EC serving show cause for violating electoral code is a complete joke: Rizvi

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday said the Election Commission's (EC) show-cause notices for violations of the electoral code of conduct ahead of the "one-sided" national polls are a "joke" in the eyes of the people.

"It is the Election Commission that has destroyed the integrity of the Constitution by announcing the election schedule against the people's will. Now serving notices for violation of the Awami-styled election code of conduct means the Commission is making fun of the people," he said while speaking at a virtual press briefing today (3 December).

He also said there is no significance of violations of the code of conduct in a one-sided election where people have no participation and voters have no interest in voting.

"This is a lopsided election where people from the same party and quarter are contesting either as direct or indirect candidates. Some are number one candidates, some are number two candidates and some are number three candidates. But all are Awami League candidates," the BNP leader said.

He also said the EC's decision to transfer UNOs and OCs on the occasion of elections is just a reshuffle among those UNOs and OCs who are Awami League-minded. "The entire process is a hilarious drama."

Rizvi said the people aren't even the least bit bothered about this one-sided election which is boycotted by more than 60 political parties.

He said the musclemen of the government are attacking the houses of the leaders and workers of the pro-democracy parties, including BNP, to stage a mockery in the name of an election on January 7.

"The attacks on houses and business establishments of pro-democracy leaders and activists, including BNP, have occurred continuously all over the country. They are looting the houses of the BNP leaders and workers and harassing the women in manless houses like Al-Badrs and Razakars," Rizvi said.

In such a situation, he said fear and anxiety not only gripped the BNP families but also the ordinary voters ahead of the election.

The BNP leader alleged that the government is using law enforcers and the judiciary arbitrarily alongside ruling party 'cadres' to establish fascism by again snatching the people's right to vote.

He claimed that over 230 BNP leaders and activists were arrested in the last 24 hours as of 4pm on Sunday.