Be neutral, not subservient: Afroza to EC

BNP-backed mayor candidate of Dhaka South City Corporation Mirza Abbas’ wife Afroza Abbas has urged the Election Commission to work impartially.

She has made the appeal alleging that BNP supporters were harassed during campaign.
 
She spoke to reporters while campaigning at Gopibagh on Saturday.
 
Mirza Abbas is abstaining from campaign, fearing arrest in a number of cases.
 
“The government talks about fair polls but that environment has not been created yet,” Afroza said.
 
“Attacks on our supporters continue. Many of our leaders and activists are being arrested,” she added.
 
She also alleged police surrounded a house where she went to seek vote for her husband on Friday.
 
Afroza said they informed the EC about the incident.
 
“But the commission is yet to take any step. We hope that commission will work neutrally in the future and not as subservient to the government,” she said.
 
She, however, skirted a question on how many of her supporters were arrested.
 
Afroza said police were trailing her during the campaign under the pretext of providing security cover.
 
“But when we go to any house, they search it. How can it be a security issue?” she asked.
 
She demanded deployment of army and installation of CCTV cameras in polling centres.
 
Asked whether her husband would join the campaign, Afroza said the High Court was likely to resolve the issue of his bail on Tuesday.
 
“We hope the government will arrange bail for him. Abbas will then join the campaign.”
 
She claimed that Mirza Abbas was not a fugitive. “He is only following the court order not to campaign.”
 
In reply to a query, whether BNP would boycott the polls if Mirza Abbas was not allowed to campaign, she said, “We still hope that the government will create conducive environment for the polls.”
 
She also campaigned at Tikatuli, Swamibagh, Wari, Dayaganj, Sutrapur, Gendaria and Narinda.