The Election Commission on Monday asked law enforcement agencies not to arrest political activists without warrant ahead of the mayoral elections in Rajshahi, Sylhet, and Barishal cities slated for July 30. There are widespread allegations of violating electoral code of conduct and harassment and arrest of opposition activists by police and ruling party candidates. Earlier, the apex court the day before Gazipur city polls ordered law enforcers not to arrest opposition men but it passed largely unheeded. In fact, the country has been witnessing some type of controlled election in recent days.
Rigging was rampant in 2014 general election despite winning of 154 lawmakers without any voting. Besides, local administration allegedly favoured pro-ruling party candidates openly in Dhaka, Chattogram, Narayanganj, Khulna city corporations and other local government polls. Due to this trend, people’s right to elect their representatives has been resulting in corrosion of trust in the electoral system.
Presently, the mayoral candidates of the ruling Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party are complaining against each other for violating electoral code of conduct in the mayoral polls in the three cities. BNP leaders in Rajshahi alleged that three ‘false’ cases have been filed against 178 BNP leaders and activists and 29 of them have been arrested since the announcement of the polls schedule. BNP mayoral candidate in Rajshahi said AL was trying to drive out BNP’s polling agents from the area, as they did in Khulna and Gazipur. In Barishal, BNP mayoral candidate Mojibur Rahman Sarwar alleged that AL activists barred his campaigners from campaigning in different areas. The opposition candidates’ allegations of violation of electoral code by ministers and MPs are totally ignored by the Election Commission.
We have no political party understanding what democracy entails or believing in democracy to practice democracy. So what the political leaders say or claim mean nothing for democracy. The parties want free election not for democracy but only to go to power on the act of failure of the existing government. The main politics of party in power is to steal election.
To expect from Election Commission anything for ensuring free election is exposing their shame, ignorance and helplessness.
