No polls under Huda-led EC

Khandaker Delwar Hossain

BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday demanded resignation of all three election commissioners as he considers the present Election Commission (EC) as "controversial".
The secretary general appointed by party Chairperson Khaleda Zia also said they will not participate in any election under this EC headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda.
Meanwhile, in a letter to the jail authorities, Saifur Rahman, acting chairman appointed by the party's standing committee, yesterday sought permission to meet the detained party chief showing ”emergency needs".
In another development, the pre-dialogue talks between caretaker government advisers and leaders of the pro-Khaleda faction of BNP, which was scheduled to be held yesterday evening, was deferred until Saturday as a cabinet meeting was called at that time.
"We will inform them of the time of the meeting later," Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman told reporters after a meeting with Communications Adviser Ghulam Quader and LGRD Adviser Anwarul Iqbal at the housing and public works ministry.
Khandaker Delwar yesterday told reporters at his Nam flat that the people of the country will resist the "conspirators" who want to hold a "manipulated" election excluding the top two political leaders--Khaleda and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina.
Delwar blasted the CEC for inviting the "breakaway" faction of the party to the electoral reform dialogue ignoring requests from five BNP standing committee members for inviting him as the lawful secretary general of the party.
"Holding a constitutional post, the CEC is acting beyond his constitutional jurisdiction," he said after a meeting with senior and central leaders of the party. "A free, fair and acceptable election cannot be held under this commission as the CEC is implementing the directives of certain quarters," he said.
The meeting discussed issues including the EC's invitation to the party's reformist faction, pre-dialogue talks with advisers and the government's policy in dealing with BNP leaders and former lawmakers.
About the pre-dialogue talks with the advisers, Delwar said they will join the meeting with the advisers on Saturday as the BNP wants to sit in the final dialogue with the government.
Demanding release of both Khaleda and Hasina, he said his party will not participate in any election based on conspiracies to yield manipulated results. "No election would be held under the state of emergency and release of the two top leaders is a must for holding an acceptable election," he added.
Delwar alleged that certain quarters have been harassing party leaders Chowdhury Tanveer Ahmed Siddiqui and M Shamsul Islam.
He also accused the caretaker government of making a blueprint for the upcoming election and working towards achieving the goal of holding the election in line with that blueprint.
"The government wants to form a parliament with persons of its choice, excluding the chiefs of the two major political parties, but the people will not accept it," he said, adding, "The government has started a process to divide the political parties according to its blueprint."
Replying to a question, he said the people have no trust on this non-elected government, which is why they are ready to go for agitation to get rid of the existing unbearable situation.
Reacting to the statement of Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed that he would take Delwar to the EC dialogue along with him, Delwar said, "Who is Hafiz that I will have to go with him? He is a vice-president of the party, nothing else."
He said, "Party men are mounting pressure on me to expel Hafiz from the party as he has violated party discipline."
BNP chairperson's Adviser ASM Hannan Shah, joint secretaries general Selima Rahman and Nazrul Islam Khan, and acting office secretary Rizvi Ahmed were also present at the briefing.
Meanwhile, Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, acting secretary general of the pro-Saifur faction, said they submitted a letter to the jail authorities yesterday morning, seeking permission to meet Khaleda for her directives on running the party.
He said Khaleda told her lawyers at the sub-jail on Tuesday that she is thinking about the reforms.
Hafiz was addressing a group of leaders and workers of Jubo Dal Gulshan unit at his Banani residence.
He said Saifur Rahman has tried to contact with the party's standing committee members after receiving the EC's invitation letter but failed.
"I will run the party following the directives of the party's standing committee," he said, expressing hopes that a united BNP will participate in the electoral dialogue with the EC.
Terming Khaleda Zia the symbol of party unity, the former minister said there is no debate about her leadership. He, however, said, "The party cannot be held back for anyone's personal interest as 102 former lawmakers and 80 percent leaders and workers are with us.”