Officials for polls duty: BNP to oppose hiring from select entities
The BNP is set to submit several proposals to the Election Commission today, including a demand that employees of some organisations known to be close to a right-wing party should not be appointed for polling duties in the upcoming national election.
The party will place about three dozen proposals to Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, which are scheduled to be formally handed over this morning.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The proposals were finalised at the party's standing committee meeting on Monday, The Daily Star has learnt from people with direct knowledge of the discussions.
"Officials or employees of institutions widely known to all as party-affiliated must not be appointed as polling personnel, including presiding, assistant presiding, and polling officers," reads the document seen by The Daily Star.
The three-page document outlining the party's proposals for ensuring a level playing field ahead of the national polls will be presented by Standing Committee Member Abdul Moyeen Khan, Chairperson's Adviser Ismail Zabihullah and former secretary Mohammad Zakaria.
The document also called for the withdrawal of all cases filed against political leaders who took part in the July uprising, democratic movements and those charged during the "fascist government".
Local observers should not be assigned duties in their own districts and organisations promoting any political ideology or supporting any party must not be allowed to monitor the election, it said.
The BNP will propose that the interim government, administration, and the commission act with the firmness and impartiality of a non-partisan caretaker government.
The party suggested that all officials involved in the 2014, 2018, and 2024 elections who are considered controversial or questionable be identified and excluded from any role in the upcoming polls.
The BNP also mentioned that community police must not be deployed at polling centres under any circumstances, while members of Ansar and the Village Defence Party should not be deployed in their home districts.
According to the document, after the July uprising, new managing committees were formed in schools and colleges across the country. However, four months ahead of the polls, the education ministry ordered fresh elections in the institutions by November 1, which the BNP said appeared to be "politically motivated".
The BNP warned that such moves could disrupt annual exams and teacher duties related to election training and preparations, urging that the directive be suspended immediately.
The EC plans to finalise the panel of polling officials by October 30.
A circular issued on September 2 instructed district election officers to prepare lists of presiding, assistant presiding and polling officers with recruits from government offices, private institutions, schools, colleges, banks and insurance firms.
The BNP also proposed that expatriates' voting rights through postal ballots be exercised with full transparency and that the list of registered expatriate voters willing to vote by postal ballot in different countries be provided to political parties well ahead of time.
The party is seeking the cancellation of all contractual appointments in embassies and election-related government, semi-government and autonomous bodies.
The letter also calls for immediate and effective steps to recover illegal arms across the country and to stop the entry of illegal weapons, fake currency and black money through the borders.
The document further said all firearms distributed on political consideration during the tenure of the past government must be submitted before the announcement of the election schedule.
It will also seek strict presence of the military, BGB, Rab, police and other law enforcement agencies at every polling centre at least one week before the polls.
The BNP will propose that, alongside administrative officials, the EC appoint competent, honest and experienced officers from its own Election Service cadre as returning officers, where possible.
It also suggested giving the EC's own officials magisterial powers to strengthen election management and accountability.
The document recommended that, with the announcement of the election schedule, a Complaint Redress Centre be set up at each district election office and at every upazila or thana election office across the country.
Any form of violence or terrorist activity must be immediately suppressed not only within a 400-yard radius of polling centres but also anywhere in the constituency, the document said.
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