No manipulated election to take place in Bangladesh: CEC
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin today reiterated that no manipulated election will be conducted in the country, so there is no reason to take to the streets.
“There will be no stage-managed election,so no need for street agitation. Insha’Allah, no orchestrated polls will ever be held in this country,” he said.
The CEC made the remarks while replying to journalists’ questions during a visit to the appeal filing centre at the Election Commission Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon area this morning.
Regarding the hearing of appeals against the rejection of nomination papers, the CEC said the Election Commission, as the appellate authority, would ensure the highest level of justice.
If a returning officer rejects or accepts any nomination paper, the aggrieved person has the scope to file an appeal in both the cases, he added.
He continued, “We believe in justice and we will deliver justice. After the hearings, you will see that justice has been ensured in accordance with the law and rules. The law is equal for all and everyone is bound to abide by it.”
In response to a query, the CEC said that in the past there used to be many incidents of violence and bomb blasts on nomination submission days.
This time, however, nomination papers were submitted in a very congenial environment and no incidents of violence were reported anywhere, which he described as a positive development.
He said there is scope for remedy through appeals against the decisions of returning officers.
Describing the Election Commission as a centre point of public interest, he said “People are coming from far-flung areas to file appeals, which proves their interest in the election.”
“We are viewing this positively,” he added.
Meanwhile, the filing of appeals against orders of acceptance and rejection of nomination papers issued by returning officers for the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad election began today for the fourth consecutive day at the Election Commission.
The CEC visited the appeal filing centre at around 10:00 am.
EC officials said a total of 131 appeals were filed with the commission on Wednesday, taking the total number of appeals filed over the last three days to 295.
They said that on Wednesday, 11 appeals were filed from the Khulna region, 15 from Rajshahi, nine from Rangpur, 10 from Chattogram, 19 from Cumilla, 31 from the Dhaka region, 16 from Mymensingh, nine from Barishal and seven from the districts under the Faridpur region.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the second day of filing appeals, 122 appeals were lodged with the commission against the acceptance and rejection orders of nomination papers issued by returning officers.
On the first day, Monday, 41 appeals were filed against the rejection of nomination papers and one appeal against the acceptance of a nomination paper.
On the final day of scrutiny on January 4, returning officers or assistant returning officers declared 1,842 nomination papers valid and rejected the candidatures of 723 aspirants out of a total of 2,568 nomination papers in 300 parliamentary constituencies.
