EC to ask cops to sue Barguna AL MP over breaching polls code

The Election Commission has decided to ask the superintendent of police (SP) of Barguna to sue a ruling Awami League lawmaker of Barguna-2 constituency Showkat Hasanur Rahman Rimon for violating electoral code.

"The election commissioners have taken the decision, and a letter with the directive will be issued tonight or tomorrow morning," EC Secretary Sirazul Islam told The Daily Star last evening.

The EC, however, has not given any deadline to file the case, said EC officials.

Breaching electoral law, Rimon on March 5 inaugurated a development project in Barguna and sought vote for the AL-nominated chairman aspirants in the upcoming union parishad (UP) polls there, according to news reports.

As per electoral code, inaugurations of all kinds of development project are prohibited in electoral areas and MPs are barred from joining any electoral campaign.

Earlier on Wednesday, the EC issued a show cause notice to AL lawmaker of Pabna-2 constituency Azizul Huq Arzu for violating electoral code of conduct.

After the recent municipal polls held on December 30 last year, the EC complained to the prime minister and speaker of the parliament against an AL lawmaker of Mymensingh-2 Sharif Ahmed for threatening a returning officer and attempting to influence the municipality polls. But the EC did not take actions against the MP.

But this time, the commission itself has come up with the directive.

Meanwhile, AL joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif yesterday said the party would take actions against the lawmakers, who will join electoral campaign, breaching laws.

He was talking to reporters at the EC secretariat after a six-member AL delegation led by him met Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad.

The delegation requested the CEC so that the commission does not illogically apply laws on only AL men without proper investigation to show the commission as neutral, Hanif said.

Elections to 732 UPs will be held on March 22 in the first phase and 650 UPs on March 31 in the second phase. More than 2,800 UPs will go to polls in four other phases until June, according to EC documents.