UNB, Dhaka :
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Thursday said that the election will be held even if the environment is not favorable.
“We want to hold the election as an organizer. The expectation was there from the beginning, but the environment has not yet become favorable for elections. But that doesn’t mean I won’t hold the poll.”
The CEC made this comment at a workshop titled “Twelfth national general elections: role of media, expectations of the Nation” with media editors at the election building.
Awal said that the Election Commission wants the political environment to become favorable. EC is sincere in solving any crisis.
Calling on the political parties to solve the problem and said that the political parties may have their own strategy. “We will not interfere in it,” he added.
Almost everyone questioned the CEC’s statement about the environment not being conducive. Editors say this is contradictory. Because on the one hand preparations are being made for the election, on the other hand such statements have been made. This creates fear among the parties.
In this context CEC said “I can type myself. Therefore, there may be some mistakes. What I said there, I said very sincerely. I have been seeing obstacles since the first day I took charge.”
He said their field is not very smooth. That is why they had appealed to make the election environment more favorable.
The CEC also said that the language may have gone wrong. I can still say personally, the atmosphere is not entirely favorable. “But it does not mean that I will not arrange for the voting. I will continue to sail the boat no matter whether the environment is in my favour or not.”
Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd.) Ahsan Habib Khan, Begum Rasheda Sultana, Md. Alamgir along with senior EC officials, editor of The Daily Star Mahfuz Anam, editor of Bangladesh Pratidin Naem Nizam, editor of Dainik Jugantor Saiful Alam, chief news editor of ATN Bangla J.E. Mamun, Channel I Chief News Editor Zahid Nawaz Khan, News24 TV Executive Editor Rahul Raha and Channel 24 TV Executive Director Talat Mahmood were present.
