Rohingyas in Voter List: No innocent official should be harassed: EC Kabita Khanam

Election Commissioner Kabita Khanam yesterday said if any specific allegation is found against any staffer of the Election Commission (EC) office regarding Rohingya refugees’ inclusion in the voter list, they can be quizzed but it should be ensured that no innocent person is harassed.

She was addressing a views-exchange meeting on law and order on the upcoming polls in Chattogram-8 constituency at Chattogram Circuit House Conference Room.

Kabita said the EC has its own investigation team to oversee the issue.

The election commissioner said she was not against investigation but at the same time it is not acceptable if a returning officer or district election officer, who has no scope of including anyone in a voter list, is  detained in the name of investigation.

Some specific papers are required for a person to be a voter, she said, and urged to investigate how and from where Rohingyas collect these papers.

Regarding the upcoming polls, Kabita said no poster [of any candidate] should be pasted in the constituency after the poll schedule is declared.

“I do not want to hear any allegations regarding it,” she said.

Superintendent of Police in Chattogram Nur-e-Alam Mina, Director of Border Guard Bangladesh-8 Lt Col Md Munir Hasan and Chattogram Regional Election Officer Muhammad Hasanuzzaman were present, among others, with Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Ilias Hossain in the chair.

On September 15, the Anti-Corruption Commission found that several syndicates provided NIDs to Rohingyas through forgery by using official devices.

ACC said several laptops of the EC, directly connected to the NID server, were stolen and EC had no official record of the missing laptops. The Rohingyas were using fake names and addresses while applying for the identification documents.

Officials of the EC still couldn’t say exactly how many Rohingyas have secured the cards through the illegal means.