EC to be besieged if rule is not changed by evening: Nahid Islam

Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP), has announced that the Election Commission (EC) will be besieged tomorrow if the decision to ban mobile phones at polling centres is not changed by this evening, Monday.

Nahid Islam made the announcement this afternoon at an election rally of Mamunul Haque, ameer of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis and candidate of the 11-party electoral alliance in the Dhaka-13 constituency.

The rally was held at the Mohammadpur Central Eidgah ground in the capital, where Nahid Islam was present as a special guest. Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Shafiqur Rahman attended the rally as the chief guest.

In a notice issued on Sunday, the Election Commission said voters would not be allowed to carry mobile phones inside polling centres during the 13th national parliamentary election and the referendum. The notice stated, “Mobile phones cannot be taken within the 400-yard radius of a polling centre.”

Speaking about the EC’s ban on carrying mobile phones into polling centres, NCP-nominated candidate for Dhaka-11 Nahid Islam said, “We do not know from where the Election Commission has come up with this kind of law or regulation.”

“It is becoming clear to the public under whose plan the Election Commission is working. I want to issue a warning that this regulation must be changed by this evening, while there is still daylight. Otherwise, the Election Commission will be besieged tomorrow,” he added.

The NCP leader added, “We did not say anything till now and endured everything. But at the threshold of the election, no such law will be accepted that allows vote rigging, imposes a media blackout, or snatches away people’s voices and their right to information.”

Addressing the Election Commission, Nahid Islam said, “Whatever you have done so far is in the past. But if there is any plan to show bias on 12 February, this commission will face an even worse fate than the Election Commission during the fascist era.”

Speaking to the administration and law enforcement agencies, the NCP convener said, “You are our brothers. The country’s trust rests on you. On 12 February, you must carry out the grave responsibility of conducting the election impartially.”

“You must protect people’s rights and ensure democracy. Remember, this election is being held over the blood of thousands of martyrs of the mass uprising. If you betray that, the people of Bangladesh will never forgive you,” he added.

Addressing the media, Nahid Islam said, “We are seeing advertisements across all private media outlets telling people whom to vote. You may publish advertisements in exchange for money, but you should consider how ethical this is.”

‘If you need advertisements, we can also provide them. But you are not taking our advertisements though. Whatever the cost, the people will pay on our behalf. Yet you are promoting the symbol of one party and alliance, while not promoting another. That is not fair,” he added.

Nahid Islam also commented that over the past 16 years, Bangladesh’s media had shown the same lack of neutrality. “Most media outlets in Bangladesh acted as agents of fascism, legitimising genocide and the deprivation of voting rights.”

“At that time, you said you were forced to do so. Now we ask, who is forcing you this time? Name them publicly and we will stand by you. Otherwise, we will assume that you are not acting under compulsion, but once again serving a new autocrat and producing legitimacy on their behalf,” he remarked.

Saying he has not forgotten the history of the past 16 years, Nahid Islam added, “The people of Bangladesh have not regained their trust in the media. If you repeat the same actions again, then on 12 February, the people of Bangladesh will, God willing, deliver their verdict against this broker media.”

The NCP leader also announced resistance to any attempt to snatch votes. He said, “The people of Bangladesh are watching everything. You, the people of Mohammadpur be ready on 12 February. The people of Bangladesh know the plans of those who want to come to the polling centres after the tahajjud prayer.”

“We will, God willing, be present at the polling centres. If there is any attempt to snatch votes, the young generation must resist it firmly, with sticks in hand. The people of Mohammadpur will ensure a landslide victory for the Rickshaw symbol,” remarked Nahid Islam.