BNP sends 5 letters to EC seeking steps to create level playing field

BNP today wrote a total of five letters to the Election Commission (EC) bringing allegation of not ensuring a level-playing field ahead of the 11th parliamentary election scheduled for December 30.

“We will go to the court if the Election Commission does not take any step in this regard,” BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir sounded a note of warning in the letter.

BNP Joint Secretary General Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal along with a three-member delegation handed over the letters to EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed this noon.

“The ruling quarter is on the top of the mountain while we are at bottom under the present situation. The Election Commission has been urged to take steps on the overall issues,” Alal told reporters after submitting the letters.

BNP, which did not participate in the January 5, 2014 election, has formed an election alliance Jatiya Oikyafront and announced to take part in the upcoming 11th parliamentary election.

After forming the alliance, BNP has been claiming that the Election Commission has not yet been able to create level-playing field ensuring equal opportunities for all political parties ahead of the election.

Under this circumstance, Fakhrul, in the letter, has brought several allegations against the EC secretary and the police for “provoking the party men to go for violent activities in many ways”.

Take step against EC secretary

In one of the five letters, BNP asked the EC to take action against its Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed and Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia for “provoking” clashes, arson and vandalism at Nayapaltan last week.

“There was a clear indication of provocation behind the clash in the statements of Helal and Asaduzzaman,” the letter said.

“We demand punitive action of the EC secretary, deputy commissioner of police of the respective zone and joint secretary of the EC’s election coordination department for deliberately issuing a letter asking the law enforcers to enforce the electoral code of conduct.”

Reshuffle in administration

In the second letter, Fakhrul demanded immediate withdrawal of all divisional commissioners, deputy inspectors of police of all police ranges and commissioners of all metropolitan cities.

He also called upon the EC to transfer upazila nirbahi officers and officers-in-charge of all police stations to other districts from their present working places.

The EC has also been asked to follow the batch-based seniority in terms of the new posting and cancel all contractual appointment and upgradation of those who were deprived of the facilities since long.

Fakhrul, in the letter, also asked the EC not to give posting to any officials who were attached with the prime minister office and personal secretary or assistant personal secretary of any ministers or state ministers of the government.

Cancel appointment of 45 mentors in district administration

In the third letter, Fakhrul urged the EC to cancel the order relating to the appointment of mentors in the district administration to implement the priority-based action plan.

The government has appointed some 45 retired and incumbent bureaucrats in the name of assisting the 45 returning officers, Fakhrul alleged in the letter.

“If the order is not cancelled, we will be compelled to go to the court,” Fakhrul warned.

BNP leaders being threatened

In the fourth letter, Fakhrul alleged that BNP’s possible candidates are being threatened across the country soon after the announcement of the schedule for the upcoming general election.

“It is being done as part of an evil plan to keep BNP away from the election and the commission will have to take effective steps to stop the activities,” he said in the letter adding that otherwise, the commission will be held responsible if the polling atmosphere is destroyed.

Briefing at the prime minister’s office

After announcement of the polls schedule, all the returning officers from across the country have been briefed at the prime minister office.

In the fifth letter, he mentioned that the returning officers were called for a meeting at the PMO on November 13.

Legal action will have to be taken against concerned officials through investigation into the matter, Fakhrul said in the letter.

WHAT HAPPENED AT NAYAPALTAN?

November 14 was the third day of nomination form collection at Nayapaltan and BNP activists flocked in thousands to cheer their leaders.

The peaceful electoral atmosphere was broken in clashes between police and BNP activists around afternoon. At least 20 BNP men and some policemen were injured.

Two police vehicles were set on fire at the spot and several other vehicles vandalised.

After the clashes subsided, police and BNP traded blames on each other – each side blaming the other for unleashing unrest in the area and deteriorating the situation.

WHAT FOLLOWED?

Later that night, examining CCTV footage situated nearby, police arrested 40 people involved in “anarchy” and also identified 30 others.

Senior BNP leaders Mirza Abbas and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi are among the 488 people accused in three cases filed in the aftermath of the clashes.

The cases filed by police with Paltan Police Station mentioned that “the attack” was  aimed at creating instability, unrest and anarchy.

Later, more of the activists, leaders, and supporters were arrested.