EC not taking action despite being informed of vote-buying: Nazrul

BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan on Tuesday alleged that vote-buying and the production of special clothing for women are taking place ahead of the election, but the Election Commission has failed to act despite being informed.

“We see in the media that special clothing is being produced for lakhs of women. Ballot papers are being printed and seized along with equipment. Even after seeing all this, the EC is not taking visible action,” he said.

A BNP delegation, led by Nazrul, met Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin at the Election Commission Secretariat in Agargaon on Tuesday, a day ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election and Referendum.

Senior EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed was also present at the meeting.

Other members of the BNP delegation included Chairperson’s Advisory Council member and Election Steering Committee member Ismail Jabiullah and former EC secretary Mohammad Zakaria, among others.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Nazrul said BNP wants a free, fair and neutral election.

“We have instructed our candidates and polling agents through WhatsApp messages so that the election is not obstructed in any way. We have urged the EC to play its lawful role to ensure a peaceful and credible election,” he said.

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He also said that individuals who often speak on talk shows in a way that inspires confidence among people are allegedly distributing money to voters.

We asked the commission how it views this. The commission said it would take legal action. We have clearly said that whoever is involved in unethical, immoral and illegal activities must be brought under the law, he added.

Nazrul questioned why such incidents are not coming to the EC’s notice beforehand, even though intelligence agencies and law enforcement forces are now under the commission during the election period.

“These are not issues to be dealt with only on election day. Why are they not detected earlier?” he asked.

He further said some individuals consider themselves powerful, which is not being received positively by the public. “Even after informing the Election Commission, action is not being taken. Everyone must strictly perform their duties as per the law,” he said.

Referring to media reports claiming that certain deputy commissioners (DCs) are aligned with specific political parties, Nazrul said such reports could be rumours intended to mislead party activists.

“We want to see these as rumours. But the EC must ensure that no official acts in a partisan manner. If anything like this is noticed, immediate action must be taken,” he said.

Responding to a question, he said no situation has yet emerged that could disrupt the election.

“One day is still left. We hope there will be no problems. The party that does not want elections is not participating. All parties contesting the polls want a free and fair election,” he said, expressing optimism that BNP would win with a large margin through a credible vote.

On the issue of ballot box deployment, he said he would have preferred ballot boxes to be sent to polling centres on election morning.

“However, many areas in the country are remote and far from police station headquarters. Sending ballot boxes at night to those areas is safer. The ballot boxes will be transparent and have four locks, with an additional lock added once voting is completed. They will be opened in the presence of polling agents,” he said.

Asked about the possibility of militant attacks, Nazrul said such threats are often exaggerated politically.

“This cannot be solved by law alone. Social awareness must be increased and social resistance must be built,” he added.