BNP today urged the Election Commission to stay away from the decision of using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the upcoming Dhaka north and south city corporation elections.

“We think the decision of using EVMs in the elections is a part of the conspiracy to snatch people’s voting rights permanently,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Fakhrul was addressing a press conference at party Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office in Dhaka this afternoon.

“From the sense of responsibility to protect people’s voting rights, we condemn the decision of using the EVMs in the election and urge the constitutional body to cancel its decision immediately, paving the path of ensuring people’s voting rights through ballot papers,” he said.

Taking a side, the Election Commission, government and the ruling Awami League have made BNP their opponent part and destroyed the country’s all electoral system, the BNP leader alleged.

Practically, they [Election Commission, government and the ruling Awami League] have defeated the people, who are the country’s sole owners, indulging in misdeeds, he said.

“As a fascist force, Awami League has stamped down people’s rights and the Election Commission has played a naked role as its main associate,” he said.

Claiming that EVMs is not a vote-friendly system, Fakhrul said the country’s people are not trained and habituated in casting vote through the system and thus the Election Commission does not have any moral rights to implement its decision unilaterally.

“We believe that the use of soundless vote-rigging method like EVM under the management of such nontransparent and unacceptable Election Commission can’t be effective at all,” the BNP leader said.

Citing several instances about demerits of voting through the EVMs, Fakhrul said the EC’s move to use the electronic device in the election scheduled for January 30 is nothing, but a project of killing people’s voting rights silently.

When asked what BNP will do if the EVMs are used, Fakhrul said, “We urge the Election Commission to reject the total system. We will see how the commission reacts and then we will undertake our next step.”

Responding to another query, he said, “We in principle don’t want the use of the EVMs.”

The elections to Dhaka South City Corporation and Dhaka North City Corporation will be held on January 30.

The last date for submitting nomination papers was December 31. The EC scrutinised nomination papers on January 2. The last date for withdrawal of candidacy is January 9.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said the party will force the government to release BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

The BNP leader made the remark at a protest around noon in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka demanding release of Khaleda, reports Bangla daily Prothom Alo.

Addressing the programme, Fakhrul said, “We have protested against this, we have also participated in the elections. Now we will have Khaleda Zia released from prison.”

BNP organised the programme to observe and protest two years of Khaleda’s imprisonment in two corruption cases. The event began at 2:00pm.

Top leaders of the party, including Standing Committee members Moudud Ahmed, Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, among others, also addressed the programme.

The BNP chief landed in jail after being sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018. Later, the High Court on October 30 enhanced her punishment to 10 years after dismissing her appeal. 

Khaleda was admitted to BSMMU on April 1 last year after she fell ill in jail.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said that the entire nation was stunned over the Supreme Court's judgement that rejected its Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s bail prayer in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

“We are disappointed and aggrieved over the rejection of the bail petition of Khaleda Zia. The entire nation was stunned as well,” Fakhrul came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after a meeting at the party chief Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office in Dhaka this evening.

People have expected that their leader (Khaleda) would get justice from the court but she was unfortunately denied by the court, the BNP leader said.

Nationwide demo Sunday   

As part of the programme to free Khaleda Zia from jail, BNP will stage a demonstration and bring out processions across the country to press home their demand.

Leaders and activists of the party will hold rally and bring out processions at thana-level headquarters across Dhaka on the day, Fakhrul said.      

BNP will also come up with next course of programme immediately to ensure release of Khaleda Zia from jail, the party secretary general said.

“We strongly believe that the people with their enthusiastic participation in the protest programme would force the government to cancel result of the December 30 national election and to hold a fresh election under a nonparty and neutral government and election commission,” he said.

Meanwhile, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said the government has nothing to do with Khaleda Zia's corruption case.

"The judiciary is enjoying full freedom under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's rule. The case against Khaleda Zia is a corruption case. So, there's nothing to do by the government with it," Quader, also road, transport and bridges minister, told journalists while speaking at the triennial council of Kurigram district Awami League in Kurigram.