EC to present free and fair election: Ahsan Habib

The Election Commission (EC) is working to present a free, fair and impartial election in a peaceful environment in the next parliament polls slated for 7 January, Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd) Md Ahsan Habib Khan said today.

"We want to present a beautiful Jatiya Sangsad (JS) election with utmost support from deputy commissioners (DCs), superintendents of police (SPs) and the law enforcement agencies," he said while talking to reporters after holding a view-exchange meeting with polling officials of three districts over the upcoming 12th JS polls at Jhalakathi DC office.

It should be monitored whether every voter comes to the polling station without any obstacle and exercise his/her franchise properly, Ahsan Habib said, adding, "If the voters tell journalists that the vote was fair, that will be our success.

"But if they say that anarchy is going on in the polling centres and the voting is being influenced by muscle power, everything will be zero."

He further said, "We as well as the country's people want all political parties to take part in the elections. But their [who are reluctant to join polls] agenda is slightly different, which is not constitutional. So it is not our job."

Noting that the EC will welcome whatever the political parties decide sitting together, Ahsan Habib said, "We want to reassure the voters that they could come to the polling stations and cast votes without fear. Law enforcement agencies will extend all-out cooperation in this regard."

Jhalakathi DC Farah Gul Nijhum presided over the meeting while Additional Commissioner of Barishal Division Md Parvez Hasan, Sector Commander of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Colonel Rezaul Kabir, Pirojpur DC Md Zahidur Rahman, Barguna DC Md Rafiqul Islam, Jhalakathi SP Md Afruzul Haque Tutul, Barguna SP Md Abdus Salam, Pirojpur SP Md Shafiur Rahman and regional polling officer of Barishal Division Md Alauddin were also present at the meeting.