Chief election commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on Thursday said that the democratic continuity, which he claimed established through the January 7 Jatiya Sangsad elections, would be tainted if the forthcoming upazila parishad elections are not held in a free and fair manner.
鈥業f we fail to hold free and fair upazila polls, the democratic continuity which has been established after the parliamentary elections on January 7 would be tarnished,鈥� Awal said, while exchanging views on the law and order situation with the field administration ahead of the upazila polls at the EC headquarters Nirbachon Bhaban at Agargaon in the city.
The sixth upazila parished elections would be held in four phases starting from May 8.
鈥榃e have to prove that Bangladesh has democracy and that鈥檚 why we must hold the upazila polls in a free and fair manner,鈥� he said.
There might be some chaos in any elections, but measures should be taken so that the voters can cast their votes without any trouble, said the CEC, drawing attention of all the deputy commissioners and police superintendents who attended the meeting.
The CEC also gave directives to the field level administrative officials to prevent violence at the polls.
He said that elections in the country are a bit chaotic as emotions run high, while measures should be in place to facilitate voters to cast their votes smoothly.