Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal asked the District Commissioners (DCs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs) to discharge their duties as public servants instead of party workers during the elections. During the elections, the Ministry of Public Administration, Ministry of Home Affairs and the forces will remain under the election commission. They will be obliged to follow any directives of the commission.
The CEC came up with this instruction while exchanging views with DCs and SPs of all districts on Saturday. This time the commission remains in a strong position and it wants free, fair and participatory elections. The DCs and SPs should not behave in such a way that the country’s people may think they are biased and not party neutral. They must act impartially as they are the public servant.
The DCs and SPs should understand the difference between government and political party. Therefore, they should never think or consider themselves party workers.
Country’s people imbued with
spirit of Liberation War believe
the next national election will
be held in a free, fair and neutral manner
The DCs and SPs’ have to remain alert about evil forces as some elements are in the field to create anarchy ahead of the national polls. The DCs and SPs have to do everything possible to ensure security of businesses, lives and property of the country’s people ahead of the country’s general elections.
Free, fair and credible elections could not be possible without ensuring security of the people’s lives and their property across the country. So, they also should be very strict to maintain law and order.
Bangladesh is constitutionally a multi-party democratic republic and election is the key for continuation of the country’s democracy. But the EC cannot compel any political party to contest the national polls.
Elections are held under ruling party all over the world through which democracy is established. The election-time government will just perform the routine works. Country’s people imbued with spirit of Liberation War believe the next national election will be held in a free, fair and neutral manner.
Hence, the EC will also play a strong role in fulfilling its duties as a constitutional institution. Also. all political parties should discharge their patriotic duty in tackling poll-time violence.
