BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed has raised concerns over the Election Commission’s ability to conduct a free and fair election.
“We have doubts about the Commission’s competence,” he said. “We have questioned how impartial and transparent the process will be. Although the Election Commission is technically an independent institution, its operations are entangled with collaborators embedded across various levels of the administration. These actors are involved in tactics and far-reaching conspiracies aimed at obstructing a fair electoral process.”
Rizvi made the remarks on Sunday after meeting with two Election Commissioners at the Commission’s headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka. He was accompanied by Ismail Zabihullah, a member of the BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council.
According to Rizvi, the commission assured them that it is prioritizing transparency and making necessary preparations to ensure a free election. “They said they’re working according to the roadmap and are aware of the concerns raised by some parties regarding the proportional representation (PR) system,” he noted.
However, Rizvi stated that BNP does not believe the PR system can be implemented at this stage. “Our leaders have conveyed this in detail to the Commission. While they are carrying out their constitutional duties, we believe the current context does not support PR implementation.”
He added that the meeting primarily focused on the Commission’s Vision 2030, which includes a commitment to ensuring voting rights for expatriates. “We asked whether expatriates would be able to vote via postal ballots. The commission said they are working on it.”
Rizvi also mentioned that the party sought updates on the latest status of constituency boundary re-demarcation. “We did not discuss any specific seat or area. Our interest was in overall preparedness.”
When asked whether the registration of the Jatiya Party was discussed, Rizvi replied: “No, that was not part of our discussion. It is entirely within the Commission’s jurisdiction, and they will decide in accordance with the Constitution.”
On the issue of boundary re-demarcation, he clarified: “We did not raise any specific points. The Commission informed us that they are conducting personal hearings with individuals who have submitted objections. They are working to balance population data with administrative units.”
Addressing recent developments, Rizvi said there was no discussion on the Jatiya Party’s registration or the attack on the head of Gono Odhikar Parishad. “We believe the Commission has the constitutional authority to decide on registrations. These are isolated incidents and not obstacles to the election. Even in neighboring India, such incidents occur without disrupting democracy.”
However, he condemned the recent attack on Nurul Haque Nur. “He has a political identity and has played a role in anti-fascist movements. We demand a neutral investigation and action against the perpetrators.”
Asked whether BNP believes the upcoming election will be fair under the current Commission, Rizvi said: “Based on our interactions and their steps so far, we remain hopeful that this Commission can conduct a fair, inclusive, and participatory election. We have not seen any lack of sincerity from them yet.”
