EC becomes subservient under political govt: BNP
Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Senior Joint Secretary General of BNP, remarked that under a political government, the Election Commission (EC) automatically becomes subservient. He made this comment during a roundtable discussion held on Saturday morning, February 15, at the Institute of Architects Bangladesh in Agargaon, Dhaka. The event was organised by Desh - Voice of the Nation.
Rizvi called for granting the Election Commission full authority to ensure free and fair elections. He stated, "The Election Commission is still paramount in elections. However, once a political government is formed, the EC automatically becomes subservient and dependent. The freedom granted to them by law and the constitution is not fully exercised, as they fail or refuse to do so. They weaken themselves." He added that political interference during elections often occurs under a party-government, which leads to various incidents. He advocated for a provision ensuring that while a party government is in place, the EC enjoys full independence.
On local government elections, Rizvi said, "Elections should be held within a specific time frame. Prolonging this period unnecessarily raises questions among the public, which should be avoided." He emphasized that the government led by Dr. Yunus is a people-supported government, always working in line with public sentiment. "I said yesterday that the national parliamentary election, which brings about a government change, should be prioritized over subsidiary work. This will not be acceptable."
Rizvi stressed that the government must ensure free and fair elections, citing examples from the past. "This government must ensure a free and fair election," he declared.
He further stated that if there is a mindset focused solely on ensuring his own party's candidate wins in local government elections, free elections will not be possible. "The mentality of 'I am everything, my party is everything, and nothing else matters' must change. Only then can free elections be held. Without this change, reforms will not be effective."
The event was hosted by Ahmed Ehsan Kabir Shan, founder of the Desh Foundation, and was also attended by music director Ithun Babu and Bobby Hajjaj, founder chairman of the National Democratic Movement (NDM), among others.
