Suranjit rebukes ‘inert EC’ for inaction

Ruling Bangladesh Awami League’s advisory council member Suranjit Sengupta on Friday blasted the election commission for its inaction as people are losing their lives in the ensuing Union Parishad elections.

At least nine people were killed and at least 64 others injured in clashes in different parts of the country during the second phase Union Parishad election on Thursday.

“The election commission is completely failed to curb election-time violence in both first and second phase UP polls,” said the AL senior leader while addressing the biennial council session of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad in the capital city.

A former minister of the Sheikh Hasina led government, Suranjit said the election commission in Bangladesh is more powerful than any other country. “They can both rescind or accept election if they want.”

“But what type of commission it is. It seems an inert one. It neither moves forward nor backward. On Thursday’s elections too at least nine people were killed in election violence. Our commission could not protect the lives. We don’t form such type of commission that will remain sitting idle during the election violence,” he said.

He also said the commission cannot avoid its responsibly just saying that all of its past achievements marred by some stray incidents during the voting day.

Pointing finger at the chief election commissioner, Suranjit said, “You (CEC) should not do politics over the UP polls to hide your failure.”
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Death toll in violence rises to 9