Awami League is using government funds for their election campaign, said BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
“I see a lot of ‘thank you PM’ advertisements on TV these days,” he told the media on Wednesday (Nov 14) at the party headquarters in Naya Paltan.
He added that although it’s not possible to determine the advertisers in the case of some commercials, a few do make it clear that they are from the ministry.
“Don’t these promotional commercials after the polls schedule announcement violate the electoral code conduct?” Rizvi lashed out, adding “Why are government funds still being used to finance these promotions?”
He further criticized the government saying that the commercials which clearly violate the electoral laws are being funded by tax money.
“They are violating the law that gives equal campaign opportunities to all parties. But the Election Commission is looking the other way.”
He added that the EC is trying to control the media saying, “EC Rafiqul Islam gave the orders on Tuesday (Nov 13), forbidding media from providing a live feed of the polling stations.”
The senior politician said that banning the media from providing the live feed is a move on the government’s part to hide the blatant rigging of polls and the violence at polls stations.
Rizvi said that a fair and independent election is impossible unless a neutral election body is formed.