BNP senior leader Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman yesterday said the December-30 municipal election is an acid test for the Election Commission to brighten its image and also get rid of its questionable and sordid past.
“There’re lots of questions about the neutrality of the Election Commission which is going to hold the municipal polls. It (EC) has been branded as a cadre force of the government. So, holding this election in a free and fair manner is an acid test for it,” he said.
Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader further said: “The municipal polls will have a serious impact on future parliamentary and other elections. So, we want to see for the last time as to how much the Election Commission and the government can earn the confidence of the county’s people and the global community.”
Mahbub, a BNP Standing Committee member, made the remarks while speaking at a discussion arranged by Jatiyatabadi Sangskriti Dal at the Jatiya Press Club. He criticised the EC for turning down BNP’s demand for deferring the election for 15 days. “The Commission rejecting our demand has exposed its true colour.”
The BNP leader also alleged that a level-paying field is not created for fair polls as the Commission is not acting neutrally.
Mahbub also protested Pakistan’s claim that it did not commit any war crime during the 1971 Liberation War. “It is a blatant lie. We strongly protest the statement.”
At another programme, BNP Vice-Chairman Hafizuddin Ahmed alleged that the government has worked out a strategy to stage a farce in the name of municipal polls as it did during the three city polls held on April 28 this year.
He also alleged that law enforcers forced their many popular and prospective candidates to remain out of the election race by implicating them in “false” cases.
