Almost all of Search Committee members associated with AL: BNP

Almost all of the members of Search Committee, formed to reconstitute the Election Commission (EC), are directly or indirectly associated with Awami League, said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

He made the remarks while addressing a press conference at the BNP Chairperson's political office at Gulshan in the capital on Tuesday afternoon.
Fakhrul asserted that neither the Search Committee nor the Election Commission  formed by them would not be able to make the next general election free, fair and impartial unless the polls are held under a neutral government. Because of it, BNP doesn't want to show any interest about the Search Committee, he said.

The BNP Secretary General also observed that the target of the new Election Commission, which would be formed at the recommendations of the Search Committee, will be to bring Awami League to power again like the outgoing Election Commission. "It's nothing but another act of cheating with people. People will reject such a cheating with them vehemently," he said.

Mirza Fakhrul said: "In order to overcome the existing political crisis in Bangladesh, BNP firmly believes that an impartial general election must be conducted after handing over of power to a neutral government."

"BNP doesn't want to show any interest about the recently formed Search Committee since the Election Commission, which will be formed at their recommendations, will not be able to hold an acceptable, free and fair election unless the polls are held under a neutral government," he said. "So, BNP thinks that such a process is completely meaningless and unacceptable."

Besides, all the Search Committee members are directly or indirectly associated with Awami League.

BNP Standing Committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Iqbal Mahmud Tuku were present at the press conference and replied to queries of newsmen.

SZA