EC under BNP fire over 'barbaric' barbecue

BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has slammed the Election Commission over a party it organised to thank its officials for their work in organising the election.

His criticism came a day after the commission hosted a Pitha Utsab (winter pie festival) and a barbecue at its offices in Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Thursday.

Rizvi called the move ‘barbaric’ while speaking at a media briefing in Dhaka on Friday. “They’re celebrating the murder of democracy the way barbarians used to celebrate the hunting of animals."

He called the Election Commissioner headed by Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda ‘shameless’. “That’s why they are capable of doing this. They have no accountability.”

“Using the Election Commission, law-enforcing agencies and even courts, the government has unilaterally and undemocratically held an anti-people election by rigging votes.

“The Election Commission, chief election commissioner and all other commissioners are a part of this election."

In addition to the other arrangements at the event, the Election Commission employees also barbecued fish they caught from a pool on their office premises.

An air of accomplishment and relief permeated the EC after the end of parliamentary elections. But Sunday’s polls have been marked by sporadic violence and allegations of widespread rigging and other irregularities.

Awami League and its allies bagged 288 of the total 298 seats. On the other hand, the BNP and its allies got seven seats, the lowest in their history.

The EC has ruled out a re-election demanded by the BNP and its allies.