BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday described the Election Commission's (EC’s) project to buy two lakh more electronic voting machines (EVMs) as a mockery with the nation.
"You see what kind of mockery is happening with the nation (in the name of procuring EVMs) when people want the election to be held under an impartial government and all political parties, except Awami League, have told the Election Commission that we don't want EVMs,” he said.
Speaking at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, Fakhrul said the EC has sought Tk 8,711 crore for buying EVMs to use those in 150 seats in the next general election. “It’s like a rogue state as there’s no accountability in this country."
Read: EVMs in 150 constituencies: EC finalises Tk 8,711cr project
Earlier on Monday, the EC finalised the project to buy two lakh electronic voting machines and their management. The project will now be sent to the Planning Commission for government approval.
A few days ago, Fakhrul said the cabinet secretary made it very clear in a meeting of the Planning Commission that most of the projects are made for stealing public money. “Even the projects are not assessed here while the loan agreements are signed in the middle of the night. This is the overall situation of the country.”
He said there is no government or governance in the country as Awami League has turned Bangladesh into a terrible failed state. “We never imagined that we would see such a Bangladesh one day."
Harassment in the name of collecting info
Fakhrul alleged that police are harassing BNP and opposition party leaders and workers in the name of collecting their personal information in the rural areas, creating an alarming situation.
“Police in various areas are collecting information from one political worker to another. They’re also collecting the list of committees of BNP and its associate bodies. Such activities of the police are not justified in any way by the Constitution, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Police Act or the Police Rules or any other law,” he said.
Read:BNP turns down EC’s move to use EVMs up to 150 seats
The BNP leader said the law enforcers are also violating the right to privacy of the citizen and interfering in the enjoyment of legal rights and personal liberty of the citizen by such a move. “It is a clear violation of Articles 31, 32 and 43 of the Constitution.”
He said the law enforcers are collecting detailed information about the BNP leaders and activists, their children and relatives and property apparently to suppress them and spread fear among them.
“BNP wants an end to this situation. We call upon the police authorities to fulfill their constitutional duty to create a democratic environment in the country by stopping the harassment of ordinary citizens and political workers," Fakhrul said.
Whenever the leaders and workers of BNP initiate a movement, he said, the police start raiding their houses and collecting information about them by going door to door. “They have no constitutional authority to do so. There they are just doing it as a strategy to harass people and suppress the movement. We condemn it and call upon them to refrain from it.”
Fakhrul also narrated how their party's senior leaders, including standing committee member Selima Rahman, vice chairman Barkatullah Bulu and his wife were attacked by the ruling party activists.
“The way senior leaders were attacked and Bulu and his wife were beaten is unimaginable. But no one has so far been arrested in these connections. Even, not a single case has been filed. It’s disrespectful to the state.”