The Election Commission Sunday finalised the report of a probe about the field-level existence of the Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF), which is seeking to be registered ahead of the upcoming national polls.
A commission official, requesting anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The commission has mysteriously decided suddenly to give registration to the BNF and Sangskritik Muktijote in this week’s meeting.”
The EC had earlier said they would give registration to the two parties based on the outcome of their field-level probe. However, Sunday, this correspondent saw Abul Kalam Azad, the chief of BNF, and the concerned EC official hard at work on the report.
The source also confirmed that the two were working on the report and that they were doing so for the whole of last week, through which the findings of the probe were coming to the secretariat.
However, the concerned official refused to comment on the matter to the Dhaka Tribune when approached.
The EC source added that Abul Kalam Azad and some leaders of the party were coming regularly to the commission and holding meetings with Commissioner Abdul Mobarak, who is overseeing the registration process.
He added that the final report states that officials found existence and activities of BNF in all but 10 of the 36 districts the party claimed and 104 out of the 137 upazilas. It also has a central office.
However, in the previous probe report drafted on July 6, the commission said it found that BNF was existing and active in only 15 of the declared districts. Four others had offices but no activities. The other 17 had no existence.
It also said that of the claimed activities and existence in 137 upazilas, they found evidence of both in 32 districts; 97 had none; and five had only existence.
After the findings, the commission “mysteriously” awarded the organisation 15 days to set things right and came up with the final report after a second field-level probe on July 17.
On August 4, BNF filed an urge with the Election Commission asking for its direct interference in the field-level investigations claiming that it was fearing manipulation in the findings and harassment from other political entities.
Main opposition BNP has already approached the commission thrice, urging it not to consider BNF, alleging that it was using BNP’s logo, the portrait of its late founder, and his 19-point charter to “gain political leverage.”