47 eminent citizens raise concerns over holding ‘one-sided’ election

Some 47 eminent citizens of the country feel that the Election Commission (EC) is playing the role of a supplementary force for the government to conduct a ‘one-sided’ election. They have urged the government to take initiatives to create a conducive electoral environment. 

They made this statement on Monday. 

The statement reads, “The government has taken various initiatives to conduct a one-sided election. As part of this, leaders and activists of the opposition parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, are facing cases and being arrested randomly following the incidents on 28 October. Any possibility of holding dialogues with the opposition has already been discarded, and different sorts of negative statements towards the opposition are being spread using various media." 

This situation is very concerning for Bangladesh, the statement read adding, “From the experience of the last two elections we have observed that a one-sided, controversial and rigged election leads to lack of accountability socially, politically and economically. The state owned agencies turn into pro-government organisations. Incidents like killing without trial, forced disappearances, murder, corruption, discrepancies and money laundering become rampant. In such a context, another controversial and one-sided election will further deepen the crisis of Bangladesh.”

The eminent citizens said if the government proceeds towards another one-sided election ignoring the urges from different quarters home and abroad there will be no way for the government to evade responsibility.