EC to be blamed if NCC polls manipulated: BNP

BNP senior joint secretary general Rizvi Ahmed today warned that the Election Commission (EC) would be held responsible if the Narayanganj City Corporation election is manipulated anyhow.

Rizvi also called upon the EC to appoint impartial and neutral presiding and polling officers so that none can manipulate the election using influence.

“Otherwise, we will hold the Election Commission responsible if the election is manipulated,” he said while addressing a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office this evening.

He said BNP-backed mayoral candidate will gain victory if the government does not engage in vote rigging in the election.

Sensing flow of people in favour of the BNP-backed candidate, the “ruling party cadres started threatening” voters, directly and indirectly, to cast vote for the Awami League-backed candidate, he blamed.

The election commission is playing a silent role despite having such allegations ahead of the election scheduled for December 22, Rizvi said.

From the very beginning of announcement of the election schedule, BNP and other political parties have been demanding for deployment of the army but the election commission did not pay heed to the demand, he said.

Rizvi also reiterated his party’s call for the deployment of the army to hold the election in a free, fair and congenial atmosphere.