reportedly by the influential ruling party men.

Fakhrul said the government has completely broken the electoral system of Bangladesh. "Now there's nothing in it."

He accused CEC Nurul Huda of helping the government ruin the electoral system. "He (Huda) has to face trial for it. He must be brought to justice for depriving the people of Bangladesh of their right to vote and for destroying the electoral system."

On 5 February, President Abdul Hamid formed a six-member search committee, led by Justice Obaidul Hassan, as per the new law on constituting the Election Commission.

The committee has already had six meetings and received names from professionals, civil society members and different political parties to propose 10 names to the president for appointing the next CEC and other commissioners. The committee is scheduled to finalise the 10 names in today's meeting.

Concern over price hike

Fakhrul alleged that the prices of electricity, gas and water are being raised repeatedly only because of plundering public money.

He said BNP must take to the streets protesting the price hike in essential items, including rice, pulses and oil.

"The government must answer why the prices of rice and edible oil have gone up. The maximum price of per kg rice was Tk16-17 during the tenure of our government, but it is now TK60-70. The price of per litre soybean oil was Tk54 during ours, but it is now Tk180. The reason behind is theft and corruption," the BNP leader said.

He bemoaned that corruption has engulfed all parts of the state and all the sectors during the rule of the current government.

Fakhrul also alleged that the government's statistics on per capita income growth is also "baseless."

The BNP leader voiced concern that the law enforcers have continued repressing and killing people. "Law enforcers arrested a man in Sunamganj yesterday (Monday) and beat him to death, forcing hundreds of people to put barricades on roads protesting the incident."

He said corruption is rampant even in every university while the health system has been destroyed. "There is not a single sector where there is no corruption. They (govt) have destroyed the whole state system. "

The BNP secretary general urged the leaders and activists of Krishak Dal to get organised to overcome the current situation of the country.

He also called upon the Krishak Dal leadership to play a vital role in ensuring the rights of farmers and the development of the sector through waging movements on different relevant issues.