Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain has criticised Election Commission over its role in tackling the heat surfacing on the field due to approaching election.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. “I heard the chief election commissioner is embarrassed over attack on BNP’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul,” he said at the launching show of The Daily Star’s ‘Election Talks 2018’.
“These terms are not for the Election Commission. He might as well leave the commission feeling embarrassed. The commission is an election-oriented institution,” he said.
“I would have been very happy had the CEC rather said that enquiry committees have been sent to the places to enquire the recent incidents,” he said.
“Had he said the commission is investigating these attacks and punish those responsible… had he taken one or two prompt actions on reports of the enquiry committee, it would have been precedent,” Sakhawat Hossain said.
In response to question on whether the Election Commission is adequately manned to handle all the incidents, Hossain said: “Bangladesh’s EC is one of the largest in terms of manpower. The Indian EC has 300 officers and we have 3,000.”
“The power vested onto the EC is more powerful than martial law. In order to make an election free and fair, it can do anything provided that it does not contradict with the laws and the constitution,” Brig Gen (retd) Sakhawat said.
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