UNB, Dhaka :BNP on Tuesday aired doubt whether the upcoming municipality polls will at all be fair as those are going to be held under party line partially.”The government has hurriedly announced the schedule for municipality polls. We’re in doubt whether the elections will be fair under partial party line,” said BNP senior leader ASM Hannan Shah.The BNP leader came up with the remarks at a discussion in the city soon after the announcement of the polls schedule by the Election Commission.During other polls in the past, he said, the administration was seen siding with ruling party-backed candidates though those were non-partisan ones. “This time the ruling party will directly nominate their candidates. That’s why we fear the administration may not work neutrally, blocking the path for holding free and credible polls,” the BNP leader said.Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum arranged the discussion at Dhaka Bar Association’s building at Dhaka Judge’s Court, marking the 51st birthday of BNP vice chairman Tarique Rahman. Earlier in the day, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad announced that elections to 234 municipalities across the country will be held on December 30.The municipal elections will partly be held under party line for the first time as Parliament passed the Local Government (Municipality) (Amendment) Bill 2015 on November 19, paving the path for mayoral candidates to contest the elections with party symbols.Hannan Shah said the biased role of the Election Commission in previous elections made them suspicious whether there will be fair elections on December 30. He alleged that the government is now trying to annihilate the politics of nationalist forces by repressing BNP leaders and activists and obliterating democracy.The BNP leader urged the opposition leaders and activists to get united to restore democracy and people’s rights in the country.
