Mirza Fakhrul: EC can't ensure proper election environment

The Election Commission is not ready yet to create the proper environment for the 2019 national election, said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters near BNP founder Maj Ziaur Rahman's grave, he said: “The Election Commission should ensure the election environment first, and then produce the roadmap. We still do not have the environment.” Prior to speaking to reporters, Mirza Fakhrul along with other BNP leaders placed flowers at Zia's grave in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka observing the BNP founder's 36th death anniversary. Zia's wife and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was also present at the event. Mirza Fakhrul said the government was not giving the opposition any scope to speak about the election. "Members of BNP and other opposition parties are being arrested on a regular basis and the government is sending them to jail. A fair election is not possible in this situation,” he added. The Election Commission should create a level field for all the parties before producing an election roadmap, said the BNP secretary general. “Then the roadmap will be justified.” He also said people would not accept the upcoming election if the Election Commission did not resolve this issue. “People will boycott the election the way they did in 2014,” he warned.