Awami League Election Steering Committee Co-chair HT Imam on Tuesday requested the Election Commission (EC) not to allow nine local agencies for monitoring the upcoming general elections as the organizations are allegedly affiliated to BNP-Jamaat.
The organizations are Democracy Watch, Khan Foundation, Light House, Bangladesh Manobadhikar Samonnoy Parishad, Jagarani Chakra Foundation, Nabolok, COAST Trust, Shariatpur Development Society (SDS) and Noakhali Rural Development Society (NRDS).
Imam, also Political Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister, came up with the request while inaugurating a media center set up at the AL’s central office at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city aiming at providing information about the parliamentary elections slated for December 30.
AL leaders Architect Yeafesh Osman, Akhtaruzzaman and Barrister Biplab Barua, cultural personality Ramendu Majumdar, Jatiya Press Club General Secretary Farida Yasmin and Suchinta Foundation Chairman Mohammad A. Arafat were present, among others, on the occasion.
Talking about the USA-based election monitoring agency Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), Imam said ANFREL’s representative to the Bangladesh
chapter Adilur Rahman Shuvro was deputy attorney general during the BNP-Jamaat regime.
He (Shuvro) is directly involved in BNP-Jamaat politics and a member of ANFREL directory board, the AL advisory council member said, adding that however, the EC has given permission to six representatives of the ANFREL for monitoring the polls after scrutinizing information.-BSS
bbarta/IF
