No problem with ‘Thank You PM’ ads, says EC

The Election Commission says there seems to be no problem with the television advertisements thanking Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and highlighting her government’s development work despite complaints from the BNP.

There is no issue if they are advertisements, Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said.

“If they are on BTV and private TV channels in the form of advertisements there is no problem,” he said during a discussion with the media on Monday morning at the EC’s offices.

“If the media organisations are being paid, there is no problem.”

But if it is alleged that these are not paid advertisements, then steps will be taken, the EC secretary said.

“We have not received any formal allegations regarding the ‘Thank You PM’ ads. If we receive such allegations they will be referred to the authorities.”

The BNP alleges that the television advertisements, which are being screened ahead of the coming elections, are in violation of the election regulations.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi had called for the ads to be taken off the air at a press conference on Wednesday.

Election Commissioner Rafikul Islam was asked about the ads on Sunday and said he saw no problem with them.

“I have seen these ‘Thank You PM’ ads on TV. A private television policy governs the advertising of such things. We have no ability to or interest in controlling private channels. They may have internal motivations for showing these ads. But if it was a campaign advertisement we would act.”

“We have a government. The government is advertising its works,” he told journalists. “If we issued instructions to any private television channel you would cry foul about interference.”