Pabna: BNP on Sunday criticised the Election Commission (EC) for its stance on holding Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) without deploying army, saying the Commission is being used as an Awami League office.

“The Chief Election Commission does what the ruling asks him to do. He has no capacity to do anything independently,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

He came up with the remarks while speaking at a training workshop of local unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal at a community centre in the district town.

The BNP leader said the Chief Election Commissioner by announcing not to deploy army in the NCC polls has exposed that they will conduct the election as per Awami League’s will.

On Saturday, CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad said there is no necessity to deploy army for the upcoming NCC election as the law and order situation is now better there.

Opposing the EC’s decision, Rizvi alleged that the Prime Minister has already sent all the directions to the CEC as to how the ruling party’s victory can be ensured in the NCC election. “Now they’ll only execute those.” 

He alleged that the government snatched people’s all rights, including the freedom of expression. “It’s now conspiring to stanch people’s right to elect their representatives through an election.”