Election Commission
We want to stay above criticism by holding a fair election: CEC
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on Sunday said the Election Commission wants to remain above criticism by holding a free, fair and credible election as the last two national polls were tainted by controversies.
“Though there were criticisms and debates over many elections in the past, the 2014 and 2018 elections drew excessive criticism and debates in the political sphere. We want to stay above criticism and controversy by conducting free and acceptable elections without bias,” he said.
The CEC came up with the remark at the EC’s talks with the governing Bangladesh Awami League at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the city’s Agargaon area.
Also read: CEC calls for changes in the country’s electoral system
An AL delegation, led by its general secretary Obaidul Quader, joined the talks as part of the EC’s dialogues with registered political parties, arranged to seek their opinions over the 12th parliamentary elections slated to be held next year.
The CEC said it is the constitutional and statutory responsibility of the Election Commission to hold free and neutral elections. Similarly, it is the constitutional and statutory duty of the government to assist the EC,” he said.
"We’ll continue our sincere efforts to make elections free and acceptable,” he said.
Describing Awami League as the oldest party and one of the biggest political parties in the country, he said, “We’ve also higher expectations from the big party.”
Awal said AL has been in power for three terms in a row. So, the common people call AL as a ruling party or power party. But there is no mention of government party or ruling party in the constitution. “If I am not wrong, Awami League is a political party like ten other parties,” he said.
The Election Commission will perform its responsibility to hold the 12th national election in free, neutral and participatory manners and ensure the exercise of voting rights as per the laws and regulations remaining obliged to the Constitution, he said.
Also read: CEC calls for all-party participation in next national election
“We hope that everyone will cooperate with the Commission and wish success for the parties in maintaining their responsible behaviors over the national election,” he added.
Citing that the Election Commission received views from the political parties both for and against the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) during the EC’s talks, the CEC said, “Most of the parties do not believe in EVMs…. We can't gain the confidence of many people after talking. We will make decisions independently. But there is no consensus.”
Talking about the proposals received from other political parties in the dialogues, Habibul Awal said some parties favour staggering the national election for several days, instead of on a single day and some parties also asked for the deployment of army in the parliamentary polls.
Four other election commissioners and EC secretary also spoke at the talks.
AL leaders Amir Hossain Amu, Matia Chowdhury, Kazi Zafarullah, Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, Faruk Khan, Hasan Mahmud, Shahabuddin Chuppu, Abdus Sobhan Golap, Barrister Biplab Barua, Salim Mahmud, Shamsunnahar Chapa and Sayeem Khan were the other delegation members.
With the talks with AL, the EC has apparently wrapped up its dialogues with the political parties.
Among 39 registered political parties, 28 participated in the EC’s talks, while nine abstained and the remaining two parties sought time to sit with the Commission.
BNP spent Tk 11m more than its income in 2021
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Thursday submitted its annual financial statement to the Election Commission for the 2021 calendar year showing that the party spent some Tk 11 million more than what it earned that year.
The BNP’s expenditure was Tk 19.8 million (exactly Tk, 19,847,171) against its income of Tk 8.4 million (exactly Tk 8,412,444) in 2021.
With this, the party spent higher than its income in the last three consecutive years.
Also read: An EC under partisan govt can’t hold credible election: BNP
BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi submitted his party’s audited financial statement of 2021 to the Election Commission.
As per the law, each registered political party is obliged to submit its financial statement of the previous calendar year by July 31 each year.
The sources of BNP’s income included party members’ subscriptions, donations and nomination paper sales.
Also read: Govt promoting officials involved in enforced disappearance: BNP
The main heads of expenditures had been salaries and festival bonus of their office staff, utility bills, distribution of relief materials and financial assistance to repressed party leaders and activists. The additional money came from the party’s bank account, according to the report.
In 2020, BNP spent Tk 17.4 million against its income of Tk 12.2 million.
An EC under partisan govt can’t hold credible election: BNP
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday said it is impossible for any Election Commission to hold a credible election defying the instructions of a polls-time partisan government.
“I do not want to talk about the Election Commission. Our point is clear that there can never be a free and fair election under a partisan government,” he said.
Speaking at a press conference, at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, the BNP leader also said Awami League has retained power for three terms in a row by introducing “electoral autocracy under cover of democracy.”
“Many political scientists call it a hybrid regime that ultimately deprived people of their voting rights...under a partisan government, the Election Commission doesn’t have the scope to hold credible elections going beyond the instructions of that administration,” he said.
Fakhrul made the remarks as journalists drew his attention to Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal’s comment that the next election will be held as per the law unlike the national election held in 2018 as the current commission has come to deliver on its promises, not to make a U-turn.
Fakhrul also disclosed the outcomes of a virtual meeting of the BNP standing committee held on Monday.
Read:Power Outages: BNP announces 3-day protest programme
He said their meeting elaborately discussed load shedding and the dire crisis in the power sector that has made public life miserable.
The BNP leader said their policymakers think the power outages are badly affecting the production in industry and agriculture alongside adversely affecting the economy.
“The meeting felt that this deadlock in the power sector has been created due to installation of power plants in excess of demand by the government ignoring the rules and regulations only to protect interests of its own businessmen, serious corruption in giving opportunities for setting up quick rental power plants, the expenditure of a lot of money in the name of capacity charges.”
He said though the 19 quick rental power stations--set up under the government's special law--were supposed to be closed long ago, they are still in operation unnecessarily. “A good number of rental power plants are getting huge sums of money as capacity charges even though they are not producing any power.
The BNP leader also alleged that the government has to pay Tk54,000 crore to the rental power plants for three years without the generation of electricity.
“Around Tk42,000 crore went into the pockets of the government-baked traders. The government paid a total of $8.54 billion dollars as capacity charges over the last one decade. Signing deals with many power plants without properly determining the demand for electricity, the government has created an opportunity for corrupt traders to loot,” the BNP standing committee observed.
Referring to Tk 2.18 lakh crores state debt in the power sector, they said "Foreign debt in the sector is Tk 1.97 lakh crores. This loan will have to be repaid with interest over the next 30 years from 2024, which will be taken from people's pockets."
Referring to recent statistics of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the meeting said the country witnessed a nine-year high 7.56 per cent inflation in June of FY 2021-22. “Alongside the 42 per cent poverty rate, a fresh five lakh people are falling below the poverty line because of the unelected government’s wrong economic policy."
The BNP policymakers alleged that though the incomes of a quarter of politicians and businesspeople belonging to the ruling party have increased abnormally, the middle-class, lower-middle-class people, the peasants and the workers are getting poorer due to the government’s policy of plundering. “A stark income disparity has been created, leading to serious economic instability.”
Fakhrul said their meeting criticised the BGB Director General (DG) for his silence on the comment of the BSF DG that most of the Bangladeshis killed in BSF firing along the Bangladesh-India border were criminals. “The meeting feels that firing at the border is a violation of human rights. Even the criminals have the right to get justice.”
He said the BNP standing committee demanded a clear statement from the government on this matter.
JaPa voices against EVM use in meeting with EC
The Jatiya Party (JPA), the main opposition party in the Jatiya Sangsad, does not want the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in parliamentary elections.
The party expressed their stand in their statement on Sunday taking part in a meeting of the Election Commission (EC) on EVM verification.
After the meeting, Japa secretary general Mujibul Haque Chunnu told reporters that a meeting of their presidium members on Sunday morning had decided that they will support the existing system of electoral process and they see no need to use EVM.
Chunnu said, "We have also presented this opinion to the EC in the meeting."
Also read: EC to sit with political parties in three phases regarding EVM
Asked whether he would boycott the polls if EVMs were used despite their views, he said "We will take the decision then."
The Election Commission has called 39 political parties for continuous discussions to verify the EVM. On Sunday, the EC invited 13 parties.
The remaining 26 parties will join in two phases on June 21 and June 28 for EVM verification.
In the first phase, the 13 political parties that were invited to the dialogue with the EC today are Jatiya Party (Ershad), the main opposition in the National Parliament, Jatiya Party-JP, Krishak Sramik Janata League, Bangladesh National Awami Party, Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP, Jaker Party, Bangladesh Muslim League, Gano Forum, Gano Front, Bangladeshh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasad, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal-Basad, Bangladesh National Awami Party-Bangladesh NAP, Biplabi Workers Party of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Sanskritik Muktijote.
In the second phase set for June 21, the invited political parties are Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal JSD, Bangladesh Khilafat Movement, National People's Party-NPP, Jamiyat-e-Ulamaye Islam, Bangladesh, Islamic Front Bangladesh, Bangladesh Kalyan Party, Islami Oikya Jote, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, Islamic Andolan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Islamic Front, Khilafat Majlis and Bangladesh Muslim League-BML.
Also read: Election using EVMs won’t be acceptable: Jatiya Party
In the last phase, the 13 parties invited on June 28 are ruling Bangladesh Awami League, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, Communist Party of Bangladesh-ML, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Liberal Democratic Party-LDP, Ganatantri Party, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasad, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal-Basad, Bangladesh National Awami Party-Bangladesh NAP, Biplabi Workers Party of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Sanskritik Muktijote.
Opinions about EVMs have already been taken in meetings with the best technologists in the country. They said after seeing the EVM, this machine is reliable.
The Election Commission wants to use EVM on a large scale in the upcoming 12th National Assembly elections. However, the company has decided to take everyone's opinion before that.
The EC currently has 1 lakh 54 thousand EVMs, with which voting can be done in maximum 100 seats while three hundred more machines are needed to use this voting machine in 300 seats.
CCC poll proves fair election not possible without neutral govt: Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday said the Election Commission’s (EC's) failure to take action against an errant ruling party MP in Cumilla city polls has proved that fair and acceptable national election is not possible without a non-party neutral government.
“You have seen what happened in the Cumilla city election. The Election Commissioner has failed to force an MP to leave the electoral areas in Cumilla ahead of the election. So, it has proved that no credible election is possible without a polls-time neutral government,” he said.
The BNP leader also said if the EC could take action against the ruling party MP for flouting its order to leave the election area, it would have sent out a message about how the future election will be held in Bangladesh.
“The Election Commission has manifested its helplessness through its inaction against the ruling party MP in Cumilla polls,” Fakhrul observed.
Also Read: Ring (stent) installed in Khaleda’s heart: Fakhrul
He came up with the comments while talking to reporters at a views-exchange meeting with the leaders and activists of Mohila Dal at district unit BNP’s meeting.
Earlier on June 8, the EC ordered local Awami League President AKM Bahauddin Bahar MP to leave electoral areas under Cumilla City Corporation for allegedly violating the electoral code of conduct ahead of the polls.
However, Bahar, a ruling party MP from Cumilla-6 seat, did not comply with the EC’s order. The elections to Cumilla City Corporation will be held on Wednesday using the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Fakhrul questioned how the EC will conduct fair elections in the future when it has no capacity to force an MP to comply with its order.
“We’ve earlier said whoever comes to the Election Commission will not be able to do anything without a neutral government. It has now been proved that our observation is justified.”
Referring to the deadly fire in the container depot in Chattogram’s Sitakunda, the BNP leader asked the government to find out those responsible for the incident and take stern action against them.
He also slammed the ruling party leaders for their comments that BNP is doing politics with Khaleda Zia’s illness, and said Awami League leaders are used to making unguarded comments about their political opponents.
Replying to a question about whether Khaleda would join Padma Bridge opening programme responding to the government’s invitation, Fakhrul said there is no reason for the BNP chief to go there when she was threatened with being pushed into the river from the bridge.
He claimed that the initial feasibility study on the Padma Bridge started during Khaleda Zia's tenure in 2004-05 following discussions with Japan, the World Bank and the Asia Development Bank for the construction of the bridge.
BNP's Harun seizes on helpless EC in Cumilla election
BNP lawmaker Harunur Rashid on Monday came down heavily on the Election Commission over its helplessness as the ruling party MP from Comilla-6 AKM Bahauddin Bahar did not leave his constituency despite instructions of the commission.
He said such helplessness of the Election Commission proved that free and fair elections are not possible under the ruling government.
The opposition MP said this while participating in the general discussion in parliament on the supplementary budget for 2021-22 fiscal.
Referring to the additional allocation of Tk 75 crore for the Election Commission in the supplementary budget, Harunur Rashid said, "Is election taking place in Bangladesh? There is farce taking place in the name of elections.”
Also Read: Supplementary budget for 2021-22 passed in JS
Harun said former Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda recently said that there were some flaws in the electronic voting machines (EVM).
“Why the former CEC held elections with such flawed EVMs? He should be brought to justice (for doing this),” Harun said.
The BNP MP said the former and existing election commissioners have given a clear picture of the electoral system to the people.
Pointing to widespread irregularities and corruption in the name of e-commerce, Harun said thousands of crores of taka have been looted from the people in the name of e-commerce.
Due to the weakness of financial institutions, police officer Rana, the main beneficiary behind e-commerce site e-orange, fled the country and took shelter in India.
He questioned why the government couldn’t bring Rana back to the country from India despite having very good relations with the neighboring country.
He demanded that the government bring back all who have fled the country and thus bring back public money.
“The money looted from the state exchequer must be brought back.”
He said that Begum para has been created (in Canada) with the smuggled money from Bangladesh.
Criticizing the finance minister, he said, he has given immunity for laundered money.
EC suspends Eochia UP election in Ctg
The Election Commission has suspended the election of Eochia Union Parishad in Satkania upazila in Chattogram.
Also read: EC suspends Chambal UP election in Ctg
In a press release on Sunday the commission said a decision has been made to suspend the announcement of the election schedule of Eochia UP slated for June 15 until further notice.
The commission asked to issue public notice and take systematic actions according to the decision to the concerned authorities.
EC suspends Chambal UP election in Ctg
The Election Commission has suspended the election of Chambal Union Parishad at Banshkhali upazila in Chattogram over violation of election regulations by a chairman candidate.
In a press release on Sunday the commission said the election slated for June 15 has been suspended until further notice.
According to the notice, chairman candidate of Chambal UP Mujibul Haque Chowdhury has announced that he will hire men to help people for pressing the EVM button and threatened to snatch win in the election using EVM as per his wish.
Also read: Next election sans BNP won’t be acceptable: Ex-CEC Nurul Huda
He also said he would have collected all the votes by night if there was no EVM which has been published in different newspaper and television reports. Local Administration and Election Officer found proof of the statement later through a probe.
“Such actions are criminal offence according to the Union Council (Election Behaviour) Rules, 2016 and The Local Government (Union Parishads) Rules ,2010. The commission directs to file a case against the Chambal UP chairman candidate,” said the EC.
Also read: No scope to manipulate polls flexing muscle power: CEC
No scope to manipulate polls flexing muscle power: CEC
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Sunday said there is no scope for any candidate to win in the Cumilla City Corporation (CCC) elections by flexing muscle power.
He said the Election Commission wants competition but not any war; and it will be a big mistake if any candidate tries to win by flexing muscle power.
Also read: CEC: Not fully confident over EVM yet
“Adequate members of law enforcement agencies will be deployed. We’re ready to hold the elections in a festive mood,” said the CEC at a meeting with mayor and councillor candidates of the CCC elections at Cumilla District Shilpakala auditorium.
CEC Awal said if any candidate wins the election by any unfair means and if it is found out after the election through investigation, then the Election Commission (EC) will take necessary legal steps including filing of cases as per the law.
Besides, if the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) get out of service or damaged in any of the centres, the voting time will be extended for the voters who will arrive at the centres before 4 pm.
Also read: Poll panel still lacks capacity to use EVMs in all 300 seats, says CEC
The EVMs will be used in the Cumilla City Corporation elections set for June 15.
“We have all the preparations to conduct the poll in a fair way. Action will be taken if anyone tries to ruin the environment,” he said.
The CEC also urged the candidates to help conduct the election in a disciplined way.
CEC: Not fully confident over EVM yet
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on Tuesday said the commission is not yet fully confident over the use of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the next parliamentary elections.
"We’ve sat in five meetings, but we could not be fully confident over EVM. There will be more meetings to review it (the use of EVM). We want to gain the confidence of everyone over EVM,” he said.
Also read: Poll panel still lacks capacity to use EVMs in all 300 seats, says CEC
The CEC was speaking at a press conference at his office in the city’s Agaogaon area.
Habibul claimed that he did not announce any ‘peculiar’ reward of 10 million dollars in case of detecting any fault in EVM.
"Only five-seven days ago, we informed everyone through letters that we’ve not reached any decision on EVM. We are not bowing our heads to any pressure....We haven't decided yet,” he said.
According to media reports, Election Commissioner Anisur Rahmnan at a recent function in Madaripur said that the CEC announced a reward of 10 million dollar if anyone can detect fault in the EVM.
In this regard, Habibul said it is not the remark of the commission. He, however, said that election commissioners should be careful and responsible in their remarks.
Also read: EC to hold polls with cooperation from all parties: CEC
About the next national election the CEC said, "We have no intention of turning the election into a farce. We’re saying from the heart that the healthy trend should continue through fair and participatory elections.”
Election commissioners Ahsan Habib Khan, Rasheda Sultana, Md Alamgir and Anisur Rahman were present.