BNP alleges bias in postal ballot design
Staff Reporter :
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Tuesday alleged that the Election Commission (EC) had adopted a “strategic and deliberate bias” in the design and layout of postal ballots sent to expatriate voters for the upcoming parliamentary election.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) at the Election Commission building, BNP Standing Committee member and Election Steering Committee chief Nazrul Islam Khan said the arrangement of party names and symbols on the postal ballot could not be dismissed as accidental.
“Some may think this happened by coincidence. We believe it was done intentionally,” he said.
Nazrul Islam Khan pointed out that the postal ballot contains five columns and 14 rows, resulting in the names and symbols of three specific political parties appearing on the first line.
In contrast, BNP’s symbol has been placed in the middle in such a way that it becomes less visible once the paper is folded.
“If there were six columns instead of five, or 12 or 16 rows instead of 14, this problem would not arise. That is why we think this layout was planned,” he said.
He added that EC officials claimed the arrangement was done alphabetically, but BNP suspects that those involved in preparing the ballot design acted with a specific motive.
The party has requested that postal ballots yet to be dispatched within the country be corrected to prevent the same practice from continuing.
The BNP delegation, led by Nazrul Islam Khan, also included Chairperson’s Advisory Council member Ismail Jabiullah and former EC Secretary Dr Mohammad Zakaria, among others.
The party further raised allegations of irregularities in the distribution of postal ballots in Bahrain. Nazrul Islam Khan said videos circulating on social media show leaders of a particular political party handling multiple ballot papers.
According to him, the Election Commission acknowledged the issue, contacted the Bangladeshi ambassador in Bahrain, and received confirmation that such an incident had come to their attention. The EC assured BNP that an investigation would be conducted and action taken accordingly.
Nazrul Islam Khan also reminded that the EC had earlier warned that anyone attempting to manipulate votes would face blocking of their National ID and voter ID. BNP, he said, demanded strict legal action against anyone trying to disrupt the election process.
On reform issues, the BNP leader said the party supports reforms and was the first to demand them. “We are in favour of ‘Yes’ in the referendum,” he said, adding that BNP plans to introduce not only family cards but also farmers’ cards for agricultural workers.
He also addressed the issue of dual citizenship, saying candidates who renounce foreign citizenship should be considered eligible to contest elections. Referring to the rejection of some candidacies by returning officers, he stressed that the law must be applied equally to all.
Nazrul Islam Khan noted that two Jamaat-e-Islami candidates were disqualified on similar grounds and argued that they too should be given an opportunity for review to avoid unnecessary complications.
He further said many individuals had taken dual citizenship due to repression during previous governments, and disqualifying them now would be unjust.
On election-related activities, he said BNP Chairperson had cancelled her planned visit to northern Bangladesh in the interest of holding the election on time and maintaining a level playing field, following a request from the Election Commission.
“We made it clear that it was not a political tour. Still, we respected the EC’s request,” he said, adding that while BNP has restrained itself, other political parties continue campaigning openly, with little visible action from the EC.
He also rejected allegations linking BNP to recent police postings and transfers, stating that the appointments were made through a lottery system and accusing critics of using the issue as a political tactic.