AB Party places 9-point proposal for fair election

Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) has placed a nine-point proposal, including the deployment of students as volunteers to the Election Commission (EC) to maintain the electoral code of conduct as well as law and order during the upcoming general elections.

"We have placed our nine-point proposal at the meeting with the chief election commissioner (CEC) to hold the upcoming general election in a fair and peaceful manner," AB Party Chairman Mujibur Rahman Manju told journalists after a meeting with CEC AMM Nasir Uddin at Nirbachan Bhaban.

Monju said they proposed assigning students as volunteers along with the law enforcement agencies to help ensure the execution of the electoral code of conduct during the polls.

AB Party Secretary General Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad and senior leaders were present.

AB Party has urged the commission to hold an extraordinary election instead of a conventional one and to think in a new way to make this happen.

He said the AB party didn't recommend a bicameral legislature without a proportional representation (PR) system to constitute the Upper House. Instead, they proposed at least 100 seats in the Lower House through the PR system.

The AB Party chairman said they also proposed to ensure voting rights for expatriates and allow dual citizenship to contest in both national and local elections.

They also suggested reducing the number of polling centres and relocating them to large venues like educational institutions, stadiums and open grounds to ensure voters' security and neutrality.

The party also proposed a draft of model election campaign guidelines and open debate among candidates under the Election Commission's initiative.

In their proposal, the AB Party stressed conducting an awareness campaign through mass media and social media, and launching a special campaign and educational programmes in coordination with educational institutions for young voters.