Khulna BNP bigwig demands CEC's resignation
Member-secretary of Khulna city BNP convening committee Shaharuzzaman Martuza yesterday demanded resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner and two other Election Commissioners for what he called holding stage-managed elections to four city corporations and nine pourasavas to make AL mayoral candidates winners.
He also demanded re-election to the four city corporations and nine pourasavas.
The BNP leader admitted that Jamaat-e-Islami, inspite of being a component of four-party alliance, did not play a fair role in Khulna City Corporation (KCC) election in favour of Moniruzzaman Moni. “This was one of the factors which helped Awami League candidate Talukder Khaleque win the mayoral race”, he said.
Addressing a press conference at Khulna Press Club, he also alleged rigging in KCC elections.
“This is for the first time in the history of Bangladesh that counterfoils of ballots and unused ballot papers were recovered from outside a polling centre in Khulna although there were so many instances of massive polls rigging in previous elections in the country”, Martuza said.
“We are really surprised when the Election Commission claims that 81 percent votes were cast in the August 4 KCC elections while a large number of voters could not cast their votes due to flawed voter list and foul weather”, he said.
The BNP leader doubted if upcoming upazilla and parliamentary elections would at all be free and fair under the present Chief Election Commissioner.
Martuza, who is loyal to convicted ex-lawmaker Ali Asgar lobi of BNP and incumbent president of Khulna Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also demanded unconditional release of Begum Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman.
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