Reza Mahmud :
The policy makers of BNP are worried about holding the 11th national election in a free and fair manner as the major foreign election observatory bodies are denied to send any observer during the election time.
Even the election Commission had imposed stern restrictions for the native observers what it said no observer is allowed to talk with media after monitoring the election activities which also created anxiety among the BNP.
The BNP leaders said they have already huge suspicious about the rule of Election Commission and other related bodies. They have been also fighting for a neutral government during the election period, but yet to press home their demand. In these circumstances, the uncertain situation will be enhanced about the fair election in absence of the foreign election observatory bodies.
“The overall situation is not prevailed as election friendly yet. In these circumstances, sufficient numbers of the foreign election observers denied to come to observe the polls. It has pushed the whole circumstances on favour of ruling party’s muscle men. They will be inspired to rig vote absence of neutral polls observers,” BNP Joint-Secretary General Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal told The New Nation.
He said, the European Union (EU) and European Parliament (EP) are major foreign observer bodies on which everyone can rely for neutral observation.
We think the presence of sufficient reliable foreign observers might create pressure to the Election Commission, administration and the government to hold the election free and fair manner. In the same view absence of them the possibility of holding fair polls is shrunken.
Alal said, the EU and EP denied sending their teams to observe our ensuing Parliament polls which lefts the election observation issue vulnerable.
“Both the EU and EP said they will not send their teams because of the matter is a lengthy preparatory process. That means they have not lot time to take preparation as the vote is scheduled amid major holidays of the west. One is their Christmas day and the other is the thirty first night and New Year,” Alal said. “We have repeatedly requested the EC to reschedule the election to avoid the vacation days of our foreign development partners, but they ignored. That means the EC is not honest enough to hold inclusive polls,” Alal said.
Most of the leaders and activists of the BNP also expressed similarly. They are in fear of the atmosphere of election day.
When contacted, BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury told The New Nation, “The total atmosphere in our country is not election friendly yet. The EC, police and civil administration are playing partisan role favouring the Awami League government. In this condition we are really worried about holding neutral polls.”
He said, everyday numbers of our party men are being arrested. Many of our party candidates also arrested and the court denied giving them bail.
In these circumstances, we are fighting to restore democracy with the people of the country.
Officials from European Parliament On Wednesday said in Dhaka that they will not send election observatory team as it is a lengthy preparatory process.
The European Union on November 24 also said that they will not send their observatory team for the same ground.
