Bangladeshi former PM reiterates demand for army supervision for local body polls

reiterates demand for army supervision for local body polls
DHAKA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) — Bangladeshi former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on Monday once again called for the deployment of the army to supervise the local body polls.
While addressing a press conference, Khaleda Zia, also chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), alleged that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) party is hatching conspiracy to manipulate the elections which are thought to be an acid test for both ruling and opposition parties to prove their popularity.
Voting at 234 municipalities is slated for Dec. 30. Hundreds of candidates are contesting in the polls for the positions of mayors, which for the first time are being held on the party line nomination.
Khaleda Zia once again urged the Election Commission to deploy the army in the elections.
Khaleda Zia said army deployment is needed to ensure the impartiality and transparency of the elections as her party candidates and agents for the polling centres were being harassed by the ruling party activists.
A ruling party spokesman was not immediately available for comments about Khaleda Zia’s allegations.
Khaleda Zia, however, expressed confidence that her party would get around 80 percent of votes if the election is held in a free and fair manner.
Khaleda Zia said Hasina’s AL is planning to show BNP as an unpopular party by rigging votes in the local government elections. Enditem