No environment in country for free and fair elections: Mirza Fakhrul

The current Election Commission is the most reviled institution in the country. An environment conducive to holding free and fair elections does not exist anywhere in the country today.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made these remarks on Monday while addressing a human chain event organised by Dhaka South unit of the party in front of the National Press Club in the capital.

He said if the current election commission was capable of any remorse, it would have resigned immediately.

Mirza Fakhrul said, "The national election is over, and they are now rigging the local government elections in the same way. After rigging the vote, the CEC says the vote was fair. It was so fair that more than 100% votes were cast in some centres."

"This election commission has completely failed from the very beginning. We have repeatedly called for the resignation of the Election Commission. Politicians, prominent intellectuals of the country, NGOs and foreign organisations – we all unanimously agree that there will never be a fair election in the country if this Election Commission is not removed," he added.

Fakhrul said, "When this commission was formed, we said that the election commission was comprised of Awami League supporters. This election commission will never be able to perform its duties properly.

The BNP secretary general said, "Today is another black day. On this day in 2006, in a national and international conspiracy, an illegitimate caretaker government was formed with the support of the army. That army-backed caretaker government completed the process of depoliticisation in Bangladesh in a well-planned and thought-out manner. Following the path of that caretaker government, today the Awami League is once again leading that same process of depoliticization."

Addressing the government, Mirza Fakhrul said, "There is still time for you to resign. Otherwise, the people of this country will rise up and force you to do so."

Calling upon other political parties, the BNP leader said, "Let all the political parties come together in a united front to bid farewell to this government once and for all. We have joined hands to remove this government in order to protect our right to vote."

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi; Chairperson's Adviser Amanullah Aman, Organising Secretary Fazlul Haque Milon and Executive Committee Member Nazim Uddin Alam also attended the event, among others.