The CEC in denial

The Chief Election Commissioner says he fails to see how there isn't a “level playing field”. On the other hand, Mahbub Talukder, a dissenting commissioner, indicated that a “level playing field” is still elusive. Who is telling the truth?

The media has reported and from what we already know, candidates belonging to the opposition camp aren't being given a fair and equal chance to campaign. Their rallies are often attacked. Even the motorcades of Kamal Hossain, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Moudud Ahmad weren't spared. Candidates like Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon were shot at using rubber bullets by the police.

I live in the Farmgate area of Dhaka and haven't yet noticed a single poster of the opposition candidate. The person nominated by BNP for this constituency is on the run as there are cases filed against him.

Is this not indicative of what the actual situation is?

More interestingly, heavyweight AL candidate and minister, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, alleged that CEC personally called him to ensure that his BNP opponent can also carry out campaigning. If this is true, the CEC himself privately recognised where the field is not even. So why is he denying it in public? 

Ragib Hasan, By e-mail