BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said Monday that a free and credible national election cannot take place if the police, civil administration, and polling officials remain under the influence of the ruling Awami League.
Speaking to reporters after paying respects at the grave of BNP founder and former president Ziaur Rahman in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Rizvi argued that government loyalists dominate state institutions and pose a serious barrier to a fair vote expected in February, ahead of Ramadan.
“Everyone wants the election to be free and fair. But with Awami League cadres in the administration, that is impossible. They must be removed,” he said.
Rizvi also raised concerns about primary school teachers who were appointed during the Awami League’s time in power. He claimed that 16,399 teachers were recruited, often without open competition, and that a majority are affiliated with the ruling party or its associated groups like Chhatra League and Jubo League.
“If they serve as polling or presiding officers, can the election be fair? No,” Rizvi told reporters. He stressed that BNP wants neutral individuals in charge of voting, not those with political ties.
For almost twenty years, Rizvi contended, apparatuses of policing and civil administration have been monopolized by partisans of the Awami League, effectively muffling any residual ambience in which authentic electoral preference might operate.
He therefore called upon the Election Commission to enact, and monitor, pre-conditions that would permit the electorate to express preferences without intimidation or inducement.
Concurrently, Rizvi cautioned members of the BNP to maintain constant watch, asserting that militants aligned with the Awami League are presently orchestrating provocations with the express intent of destabilization.
He maintained that several possess competence acquired through quasi-military instruction. “Two operatives are in detention already. Consider, therefore, the latent scale of penetration,” he observed.
Turning to electoral reform, Rizvi dismissed calls for a proportional representation system, saying it does not suit Bangladesh’s political environment and that its advocates may have questionable motives.
The remarks came as BNP leaders from Nilphamari joined Rizvi in placing a wreath at Ziaur Rahman’s grave, underscoring the party’s continued effort to highlight its stance on the election.
