Excluding Awami League from elections will not be inclusive: Former NBR chairman

Staff Correspondent

Former secretary and chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), Badiur Rahman, has commented that the election being organized by keeping the Awami League out cannot be an inclusive election in any way.

He made these remarks on a private television discussion program on Wednesday (February 4) night.

Badiur Rahman said that on one side of the election field, slogans are being heard – ‘What will I vote for? A grain of rice’, while on the other hand, various slogans and campaigns are being carried out around candidates with different symbols. He claimed that the candidates are strategically campaigning by circumventing the Election Commission’s restrictions.

He said that even though charity medical camps, free medicine distribution, or social gatherings are organized on someone’s birthday, in reality, the candidates from the relevant area are behind them.

He commented that these events are being used as a tool for election campaigning.

The former secretary also said, “I have an objection to voting. I call a spade a spade. If you want to defeat the Awami League in the elections, defeat it through the elections. But if you forcefully exclude it from the elections, it is nothing but a sham. No election can be inclusive like this.”

Badiur Rahman also criticized the tendency to keep the Jatiya Party away from the elections. He said that labeling a party as ‘friend’ and not allowing it to participate in the elections is against democracy.

He also questioned the neutrality of the head of government. Referring to Professor Muhammad Yunus, Badiur Rahman said, “It is important for the head of government to be neutral. If he behaves as a force in favor of the movement, it sends a negative message for the future.”

He also said that if they come to power through a movement and say, “Students are my employers,” it will set a dangerous precedent for future generations.