The Election Commission has totally failed to create a level-playing field for candidates in the upcoming polls to the Gazipur and Khulna city corporations, says the BNP.
“Gun-totting ruling party supporters are rampant in the two cities, but the Commission is doing nothing,” senior leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said on Sunday.
Speaking to the media at the BNP headquarters, he blamed the EC of turning a blind eye to numerous complaints on violations of code of conducts by candidates fielded by the Awami League.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Rizvi accused law-enforcers of intimidating supporters of BNP and the political coalition led by it.
“BNP supporters are being threaten of crossfire (extra judicial killings). Besides that, they are being arrested without any specific charges. Gazipur district Jamaat chief SM Sanaullah and 44 others were arrested two days ago while campaigning,” he said.
Demanding the immediate withdrawal of Gazipur’s superintendent of police, Rizvi accused the officer of oppressing opposition activists “from the MP to grass-root activists.”
Rizvi called for deploying the army seven days prior to the voting.