BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said his party is confident that the Election Commission (EC) will be able to conduct the upcoming national parliamentary election in a competent and credible manner.
“The scrutiny of nomination papers always brings some issues — this is nothing new. So far, we have seen that the Election Commission is working more or less with competence,” he said while talking to reporters after placing a wreath at the grave of former President and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
Fakhrul said their party placed a few of its concerns before the Chief Election Commissioner on Sunday. “We believe this Election Commission will be able to conduct the election with competence.”
Asked whether all candidates are getting equal opportunities in the polls, the BNP Secretary General replied, “We have no such complaint.”
Fakhrul along with BNP Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan and Salahuddin Ahmed placed the wreath at Zia’s grave, marking his 90th Birth Anniversary.
They later offered a munajat seeking eternal peace for the departed souls of Zia and Begum Khaleda Zia who were buried there on December 31 last year.
BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council member Nazim Uddin Alam, Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Joint Secretaries General Khairul Kabir Khokon and Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, and central leaders Mir Sarafat Ali Sapu, Rafiqul Islam, Mir Newaz Ali, Helen Zerin Khan, Shah Nesarul Haque and SM Jahangir were also present, along with leaders of different front organisations.
Later, leaders of the BNP’s different associate bodies, including Metropolitan units, Jubo Dal, Swechchasebak Dal, Mohila Dal, Muktijoddha Dal, Chhatra Dal, Tanti Dal, Matsyajibi Dal also placed wreaths at the grave.
Fakhrul said they came to the grave of Zia, the proclaimer of Bangladesh’s independence, the architect of modern Bangladesh and promoter of multi-party democracy, to pay tribute to him, marking his 90th birth anniversary.
“Beside him rests another extraordinary and indomitable leader, Begum Khaleda Zia, who dedicated her life to democracy, freedom and sovereignty of Bangladesh,” he said.
Calling Zia “an immortal name in the politics of Bangladesh,” Fakhrul said the late president introduced multi-party democracy, ensured freedom of press and judiciary and transformed the country’s economy from a ‘bottomless basket’ to a growing economy.
“We remember him every year, and we pledge to move forward on the path he showed for establishing a liberal democratic Bangladesh,” he said.
Fakhrul accuses EC of ‘questionable acts’ in many cases
Referring to the upcoming national election, the BNP leader said the election has been scheduled for 12 February. “After a student-public uprising forced fascist Hasina to flee, we are now taking a fresh oath to rebuild an economy devastated by misrule and to institutionalise democracy.”
Through this oath, he said, the BNP and its all front and affiliated organisations are renewing their commitment to carrying forward and implementing the ideals of Ziaur Raham in Bangladesh.