CEC Huda disappointed at BNP decision to boycott upazila polls

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda has expressed his disappointment that a political party as large as the BNP has decided to boycott the coming Union Parishad elections.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 17 Feb 2019, 10:43 AM
Updated : 17 Feb 2019, 10:43 AM

But the CEC said that he still hoped for a ‘competitive election’.

Huda made the statement during the inaugural programme of the Upazila Election Training of Trainers (TOT) event at the Election Training Institute (ETI) in Agargaon on Sunday.

“Many large political parties are not contesting the election,” he said. “This is undoubtedly disappointing for us.”

“We always want and have always wanted the elections to be competitive and participatory. That all parties should contest.”

The ruling Awami League and its affiliated parties are competing in the polls, but they are being boycotted by the BNP and other opposition parties.

Several media reports have indicated that many BNP leaders are running as independent candidates. CEC Huda says he hopes the upazila elections will still be competitive because of these political leaders’ participation.

“Though the party is not competing as a whole, I believe the election will still be competitive,” he said. “This is because there are many people both in the parties and outside them who will contest the polls. So there is no doubt there will be competition in the election.”

The first phase of the 5th Upazila Parishad Elections begins on Mar 10 with voting in 87 upazilas. The Election Commission plans to conduct the election in a total of five phases.

“Conduct the election impartially and according to the law,” he told election officials. “You do not have a party, you do not have a preference. You have duties according to the constitution and the law. Do not stray outside those boundaries.”