BNP confident in EC’s capacity: Fakhrul
Staff Reporter :
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said his party remains confident that the Election Commission (EC) will be able to organise the upcoming national parliamentary election in a fair, efficient and credible manner.
Speaking to reporters after paying tribute at the grave of BNP founder and former president Ziaur Rahman at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Fakhrul said issues surrounding the scrutiny of nomination papers are a routine matter.
“Such concerns arise in every election. So far, we have observed that the Election Commission is functioning with reasonable competence,” he noted.
He said the party had raised several concerns with the Chief Election Commissioner during a meeting on Sunday, adding, “We believe this Election Commission is capable of conducting the election properly.”
Responding to a question about whether all candidates are enjoying a level playing field, the BNP secretary general said, “At this moment, we do not have any such complaint.”
Fakhrul, accompanied by BNP Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan and Salahuddin Ahmed, placed a wreath at Ziaur Rahman’s grave to mark his 90th birth anniversary.
They later offered munajat seeking eternal peace for the departed souls of Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, who was laid to rest there on December 31 last year.
Also present were BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council member Nazim Uddin Alam, Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Joint Secretaries General Khairul Kabir Khokon and Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, as well as central leaders Mir Sarafat Ali Sapu, Rafiqul Islam, Mir Newaz Ali, Helen Zerin Khan, Shah Nesarul Haque and SM Jahangir, along with leaders from various front organisations.
Later, leaders and activists of BNP’s affiliated bodies, including metropolitan units, Jubo Dal, Swechchasebak Dal, Mohila Dal, Muktijoddha Dal, Chhatra Dal, Tanti Dal and Matsyajibi Dal, also paid homage by placing wreaths at the grave.
Fakhrul said they had come to pay tribute to Ziaur Rahman- the proclaimer of Bangladesh’s independence, a pioneer of modern state-building and a champion of multi-party democracy-on the occasion of his 90th birth anniversary.
“Beside him lies another courageous and exceptional leader, Begum Khaleda Zia, who devoted her life to safeguarding democracy, freedom and the sovereignty of Bangladesh,” he said.
Describing Ziaur Rahman as an enduring figure in the country’s political history, Fakhrul said the late president introduced multi-party democracy, ensured press freedom and judicial independence, and transformed Bangladesh’s economy from what was once termed a ‘bottomless basket’ into a developing economy.
“We remember him every year and reaffirm our pledge to move forward along the path he laid out for establishing a liberal and democratic Bangladesh,” he added.
Referring to the upcoming national election scheduled for February 12, Fakhrul said that following the student-people’s uprising that forced what he termed a fascist Hasina regime to flee, the nation is now taking a renewed pledge to rebuild an economy shattered by misrule and to institutionalise democracy.
Through this renewed commitment, he said, the BNP and all its front and affiliated organisations are determined to uphold and implement the ideals of Ziaur Rahman in Bangladesh.