Dhaka: BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday alleged that the Election Commission is carrying out its all activities to keep the current Prime Minister in power again.

‘The Election Commission is least bothered about creating a level-playing field and making the election competitive one. That’s why the Election Commission has announced the election schedule hurriedly to keep Sheikh Hasina in power through a lopsided election,’ he said, reports the UNB.

Speaking at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, Rizvi also said holding dialogue and announcing the election schedule are synonymous to farce amid the non-stop arrest of BNP leaders and activists.

He said the schedule announcement for a ‘unilateral’ election only made the country’s people shocked and frustrated. ‘A somber mood has been prevailing across the country since the announcement of a one-sided schedule.’

The BNP leader said the country’s people have also got upset as and astonished as the government ‘deceived’ them in the name of political dialogue over the election.

He said it is a matter of deep regret when the head of the government breaks her promises. ‘She (PM) said no more case would be filed and arrests would be made, but the number of cases and arrests has increased since the very night she made the commitment.’

Rizvi said the Chief Election Commissioner during the announcement of election schedule urged not to arrest and harass opposition leaders and activists. ‘But more than 300 leaders and activists of our party were arrested alone on Friday.’

Besides, he alleged, law enforcers kept raiding the houses of their leaders and activists and harassing their family members.