GAZIPUR, KHULNA CITY POLLS BNP demands army deployment 7 days before polls

A Bangladesh Nationalist Party delegation on Tuesday met chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda and placed six-point demand to ensure a level-playing field for all parties and candidates in the upcoming mayoral polls to Gazipur and Khulna scheduled for May 15.
Deployment of army in the two city corporations seven days before the polls and immediate withdrawal of present Gazipur superintendent of police Harun-or-Rashid are among the 20 demands BNP made under the six points.
An Election Commission official said the commission still had no plan to deploy army in local government elections. 
BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, who led the delegation at the meeting, told journalists that the key demand they placed was deployment of army in Gazipur and Khulna city corporations seven days before the polls.
The delegation handed over the written demands to the chief election commissioner at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital around 11:00am.
Mosharraf said they told the meeting not to use electronic voting machine in the two city polls, not even on an experimental basis. 
It was mentioned in the meeting that Gazipur and Khulna mayoral polls would be held with party symbol. 
So, if prime minister or ministers and lawmakers seek vote for boat, election symbol of the ruling Awami League, at any place, it would be clear violation of election code of conduct, Mosharraf said.
Mosharraf said BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia must be released from jail in a fair and participatory general election was to be held. 
After the meeting, Election Commission Secretariat secretary Healluddin Ahmad told journalists that the commission still had no plan to deploy army in local government polls.
The BNP delegation alleged that Gazipur SP Harun-or-Rashid openly worked in favour of a particular party in union council election in Gazipur in 2016.
BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan who was in the meeting told New Age that the chief election commissioner said that the commission would take steps after discussion on their demands.
BNP leaders Abdul Moyeen Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf and Mahbub Uddin Khokon and election commissioners, among others, were present at the meeting. 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net