Bangladesh government has opened a media centre at a luxury hotel in Dhaka to relay election information to journalists on the day of December 30 election.

Top officials of the information and foreign ministry were present at the launching of the media centre at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka in the morning.

Abdul Malek, secretary to Ministry of Information said, the centre will provide all types of information till December 31 midnight to foreign and local journalists and election observers.

Md Shahidul Haque, foreign affairs secretary, said two hundred foreign observers and 50 overseas journalists who will be catered information from the centre.

Besides, the centre will provide security and visa related necessary information as well as online facilities to the overseas journalists and election observers.

The election result provided by the EC will also be displayed through Bangladesh Television (BTV) at the media centre.  

Five officials and staffs of the information ministry will work at the media centre round the clock. The media centre will keep communication with the EC through two hot lines.

Jatiya Oikyafront Convener Dr Kamal Hossain today said no development is meaningful if people's right is not established in the country.

Dr Kamal, also president of Gonoforum, a component of Oikyafront, said this at a press briefing held at the alliance’s Purana Paltan office in Dhaka this afternoon.

However, he in a press statement expressed hope that if the government and the Election Commission hatch any blueprint for the national election, then people of the country will foil it.

Calling upon the countrymen to go to the polling stations and cast votes, Dr Kamal said, “Through casting votes to your desired candidates, ensure your (people) ownership of the country and restore its democracy”.

“The EC has to take full responsibility if it fails to hold a free, fair and credible election on December 30 and the countrymen will compel it to answer for its failure,” he said in the statement.

“The EC must ensure a peaceful atmosphere for holding a free and fair election,” the Oikyafront key leader said.

About the role of law enforcers ahead of the election, he said, “Their behaviour is not acceptable”.

He alleged that police along with the ruling party men have been putting bar on the opposition candidates during their electioneering.

BNP today urged the Election Commission to stay away from the decision of using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the upcoming Dhaka north and south city corporation elections.

“We think the decision of using EVMs in the elections is a part of the conspiracy to snatch people’s voting rights permanently,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Fakhrul was addressing a press conference at party Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office in Dhaka this afternoon.

“From the sense of responsibility to protect people’s voting rights, we condemn the decision of using the EVMs in the election and urge the constitutional body to cancel its decision immediately, paving the path of ensuring people’s voting rights through ballot papers,” he said.

Taking a side, the Election Commission, government and the ruling Awami League have made BNP their opponent part and destroyed the country’s all electoral system, the BNP leader alleged.

Practically, they [Election Commission, government and the ruling Awami League] have defeated the people, who are the country’s sole owners, indulging in misdeeds, he said.

“As a fascist force, Awami League has stamped down people’s rights and the Election Commission has played a naked role as its main associate,” he said.

Claiming that EVMs is not a vote-friendly system, Fakhrul said the country’s people are not trained and habituated in casting vote through the system and thus the Election Commission does not have any moral rights to implement its decision unilaterally.

“We believe that the use of soundless vote-rigging method like EVM under the management of such nontransparent and unacceptable Election Commission can’t be effective at all,” the BNP leader said.

Citing several instances about demerits of voting through the EVMs, Fakhrul said the EC’s move to use the electronic device in the election scheduled for January 30 is nothing, but a project of killing people’s voting rights silently.

When asked what BNP will do if the EVMs are used, Fakhrul said, “We urge the Election Commission to reject the total system. We will see how the commission reacts and then we will undertake our next step.”

Responding to another query, he said, “We in principle don’t want the use of the EVMs.”

The elections to Dhaka South City Corporation and Dhaka North City Corporation will be held on January 30.

The last date for submitting nomination papers was December 31. The EC scrutinised nomination papers on January 2. The last date for withdrawal of candidacy is January 9.

Bangladesh Nationalist Front President SM Abul Kalam Azad today said that the national election will not be free and fair under this Election Commission.

"Our supporters, voters, activists are feeling insecure," Azad, who is contesting from Dhaka-17, was speaking to reporters after a meeting at the commission.

Azad is currently a lawmaker of the current parliament and his party BNF is also a component of the Awami League-led ruling 14-party alliance.

"Our constitution says an election will be held under the Election Commission. But, we don't see it. It is heavily influenced by the ruling party," he said.

Speaking after meeting Election Commission Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed, he claimed 55 BNF candidates were attacked by Awami League and Oikyafront men.

"We want to stay in the election till the last day, but it should be held under a neutral Election Commission," he said.