It was an accident: CEC on death of infant in polls violence

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal yesterday said the infant's death during polls-violence in Thakurgaon was an accident.

Post-poll violence happens when there is "tough competition", he added.

"One of my colleagues says that we have a psychological problem… No one wants to accept that they might be defeated. Until we change this mentality, the problem will stay," Awal said while meeting delegates from the Gono Forum at the Election Commission.

The EC has been holding talks to seek recommendations on how to conduct the next national polls in a free and fair manner.

As of yesterday, the EC has met delegates from 26 parties.

The Communist Party of Bangladesh skipped the dialogue yesterday.

The BNP, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD Rab), Bangladesh Kalyan Party, Bangladesh Muslim League, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal, Liberal Democratic Party, Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Bangladesh Jatiya Party had earlier shunned the talks that began on July 17.

The EC also sat with the Bangladesh National Awami Party (Bangladesh NAP) and the Bangladesh Tariqat Federation yesterday.  The latter proposed holding the national polls over two or three days.

The party chairman Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizvandary said army personnel should be deployed to guard the ballot papers and the electronic voting machines.

Both the Bangladesh NAP and the Gono Forum leaders expressed opinions against the use the machines.