Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar has walked out of Monday’s commission meeting complaining that he was not allowed to exercise his freedom of speech.
"The Election Commission can in no way undermine my rights. Freedom of speech and freedom of expression are my constitutional and fundamental rights,” he wrote in a note of dissent.
Talukdar left the meeting 10 minutes after it began on Monday. Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda continued the meeting with the three other commissioners— Md Rafiqul Islam, Kabita Khanam and Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury.
Talukdar wanted to speak about the five-point proposal he put forward on Oct 8 for a fair and credible election, but was not given an opportunity to do so, according to several EC officials familiar with the matter.
The proposals included Talukdar’s opinions on the role of the military during the election, ensuring a participatory election by creating a level playing field, ensuring the impartiality of the vote, increasing the EC's capability and dialogue with the government, they said.
On Aug 30, he walked out of the commission meeting opposing the EC’s decision on amending Representation of People Order or RPO to introduce electronic voter machines or EVMs for the national election.
In his note of dissent on Monday, Talukdar said he was shocked and surprised at not receiving an opportunity to present his speech at the meeting.
"In such a situation, I am giving a note of dissent against the decision of the Election Commission, and I am boycotting the commission meeting in protest," it read.