Hasnat Abdullah, chief organizer of the National Citizens Party (NCP) for the southern region, stated on Sunday (October 19) that the Election Commission’s (EC) remote control is not located in Agargaon.
Speaking at a press conference after a meeting at the EC Secretariat, he said the Election Commission is developing into an autocratic institution. He pointed out that there is no clear policy explaining how the symbols included in the election schedule were chosen. Similarly, there is no transparency regarding why the Shapla symbol was excluded from the schedule. Furthermore, the allocation of symbols to active political parties lacks any clear guidelines.
Hasnat described the EC’s behavior as reminiscent of medieval autocratic rule. While the commission may not be acting on its own initiative, it is clearly under pressure from external forces.
He added that the EC’s remote control is operated from somewhere other than Agargaon. When talking to EC officials, it feels like they don’t make decisions independently but are forced to follow imposed directives.
Expressing concern about the upcoming election in February, Hasnat said he firmly believes that the current commission is incapable of conducting a participatory, transparent, and impartial election. According to him, this commission lacks backbone and is serving the interests of those who appointed it.
Finally, Hasnat warned the Election Commission against making any autocratic decisions that might sow division and unrest among the people. He cautioned that the patience of the citizens is limited, and any large-scale public upheaval could pose a serious threat to the country’s stability.
