The National Citizens' Party (NCP) has advised the Election Commission (EC) to exercise caution in making statements about upcoming elections until the government announces a clear and official roadmap.
The remarks followed a meeting between an NCP delegation and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin at the EC headquarters in Agargaon on Sunday, 20 April. Speaking at a post-meeting press briefing, NCP Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary stated, "The CEC has not made any statement about the election date yet.
If anyone from the Election Commission office has spoken on the matter, we are unaware of it. Regardless, we urge that no comments be made until the government issues an official announcement, as premature statements could create confusion."
The meeting, which lasted nearly two hours, addressed various topics, including the law on forming the Election Commission, party registration regulations, and electoral procedures.
Regarding NCP's registration as a new political party, Patwary explained that several tasks remain pending. "We are still in the process of organising our offices in different regions. We are committed to ensuring that no elements associated with fascism are allowed into our party. That's why we are carefully vetting all aspects before completing our registration," he said.
Patwary also revealed that the party had submitted a formal request to the EC on 17 April to extend the registration deadline. "The CEC has assured us that the matter is under consideration," he added.
Addressing concerns about electoral integrity, Patwary criticised past governments for registering multiple parties under identical or similar names over the past 15 years. "We opposed the 2022 Search Committee. Unless the proposed consensus-based commission is reformed, we will continue to raise these concerns," he said.
He emphasised the need for accountability in cases of electoral fraud. "We demand that those involved in election rigging over the past 15 years be brought to justice. We also want respectable individuals from society-including teachers and imams-to have the opportunity to contest elections."
Patwary called for the disqualification of candidates even after official results are published, if post-election fraud is proven. The NCP also proposed changes to campaign finance regulations and electoral codes of conduct, including stronger measures to curb the influence of muscle power in polls.
"We emphasised that vote buying must be prevented and that loan defaulters should not be allowed to contest elections," Patwary said, noting that the CEC has assured them these issues will be considered.
The five-member NCP delegation was led by Nasiruddin Patwary and included Joint Coordinators Anik Roy, Khaled Saifullah, Mujahidul Islam Shahin, and Tajnuva Zabeen.
