Almost everyone in the investigation committee is associated with the Awami League

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said almost all the members of the inquiry committee formed to appoint a new election commissioner were directly or indirectly associated with the Awami League. As a result, the Election Commission, which will be formed on the recommendation of this inquiry committee, will aim to bring the Awami League to power like the outgoing commission.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam said this at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s office in Gulshan on Tuesday afternoon.

The press conference was held to announce the decision of the party’s standing committee meeting held on Monday. Standing committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud were present on the occasion.

The BNP secretary general said that the meeting of the standing committee thinks that if the election is not held under a neutral government, the inquiry committee and the election commission formed by them will not be able to hold an acceptable, fair and free election. For this reason, the BNP does not want to express any interest in the inquiry committee. The BNP thinks this process is completely meaningless and unacceptable. Apart from those who have formed this inquiry committee, almost all of them are directly or indirectly associated with the Awami League.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam said the chief justice of the inquiry committee, Obaidul Hasan, was the central vice-president of the BCL. His younger brother Sajjadul Hasan has served as the Prime Minister’s Private Secretary. Muhammad Sohul Hossain wanted the nomination of Awami League in 2016. Justice SM Quddus Zaman, PSC (Public Service Commission) Chairman Sohrab Hossain and others are also associated with Awami League in various ways.

Mirza Fakhrul said it was clear that the election commission to be formed on the recommendation of the inquiry committee would aim to bring the Awami League to power like the outgoing commission. It is nothing more than a deception with the people. People will reject such jokes with hatred. The BNP thinks that it is possible to overcome this crisis through an election only after completing all the electoral processes under a neutral government by handing over power to a neutral government.

What is the way to get a neutral EC then? In response to the question of the journalists, the BNP secretary general said, ‘We have been saying from the beginning, the Awami League has very consciously and plannedly destroyed all the pillars and institutions of democracy in Bangladesh since 2008 and destroyed the electoral system. The caretaker government system, which was in the constitution, has been abolished and elections have been held under the party government. We have said thousands of times that because of the political culture in Bangladesh, it is never possible to have free and fair elections without elections under a caretaker government.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam further said, “Today the Election Commission is not only failing, they are stealing, they are involved in corruption. It is unbelievable that they bought EVMs at 11 times the price, from India. The commission has created such a heinous situation. The soul of Bangladesh, for which we fought in 1971, to build a democratic society, the Awami League has destroyed everything, just to stay in power.

Responding to a question on what is the way to get a neutral EC, Standing Committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said, This parliament has to be dissolved, then a neutral government will come. They will arrange these institutions neatly and arrange for fair elections, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .