Backbone of the Election Commission broken in Comilla

The Comilla City Corporation election was the first test of the new Election Commission. And the commission failed miserably in this test. Not only did they fail, the new EC's backbone was broken. Awami League candidate Arfanul Haque Rifat has won this election by a narrow margin. Twice-elected mayor Monirul Haque Sakku lost by less than 400 votes. Nizam Uddin Kaisar, another candidate expelled from the BNP, also got about 30,000 votes. There is no doubt that Sakku was defeated due to the split vote of the BNP. But the way the Awami League candidate won was unnecessary and undesirable. AQM Bahauddin, an influential senior leader of Comilla Awami League, has done a lot to make his favorite candidate win. Which has raised new questions about free, fair and neutral elections. He has handed over the weapons of criticism to the opposition. The Awami League did not win in the Comilla elections, the personal aspirations of an MP won. Awami League politics in Comilla had a long open division. The dispute between Afzal Khan and Bahauddin has caused great damage to the Awami League many times. Afzal Khan was the Awami League candidate in the first city election. At that time, an over enthusiastic group of Awami League almost publicly supported Monirul Haque Sakku. They embraced BNP's Sakku to defeat Afzal Khan. Anjum Sultana, daughter of Afzal Khan, was the Awami League candidate in the second city corporation election. The boat candidate fell victim of party dispute. In other words, to an influential person its own prestige and influence is more important than the interest of Awami League. This time 14 people wanted the nomination of Awami League. After the death of Afzal Khan, Bahauddin's influence increased in Comilla and in the Awami League. This time Arfanul Haque Rifat, Bahauddin's own man, was nominated. Bahauddin threw Sakku away as soon as Rifat was nominated and became desperate to win his man. In the end, the MP's own people have won, but the Awami League has lost. They have given an opportunity to question the upcoming election to win an unimportant local government election. The Awami League might have won this election even if the local MPs were away. And even if the Awami League lost, there would be no harm for the politics of the country.

The new election commission headed by Habibul Awal was formed through controversy. This is the first time that the Election Commission has been formed through that law. But the BNP, one of the main opposition parties in the country, did not take part in the process of forming the election commission. The BNP did not go to the President's dialogue. They did not submit names to the search committee. The BNP had said, "This election commission will be loyal and obedient to the government." The party tried to bring the demand for a non-partisan government back into the political arena by boycotting the formation of the Election Commission. So the Awal Commission sat in a kind of hot seat. Almost all the election commissions in Bangladesh had 'bachal (talkative)' disease. This time there was no exception. The Election Commission lost the confidence of people at the very beginning by saying all sorts of irrelevant, controversial and unwelcome remarks. He advised opposition political parties, such as Ukrainian President Zelensky, to fight back. Since then he has been talking and talking. Gaining the confidence of the BNP is the main reason for his exaggeration - no one is having any trouble understanding it. He has also guaranteed the nation that “this time there will no voting at night” to prove himself completely neutral. But people don't want to see the Election Commission talk, they want to see them work. People wants result not promises. The impartiality of a commission is proved by its work. The main function of the Election Commission is to organize a completely free, fair and impartial elections at different levels. The first test of this commission headed by Habibul Awal was the Comilla City Corporation election. The new CEO entered the battle to prove himself worthy and impartial. In this election, BNP was not on paper, they were in reality. For some time now, the BNP has been using the strategy of fielding independent candidates for local elections. BNP candidates have stood as independents in the Union Parishad elections. They have selected the symbols like mugs, clocks, vessels etc. instead of Dhaner Shish. BNP candidate Taimur Alam Khandaker also became an independent candidate in Narayanganj city election. In Comilla, however, there were not only one but two BNP candidates. Apart from former mayor Sakku, another BNP leader Nizam Uddin Kaiser has also participated in the election. Therefore, no matter what the BNP says, they will not go to the polls under this government; in reality, they are well on the election field in disguise.

Even during the Comilla City Corporation election, the BNP secretary general made various comments about the election system almost every day. The new electoral strategy of the BNP is no longer a secret. The party is now staging an expulsion drama to prove that they are away from the election. Taimur Alam Khandaker was first released in Narayanganj. After the defeat, he was shown a red card and expelled from the team. In Comilla, Sakku was also expelled for life. Kaiser was not left out either. But despite being expelled publicly, the BNP leaders and workers were divided and worked for their two candidates. In such a situation, the first focus of the new Chief Election Commissioner in the first test was to gain the confidence of the BNP. Habibul Awal has tried to please the BNP more than he wanted to make a neutral and impartial election in Comilla. Disaster strikes when a person goes beyond his responsibilities. At one stage of the election campaign, the CEC directed AQM Bahauddin, Member of Parliament for Comilla-6 constituency, to leave the area. BNP (independent) candidate Monirul Haque Sakku complained against the Awami League leader. According to the local government election code of conduct, ministers and members of parliament cannot participate in the election campaign on behalf of candidates. Whether this rule is good or bad can lead to a long theoretical debate. But the Awami League has been abiding by this rule in all elections for the last 13 years. Even in sensitive elections like Chittagong and Narayanganj city elections, Awami League ministers and MPs did not get involved. Habibul Awal may have thought that this famous leader of Comilla would leave the election area and come to Dhaka as soon as he gave a letter. Why the new CEC sent a letter asking a Member of Parliament to leave the area is also a great topic of discussion. Finding the answer to this question not that difficult. It was the trump card of Kazi Habibul Awal. If AQM Bahauddin had accepted this, the backbone of the new Election Commission would have been strong. Kazi Habibul Awal's image was growing in the national and international arena. The EC sent a notice to Bahar to leave the area, not in the interest of fair elections, but to make himself acceptable. But the Chief Election Commissioner probably did not know the suicidal history of the Awami League leaders. The number of such leaders of the Awami League is not less who harms the party to corner its opponents. Who quarrels and makes the party weak. They let the team’s achievement fade for their personal interest.  The late BNP leader Colonel (retd) Akbar Hossain made an excellent comment about the politics of Awami League in Comilla. He said, "The BNP does not need workers to win If Bahar and Afzal are there."

The Awami League leaders have slandered or criticized the various leaders of their own party more than the BNP or any other party. Some say that Awami League does not need enemies, they themselves are enough to defeat them and it has been proven at various times. The murderous Mushtaq and his cronies were disgustingly involved in the conspiracy to assassinate the father of the nation, thinking only of their own interests. Abdur Razzak crippled the Awami League to assert his allegiance. Dr. Kamal did not think of the interests of the country or the Awami League. The Awami League was harmed by his personal interests. The main reason for the collapse of the Awami League in the 1991 elections was internal strife. In defeating Selina Hayat Ivy, one of the leaders almost defeated the Awami League in Narayanganj. The Awami League is being disputed in Chandpur over its own clash. The MP-leaders have hurt the Awami League many times to make their 'My Man' win, in the Union Parishad election. In Comilla, the Awami League has become weak due to that clash of two leaders. The local MP has taken a big risk. He has put the Awami League in trouble by becoming the ruler of Comilla. If he had left the area after receiving a letter from the Election Commission, his image and also Awami League’s image would have increased. This may have increased the votes of Awami League candidates. Ordinary people thought that Awami League was respectful of law. But Bahauddin disregarded the instructions of the Election Commission and proved that those in power care little about the Election Commission. The Election Commission in powerless. When Bahauddin did not give damn to the commission, the commission also retreated in fear. He said, what do we do if he does not leave. Wow, then why this drama? Why give a letter like this? This incident proved that the commission was incapable of exercising its powers.

In our opinion, the Comilla city election was complete mess. Bahauddin sent a message to his staff from the area, "I want to win my candidate at any cost." After the peaceful election, there was a fierce battle in the counting of votes. Then came the onslaught of violent government supporters. In the end, the Awami League candidate was declared the winner with 343 votes. All the achievements of the day around the election were shattered like house of cards. Was it really that important for Awami League candidate to win the mayor election in Comilla?  

This election is taking place at a time when multi-faceted polarization is going on in Bangladesh with the forthcoming parliamentary elections. The United States is constantly advising on the election of Bangladesh. US Ambassador Peter D. Hass has repeatedly said, "I want to see free, fair and participatory elections in Bangladesh." Before the Comilla election, he ran to the Election Commission. The commission seems to have been blessed with the arrival of him. There, the US ambassador said, "Bangladesh's election should reflect public opinion. Let the person of the people's choice be elected. Not only the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union is already talking openly about the election in Bangladesh. They are saying this because the BNP in constantly poking them about the elections in Bangladesh. The BNP is claiming that free and fair elections are not possible under the present government and the Election Commission. Didn’t Comilla election give new life force to this demand of BNP? No one in the Awami League is happy after the sudden result of this election. They say the damage has been done. I asked an Awami League leader, then would it have been better if Awami League candidate Arfanul Haque Rifat had lost? The leader immediately said that even if none of these happened the Awami League candidate would have won. The Narayanganj city election was proof that the election could be won without questioning the EC. The Awami League candidate won that election through an impeccable electoral strategy. An election management team led by Awami League presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak was sent from Dhaka. The team that strictly stopped the Awami League clash in Narayanganj strictly. The united Awami League proved to be irresistible. In the words of that leader, I matched the Narayanganj election with the Comilla election. Not only in Narayanganj, Awami League has fielded teams centrally in different elections. That team is doing its work. But Where is the central team in Comilla? I called a few places and found out that the Awami League did not form a central team. But why? Because Bahauddin did not want it. He himself made the blueprint to control Comilla by taking all the responsibilities. He has implemented his wish by relying on Awami League. It was this leader who had a heated argument with the Awami League president about making Comilla a separate division a few days ago. He was trying to be a hero to the people of Comilla by inciting regionalism in that unsolicited debate. The Prime Minister showed extreme patience that day. Some have even applauded Bahar. But a senior leader like Bahauddin never once thought that without Sheikh Hasina, there would be nothing in Bangladesh. The Awami League has also lost its pride in the Comilla elections. This will raise questions about the eligibility of the Election Commission. Many are saying that how will the Election Commission handle 300 Members of Parliament in the National Election if they cannot handle a single Member of Parliament? Who is going to answer that question? The immature selfish leaders who only care about their own benefit?

It was in this Comilla where the murderer Mushtaq and the murderer Taher Uddin Tagore used to do politics. It was in Comilla where murderer Mushtaq questioned the election for personal gain. The National Parliament election on 7 March 1973. No one has any doubt about the victory of Awami League, but Awami League candidate Mushtaq was defeated in Comilla-9 constituency by a huge margin. He was losing to an independent candidate named Engineer Abdur Rashid. At that time the ballot box was brought to Dhaka by helicopter. The killer Mushtaq was declared as the winner. The consequences of using the party for personal gain are never wise and those who use the party for their own benefit are never beneficial to the party.