EC heading for blueprint city polls: BNP

BNP today alleged that the Election Commission is going to hold a “blueprint” city corporation polls with assistance from Rapid Action Battalion and police to ensure victory of the ruling party backed candidates.

The party also claimed that the ruling party men are intimidating BNP-backed candidates’ polling agents and their voters not to go to polling centres to cast their votes.

“Our party backed candidates are contesting in the race with so many barriers. The election commission did not ensure level playing field from the beginning to the end of the polls,” BNP leader Moudud Ahmed said in a briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office this afternoon.

Moudud, also a standing committee member of the party, said Mirza Abbas, BNP backed mayoral aspirant for the Dhaka South City Corporation, could not carry out electioneering as he did not get bail.

On the other hand, the BNP backed mayoral candidate for Dhaka North City Corporation have so far filed over 10 complaints to the EC but neither of his complaint was addressed, Moudud added.

He also alleged that police arrested around 69 BNP men including five councillor candidates in the last 20 days in the capital.

“Police are harassing BNP-backed candidates’ polling agents so that they do not go to polling centres to do their duties,” he alleged.