Chairmen hopefuls facing harassment

BNP yesterday alleged that its chairmen hopefuls for the upcoming union parishad (UP) polls were facing harassment, intended at keeping them away from electioneering, in many places.

"You all know better who those people are…They want to establish one-party ruling system wearing the mask of democracy," Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed told journalists at the Election Commission (EC) secretariat.

He had led a five-member delegation to submit to EC Secretary Sirazul Islam a letter stating that acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir would attest BNP-nominated chairmen candidates.

Ruhul stated his apprehension that the ruling Awami League men might stuff ballot boxes at night a few hours before the start of voting and accused the EC of being loyal to the government in previous elections.

"Trust on the election commission has already been lost. The EC did not enforce its constitutional powers to hold fair elections. Rather, it acted like a spokesperson of the government," he alleged.

He also feared that a partisan UP election would destroy social harmony at the grassroots. However, BNP would join the polls to reach grassroots people and unmask the government's character, Rizvi claimed.

For the first time, elections for UP chairmen posts will be held in partisan lines. Elections to over 700 UPs will be held in the first phase on March 22.

BNP DIRECTIVE

BNP high-ups have recently asked its grassroots to send names of chairmen aspirants to the chairperson's Gulshan office by tomorrow.

"In many cases, grassroots may send multiple names in same union parishad. So, it will take time to finalise the list," a BNP senior leader told The Daily Star.

"...we will sit with the district unit presidents and secretaries to pick candidates," said a member of a 15-member central scrutiny body, led by Mirza Fakhrul, which would finalise the list.

SECOND PHASE OF UP POLLS

Elections to 684 UPs will be held on March 31 in the second phase.

District election officers yesterday announced the polls schedule at their respective districts yesterday, said an EC press release. The last date of filing nomination is March 2, nomination would be scrutinised on March 5 and 6 and the last date of nomination withdrawal is March 13.