BNP to meet CEC Thursday to raise concerns over EC's neutrality
The meeting is expected to begin at 11am,
A three-member BNP delegation, led by the party's Standing Committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan, is scheduled to meet Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Thursday (23 October) to convey the party's concerns about the neutrality of the commission.
"The party will meet CEC tomorrow at the Nirbachan Bhaban," Moyeen Khan told The Business Standard today (22 October).
The meeting is expected to begin at 11am, said BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan, reports UNB.
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The two other members of the BNP delegation are the party chairperson's Advisory Council member Ismail Zabiullah and former secretary Mohammed Jakaria.
According to party sources, the meeting will focus on ensuring that the Election Commission (EC) prepares the polling officer panel with neutral individuals.
During Monday night's BNP Standing Committee meeting, the party also discussed the commission's initiative to prepare the polling officer panel within October.
Concerns were raised that a majority of the proposed polling officers nationwide have past links to Chhatra Shibir and are currently affiliated with Jamaat-e-Islami. Such appointments, the party believes, could influence the election in favour of Jamaat and cast doubt on the credibility of the polls.
The BNP stressed that the commission must take effective measures to prepare the panel with neutral individuals regardless of political affiliation.
It was decided in the meeting that the party would meet the CEC to urge necessary action on this matter. The party seeks transparency and neutrality in all election-related activities, ensuring a level playing field.
On 19 October, a delegation from the National Citizen Party (NCP) met EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed to discuss similar concerns about impartiality in the election administration.
Speaking to journalists after that meeting, the party's Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary said, "We see some election commissioners working in favour of different groups — BNP, Jamaat, or the army. If this continues, we will demand their resignation."
"However, we want to see the commission as an institution for the people, not as a partisan asset," he added.
Yesterday, a three-member BNP delegation, led by its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, met Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and called for ensuring neutrality of the government and its institutions.
The party also urged the interim government to act "in the mode of a caretaker government" to ensure a free, fair and acceptable national election scheduled for February next year.
