Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed yesterday claimed that the commission had proved that it was neutral enough to ensure neutrality during elections.
“We conducted the Gazipur City Corporation election. There we proved how to act neutrally and create a level-playing field for all parties,” the CEC said while visiting the server station at Bandarban district election office, our correspondent reported.
His comments came couple of days after BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia had placed seven proposals to the government including ensuring level-playing field for all political parties.
Calling for initiating dialogue, Khaleda also demanded that the EC be reconstituted, the existing voter list updated while the RPO amended before declaring schedule for mid-term poll.
The BNP, its 19 other allies and some other parties boycotted the January 5 election.
Senior leaders of the ruling Awami League have rejected Khaleda’s proposals saying that no election would be held before 2019 and that the demand for a caretaker government was irrational.
Asked about the EC’s measures on inclusion of the illegal Rohingyas in the voter list, Rakibuddin said they had taken special measures for updating the voter list in three districts.
He possibly referred to Bandarban, Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong where presence of the Myanmar Muslims is significant.
“We are adding new voters following strict scrutiny in three districts. A special committee is looking into the process. Here 23 points of information are sought from the new voters, and then the data is cross matched,” the CEC said.
Some influential political leaders have reportedly been assisting the illegal Rohingyas, living outside the two registered camps in Cox’s Bazar, in securing national identity cards, allegations say.
Since the independence, Rohingyas have regularly been coming to Bangladesh followed by sectarian violence in Rakhine province of Myanmar. After getting the NIDs, they identify them as Bangladeshis and even secure passports.
Rakibuddin also said the EC had taken initiatives to hold the local government polls quickly. “Elections to the union councils will be held very soon. The EC is taking preparations in this regard,” BSS quotes him as saying.
The server station has been built at the place of old post office at a cost of Tk98 lakh.