BNP sent a letter in this regard to Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda for the sake of ensuring a level-playing field in the next national election slated for December 30.
A BNP delegation, led by joint secretary general Moazzem Hossain Alal, handed over the letter signed by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed at Nirbachan Bhaban at noon.
Talking to reporters at the Nirbachan Bhaban, Alal said the Cabinet Division on November 8 issued a notification nominating 45 former and in-service secretary-level officials as mentors of the DCs in 45 districts to provide advice for implementation of the Vision 2021, the priority projects taken by the Prime Minister and the projects assured by the Prime Minister.
He said the mentors were appointed on the day when the election schedule was announced. “It’ll hamper the level-playing field. The implementation of the projects will destroy the even ground for all,” Alal said.
The letter reads, “We firmly believe that the appointment of mentors will obviously influence the parliamentary elections and create scope for undue influence over the returning officers.”
Now the Deputy Commissioners of all the 64 districts are the returning officers in the national election.
BNP sent a total of five letters to the Chief Election Commissioner on Tuesday.
Four letters sought a level-playing field for all in the election, while another was submitted demanding punitive actions against four government officials, including the EC secretary and the DMP commissioner, over the Nayapaltan violence occurred on November 14.
In one of the letters, BNP lodged a complaint that a drone was seen flying over BNP’s Nayapaltan office on November 15 which created fear among the BNP leaders and activists during the collection and submission of nomination forms by BNP aspirants.
BNP asked the CEC to take measures to stop such activities.
In another letter, BNP alleged that the returning officers were briefed at the Prime Minister’s Office on November 13 after the CEC briefed them on the same day.
BNP said holding of the meeting with the returning officers at the PMO without EC’s permission after the announcement of the election schedule is clear violation of the Article 73 (2B) (VI) of the Representation of the People Order 1972. “It’s a corrupt practice, which is a punishable offence,” the letter says.
The party demanded legal actions against the responsible officials in this regard following an investigation.
In a separate letter, BNP demanded withdrawal of all divisional commissioners, deputy inspectors general of police (DIGs) and metropolitan police commissioners across the country for the sake of a free, fair and neutral election.