Action if AL MPs engaged in electoral activities: Hanif

“There is no option to term the poll as faulty,” says AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif. Star file photo

Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif today said organisational steps will be taken against the lawmakers who will get involved in electoral activities during the upcoming union parishad elections.

“We have directed the ruling MPs not to get involved in the electoral activities and process of the polls,” he said.

Talking to the reporters following a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad at his Agargaon office in Dhaka, Hanif made the warning.

A six-member AL delegation, led by Hanif, met the CEC to talk about the UP polls. AL leaders Dr Dipu Moni, Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Razzak were part of the delegation.

Hanif also said that the delegation has requested the CEC not to misuse law against ruling men in the name of impartiality.

Elections to 732 union parishads will be held on March 22 in the first phase and 650 UPs on March 31 in the second phase. More than 2,800 UPs will go to polls in four other phases until June.        

Earlier, the Election Commission yesterday issued a show-cause notice to AL lawmaker of Pabna-2 constituency Azizul Huq Arzu for violating electoral codes of conduct.

There are allegations that the MP was staying in an electoral area under Bera upazila of the district a few days ago and was trying to influence the polls, according to EC officials.

As per the electoral rules, ministers and MPs can neither join electoral campaigns nor stay in electoral areas.

The EC is also planning to take action against another AL lawmaker from Barguna for violating electoral rules, an election commissioner said yesterday.

Earlier on Tuesday, it formed a committee to investigate allegations of electoral code violations by candidates and their supporters, following reports in newspapers.

The day before, an AL man was killed and 10 others were injured in a clash between supporters of AL nominated candidate and a rebel candidate at Adabaria union of Boufal upazila in Patuakhali.