BNP points out unusual numbers of new voters in certain areas

Raising questions about voter transfers, BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said that over the past one to one-and-a-half years, a large number of voters have been transferred in Dhaka city and in different parts of the country.

In some specific areas, there has been an unusually high number of new voters, which is abnormal, he added.

He made these remarks on Sunday afternoon after a meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) at the Nirbachan Commission Bhaban in Agargaon, Dhaka.

Ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election, a BNP delegation met the CEC to lodge complaints on several issues.

Later, Nazrul Islam Khan briefed journalists on the issues discussed at the meeting.

He said they had raised the matter of voter transfers. On this issue, the Election Commission said it had not happened on a large scale and that in no constituency had more than two to three thousand voters been transferred. However, the BNP was not satisfied with the commission’s explanation.

Nazrul Islam Khan said they were certain that, in reality, far more voters had been transferred.

He alleged that those who had provided the Election Commission with the relevant information had not given accurate data. The BNP has asked the Commission for constituency-wise information on voter transfers.

He also alleged that appropriate action was not being taken in many places over violations of the electoral code of conduct.

The BNP leader said that some people were hurting religious sentiments and beliefs while speaking in favour of certain parties, but the Election Commission was not taking any action.

The BNP leader also said they had heard that a decision was being considered to involve members of the Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) for the first time in election duties, although it was not final. They told the Commission that it would not be appropriate to involve students in a complex political process like elections. The Election Commission assured them that it would take a decision after further discussion.

Referring to reports that some parties were talking about forming so-called “peace committees” in various constituencies in the name of maintaining law and order, Nazrul Islam Khan said, “The term ‘peace committee’ is very unpleasant to us, even though we are peace-loving people. The Election Commission said it was not aware of this.”