Government has never influenced the Election Commission: Obaidul Quader

Awami League General Secretary, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has said that the present government has never influenced the Election Commission in conducting the elections. He made the remarks in a statement on Monday (February 14th).

Obaidul Quader also mentioned that the Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is determined to uphold the democratic system of the country.

Obaidul Quader said that the government has always cooperated in fulfilling the responsibilities of the Election Commission. The bridge minister said this in protest of the statement made by BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir about the election commission and search committee.

In the statement, he said that Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was constantly lying about the Election Commission and the search committee with the aim of creating confusion in the minds of the people. But we all know, the work of the Election Commission. The commission conducts elections from within the country's constitution and customary law. No party or government conducts elections. Governments during elections only do their routine work.

Criticizing the BNP, Obaidul Quader said the Election Commission has been used arbitrarily to consolidate power during the BNP rule. They created massive vote rigging in the Magura and Mirpur by-elections to seize power.

He further said that the voterless election held by BNP on February 15, 1996 is marked as a black chapter in the democratic history of Bangladesh. Obaidul Quader said that BNP has been on the opposite pole of democracy since its inception.

Mentioning that Bangladesh has been transformed into a peaceful country under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the General Secretary of Awami League said that mutual understanding between democratic institutions and political parties and people is very important for the continuation of democratic system.