MP Bahar didn't violate law, nor did EC ask him to leave: CEC
The chief election commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal said Awami League (AL) lawmaker AKM Bahauddin Bahar didn’t violate any law in the Cumilla City Corporation (CCC) election, nor did the election commission (EC) issue any order to leave him the constituency.
The CEC came up with this claim on Monday morning while briefing the newsmen over the CCC election at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon.
Habibul Awal said, “We were receiving some allegations that he (Bahauddin) is electioneering technically. We didn’t order him to leave the constituency. We cannot do that. We don’t want to issue an order illegally."
The CEC said, “He, Cumilla City AL president, didn’t break any law. We haven’t failed. We requested him to leave the area that he can abide by or ignore.”
Two election commissioners went to the Cumilla city days before the election. While briefing the newsmen after meeting with presiding officers at that time, an election commissioner alleged that Bahauddin has violated the law and he is not abiding by the EC’s order.
When asked about the matter, the CEC said “When you start asking questions, it puzzles not only him but also us. You (newsmen) probably told him that EC have ordered and why he (Bahauddin) hasn’t complied with. In reply to your query, he said what we will do if he doesn’t abide by the order.”
Although the EC requested him in the last part of the letter, it also mentioned an order asking him to leave the place. When the CEC asked over the letter, he said, “We can utter many wrong words. But it was said in the last sentence that you are requested earnestly. You will try to understand that there is a difference between request and order.”
The EC asked him to leave the constituency on 8 June issuing a letter for violating the electoral code of conduct. However, he defied the order and stayed in the area.
The Cumilla City Corporation election was held on 15 June where AL mayoral candidate Arfanul Haque Rifat won by 343 votes more than that of his nearest competitor Monirul Haque Sakku, an independent candidate.