BNP does not have any interest in the formation of new election commission (EC), party Secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said.
“We have no curiosity about who has been made the new CEC or other commissioners. We are not interested to talk about it,” the BNP leader said.
In his instant reaction to the new EC, the BNP leader also said no EC will be able to hold a neutral and credible election if Awami League remains in power during the election period, reports UNB.
“It has been proved through the elections in 2014 and 2018 and local government ones that polls can’t be fair and acceptable under a partisan government.
He said the EC under the Awami League government becomes obedient to the ruling party and works at their behest. “So, elections won’t be neutral in any way if Awami League stays in power. This is the undeniable truth.”
Fakhrul said the general election must be held under a non-party neutral government. “BNP won’t go to polls under a partisan government.”
Former senior secretary of the defense ministry, Kazi Habibul Awal, has been appointed the chief election commissioner (CEC).
The four other commissioners are retired district and sessions judge Begum Rashida Sultana, retired Brig Gen Ahsan Habib, former senior secretary Md Alamgir and Anisur Rahman.
President M Abdul Hamid appointed them for the next five years, said a gazette notification of the cabinet division on Saturday.
The search committee constituted to form the next EC handed over the names of 10 persons to president Abdul Hamid on Thursday.
The president is vested with the responsibility of forming the EC.
The constitution, however, states that the president would work as per consultation of the prime minister in everything except appointing the prime minister and chief justice.
The EC has been formed under a law for the first time. The parliament passed ‘CEC and EC Appointment Bill 2022’ on 27 January.
A six-member search committee for recommending names to the president was formed on 5 February as the tenure of the election commission led by Nurul Huda expired on 14 February.
The search committee, headed by Appellate Division judge, Justice Obaidul Hassan, held seven meetings among themselves and organised four more meetings with civil society members.