Hasnat says NCP will watch actions of 'partisan Election Commission' after brawl at hearing

Rumeen Farhana says a man attacked her first, prompting her supporters to respond

Hasnat Abdullah, the chief organiser for the southern region of the National Citizen Party (NCP), has said the actions of AMM Nasir Uddin's Election Commission (EC) have "always been questionable”.

At a briefing at the EC headquarters in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon, he called the facility a "party office" and said the EC is working to implement the agenda of one party.

He noted that if the commission does not act impartially, they will demand its reformation.

Earlier, during a hearing at the EC headquarters over the redrawing of boundaries for the Brahmanbaria-2 and 3 constituencies, two groups got into a scuffle.

At the hearing, BNP’s Rumeen Farhana presented arguments in favour of the EC's draft. Mohammed Ataullah, the joint chief organiser of the NCP, was presenting arguments later against the draft when the two sides began to shove each other.

Following the incident, Hasnat came to the press conference and slated the EC, saying: "We will now officially file a complaint with the Election Commission and observe the commission's role."

Referring to Rumeen as a "beneficiary" of the previous government, the NCP leader said: "She was supposedly doing very well for the past 15 years. Of course she would be doing well, because she took advantage of every possible benefit."

EC IS A ‘PARTY OFFICE’, ‘PARTISAN’

Hasnat said, "This Election Commission belongs to a handful of parties and it has become a party office. We have repeatedly said that we want to move toward an acceptable election. The people of Bangladesh are waiting for a democratic transition.

“But the people do not want to move toward thuggery again. The people of the country are not waiting for a repeat of 1/11."

He added, "We want to see this Election Commission in an impartial, professional role. We believe that the way the Election Commission is being partisan and working to implement the agenda of one party is an obstacle to our becoming election-oriented."

WHAT ATAULLAH SAID

At the briefing, NCP leader Ataullah described the incident, saying: "I came to the hearing and saw BNP's Rumeen Farhana and her people presenting their arguments. At one point, when I stood up for the hearing, Rumeen Farhana rushed at me and first shoved me down. She did not let me speak.

"Rumeen's supporters trampled on me and beat me mercilessly."

The NCP leader said two other party members were also beaten at that time.

"I demand a fair investigation and justice for this attack. If they fail to provide justice, I demand the chief election commissioner resign."

WHAT RUMEEN SAID

Leaving the hearing at the EC headquarters in the afternoon, Rumeen said: "The problem is, since he (Ataullah) is not a very familiar face, I don't know if he came from the NCP or Jamaat.

"But a man in Punjabi shoved me first. Then my people weren't just going to stand by. I'm a woman, and when my people were being beaten, my people responded."