BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Friday said the upcoming elections to Khulna and Gazipur city corporations are an acid test for both the government and the Election Commission (EC).

‘Gazipur and Khulna city polls are a big test not for us but for the government and the Election Commission,’ he said, reports the UNB.

Mosharraf, a BNP standing committee member, came up with the remarks while speaking at a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club arranged by Jatiyatabadi Sangskritik Dal marking its 13th founding anniversary.

He said the two city polls will demonstrate in which manner the next general election will be held.

The BNP leader alleged that though the EC is an independent body as per the constitution, it cannot exert its power as the Commission has now become subservient to the government.

He demanded deployment of army in the two city polls and all other upcoming city corporation elections.

Justifying their party’s demand for army deployment, Mosharraf said as people have been deprived of the voting right since January 2014, the army should be there in the field so that people can muster courage to go to the polling station to cast their vote.

He also urged the government to release their chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail and take some other necessary steps for holding the next general election in a free and fair manner with the participation of all parties.

Airing their party’s doubt about implementation of the Prime Minister’s announcement to abolish the quota system in public service, Mosharraf urged the government to issue a gazette notification by Monday in this regard.

‘We’ve seen in newspapers that the government is assessing the quota system. There’s no question to examine it after the Prime Minister announcement in Parliament to repeal it.’

He also voiced concern over the report that ruling party’s student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League is forcing Dhaka University students who joined the quota reform movement out of halls.

He demanded the government immediately withdraw cases filed against the demonstrators and take a step to stop any kind of repression on them.