BNP flags abnormal voter migration to EC

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has notified Election Commission (EC) about abnormal voter migration in several parts of the country ahead of 13th Jatiya Sangsad election and Referendum.

Election Steering Committee Chairman Nazrul Islam Khan made the remarks on Sunday while speaking to journalists after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon area.

A five-member BNP delegation, led by Nazrul Islam Khan, attended the meeting.

Nazrul said that over the past one and a half years there has been large-scale voter migration across different areas of the country, including Dhaka city.

In some specific areas, he said, an unusually high number of new voters have been added; a trend not seen before.

According to information shared by the Election Commission, no constituency has recorded more than two to three thousand migrated voters.

However, Nazrul said BNP believes the actual number is significantly higher.

He said the party has requested the EC to provide detailed, constituency-wise data on voter migration and the Commission has assured that it will look into the matter and take necessary measures if any irregularities are found.

The senior BNP leader alleged that ahead of the election, certain dishonest groups are engaged in conspiracies that may involve fake voters or abnormal voter migration.

To ensure a free, fair and impartial election, he stressed that the Election Commission must play a pragmatic and proactive role.

Nazrul also said the meeting discussed a proposal to involve Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) in election duties. He said involving young students in a complex political process such as parliamentary elections would be inappropriate, as it could draw both the students and their institutions into controversy.

BNP expressed the view that law enforcement personnel would be more suitable for election-related duties, he said, adding that the EC agreed to consider the matter.

Regarding the appointment of local election observers, Nazrul said EC’s website shows approval for more than 55,000 local observers. As many of them are affiliated with lesser-known organisations, BNP requested a comprehensive review of the issue. The Commission, he said, assured that it would examine the matter.

Recalling the sacrifices of young people and others who lost their lives during the mass uprising of 2024, Nazrul Islam Khan said the Election Commission must take a strong stand against any conspiracy to ensure that the upcoming election is free, fair, impartial and peaceful.

Although the election environment has so far been fairly positive, he said the Commission needs to play a more active and robust role to further improve it.

Election commissioners and EC Secretariat’s senior secretary were present at the meeting.

The BNP delegation also included Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, Chairperson’s Advisory Council member Ismail Jabiullah and former acting secretary of EC Secretariat Dr. Mohammad Zakaria.