BNP demands: Polling officers should not be officers of specific banks

To ensure transparency and impartiality in the 13th National Parliament election, BNP has proposed not to include officers from specific institutions in the appointment of polling officers. The party submitted a 36-point proposal to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Thursday (October 23).

BNP has said that in the appointment of polling officers or polling personnel—such as presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers—officers and employees of institutions widely identified as party institutions should not be included. Notable among such institutions are Islami Bank, Al-Arafah Islami Bank, Islami Bank Hospital and Ibn Sina Hospital.

It is learned that Islami Bank has already canceled the appointment of about 5,000 officers and employees across the country and it is rumored that measures have been taken to hastily appoint party people to these vacancies.

The delegation, led by BNP Standing Committee member Dr. Abdul Moin Khan, handed over the proposal to the CEC. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Moin Khan said that the election will not be fair if controversial or biased persons are appointed as poll officials. He also displayed a document titled ‘Proposals to be done in the interest of fair and impartial elections, proposed working paper for a meeting with the Election Commission’ at the press conference.

BNP hopes that the commission will consider this proposal to ensure overall transparency and fairness of the elections.