NCP activists break police barricade, protest at Nirbachan Bhaban gate

Leaders and activists of the National Citizen Party (NCP) have been protesting at the main gate of the election commission (EC) headquarters, demanding the reconstitution of the EC and holding the local government elections.

The NCP leaders broke through a police barricade and took positions at the main entrance of the election commission office in the capital’s Agargaon area around 1:15 pm today, Wednesday.

They sat down at the spot and declared that their protest would continue.

The NCP activists were seen chanting various slogans asking the EC to step down, terming it a ‘fascist’s commission’ and so on during the demonstration.

Dhaka north city unit of the NCP organised this protest in front of the election commission office.

The NCP leaders and activists began gathering on the road in front of the EC building from 11:00 am onwards. The protest started around 11:30 am.

Speaking about the protest, NCP joint coordinator Sarwar Tusher told newspersons that they are demonstrating with two main demands.

He said the public services across the country are severely disrupted due to the lack of local government elections, which is allowing administrative offices to fall under the control of a certain political party.

Citing the dysfunction of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) as an example, Tusher blamed the election commission.

He said the EC was supposed to appeal against a court ruling regarding the DSCC mayor but mysteriously it did not, despite being a respondent in the case. Instead, it published a gazette.

“This election commission can no longer be called a constitutional institution. It has turned into a political organisation,” Sarwar Tusher added.