The main opposition BNP Thursday alleged that the Election Commission was involving itself in the government’s conspiracy as it planned to register Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) as a political party.
“The nonentity organisation is using the BNP’s logo, symbol and founder Ziaur Rahman’s portrait...The commission is in a hurry to register it to create confusion and mislead people,” said Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, BNP joint secretary general, at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters.
The BNP asked the EC to refrain from registering the BNF, “otherwise a tough movement will be launched for the Election Commission’s resignation.”
Rizvi pointed out that the symbol ship had been withdrawn from the ballot paper following the Awami League’s objection because it looked like their election symbol boat.
“The BNF is trying to get registration with the BNP’s logo, Ziaur Rahman’s portrait and an election symbol of a sheaf of wheat in a similar fashion to the BNP’s. It is also using the late president’s 19-point charter to gain some political leverage,” he said.
Former BNP leaders Nazmul Huda and Jahanara Begum had floated the party in August 2012 although Huda was ousted from the party after a few months.
Rizvi said a party delegation led by standing committee member MK Anwar had lodged a complaint with the EC against the BNF.
Meanwhile, referring to the BNF’s registration, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad Thursday said: “The Election Commission is investigating the organisational structure of the BNF at field level. If the party fulfils the commission’s conditions, we will publish a circular through the media.
“If anyone opposes the circular then, we will consider the matter.”
Asked about providing the BNF with the sheaf of wheat as its symbol, which looks like the BNP’s paddy sheaf, the CEC said the EC would take the final decision after scrutinising the major conditions and then take up the matter of providing a symbol.