The main opposition BNP Thursday said it was taking part in the city corporation elections only to assess the role of the Election Commission ahead of the parliamentary polls.
Speaking in parliament, the opposition MPs demanded deployment of army for the four city corporation elections slated for Saturday and sought the speaker’s intervention in the matter.
The ruling party lawmakers countered the opposition’s demand, saying the opposition was making an issue of army deployment sensing its defeat in the upcoming polls.
They said the Election Commission would decide the issue independently and neither the government nor the opposition had the right to intervene in its activities.
“We are taking part in the elections to the four city corporations to observe the role of the present Election Commission,” senior BNP MP Jafrul Islam Chowdhury told the House during an unscheduled discussion.
Acting chief whip of the opposition Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee initiated the discussion minutes after the Jatiya Sangsad started its business with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
Jafrul Islam said the ministers, whips and the ruling alliance MPs had been campaigning in favour of the candidates backed by the Awami League in violation of the EC guidelines. He claimed that armed goons had been intimidating voters to influence the polls.
“So, we demand deployment of army in the city corporations to free the polls from the influence of terrorists armed with pistols, guns, rifles, SLRs and other arms,” said the former state minister.
He also alleged that the government had been obstructing leaders and activists campaigning in favour of the candidates backed by the BNP.
Initiating the discussion, Anee told the House that armed cadres of the ruling party were roaming the city corporation areas to intimidate voters but police were “inactive.” “We have taken part in the polls to the four city corporations for the sake of fair and unhindered elections. We seek your [speaker] intervention to deploy army,” he said.
Taking floor, senior Awami League MP Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim said the BNP had been demanding army deployment as they were “sure of their defeat.”
“They made a similar demand at the time of the Comilla City Corporation election, but they stopped [talking about army deployment] after their candidate won there,” he said.
Fazle Rabbi Miah, another Awami League MP, told the House: “It is the decision of the independent Election Commission whether to deploy army or not. There is no scope for the government or the opposition to dictate the commission.”