BNP on Monday said it would be suicidal for the opposition to join any national polls under Sheikh Hasina as the prime minister has exposed her true colours by praising a “flawed” Khulna City Corporation election.
Addressing a press conference at the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters in Dhaka, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi feared that the next general election might be held the same way Khulna city polls was held.
“The prime minister’s high appreciation (of Khulna city polls) has proved that the government higher-ups gave orders to rig votes in the elections. Her comments also exposed that the next national election will be held like the one in Khulna,” he said.
On Sunday, the prime minister said Khulna city voters had cast their votes in favour of Awami League as they thought only her party could change their fate through development.
“They have realized that development activities get momentum when Awami League comes to power and those get stalled whenever BNP is in power,” Hasina said when newly elected Khulna City Corporation Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque called on her at her official residence, Ganabhaban, for a courtesy visit after winning the city polls on May 15.
Responding to her remarks, Rizvi said the prime minister undermined the voters by justifying the Khulna city polls. “She did it using her illegal state power after depriving the voters of their rights.”
He also criticized the Election Commission for failing to play its due role as an independent body in Khulna city. “The commission has only implemented the government’s agenda,” he alleged.
The BNP leader expressed strong doubt about fair voting in the upcoming Gazipur City Corporation election as, he said, the ruling party ministers and MPs had already started influencing the voters there like they did in Khulna.
Although the prime minister said ministers and ruling party MPs do not influence polls, Rizvi said, a minister and some senior Awami League leaders and lawmakers held a meeting at a local MP’s house in Tongi, Gazipur on Sunday.
“So, how can the prime minister resort to lies while holding such a responsible post?”
He said the ruling party men violated the election code of conduct by holding such a meeting in Gazipur election area.