BNP senior leader Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman today said the upcoming municipal election is an acid test for the Election Commission to brighten its image and get rid of its questionable and sordid past.

“There’re lots of questions about the neutrality of the Election Commission which is going to hold the municipal polls. The EC has been branded as a cadre force of the government. So, holding this election in a free and fair manner is an acid test for it,” he said.

Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader said, “The municipal polls will have a serious impact on future parliamentary and other elections. So, we want to see for the last time as to how much the Election Commission and the government can earn the confidence of the county’s people and the global community.”

Mahbub, a BNP standing committee member, came up with the remarks while speaking at a discussion arranged by Jatiyatabadi Sangskriti Dal at the Jatiya Press Club.

He criticised the EC for turning down BNP’s demand for deferring the election for 15 days. “The Commission rejecting our demand has exposed its true colour.”

The BNP leader also alleged that a level-paying field is not created for fair polls as the Commission is not acting neutrally.

Mahbub, an ex-army chief-turned politician, protested Pakistan’s claim that it did not commit any war crime during the 1971 Liberation War. “It’s a blatant lie. We strongly protest it.”

At another programme, BNP vice chairman Hafizuddin Ahmed alleged that the government has worked out a strategy to stage a farce in the name of municipal polls as it did during the three city polls held on April 28 this year.

He also alleged that law enforcers forced their many popular and prospective candidates to remain out of the election race by implicating them in ‘false’ cases at many places across the county where opposition contestants have a strong possibility to win.

Speaking at the 8th founding anniversary programme of Kalyan Party at the Jatiya Press Club, Hafiz also feared BNP candidates will get bad news every day as the government has no intention to hold a fair election. “You’re now only watching the trailer, but the film is still left to be watched.”