Staff Correspondent:

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has said that doubts still remain over whether upcoming elections will be free and fair.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday after a meeting with election commissioners, Rizvi said his party had sought clarification on the Election Commission’s (EC) preparations.

The meeting was attended by Senior Election Commissioner Abdur Rahman, Election Commissioner Md. Anowarul Islam, and a BNP delegation led by Rizvi.

“We still have doubts about free and fair elections,” Rizvi told journalists. “We asked the Commission about their preparations. Many elements within the administration are still working as collaborators and may try to create obstacles during the election. We wanted to know how the Commission plans to address this. The Commission assured us that they are making proper preparations for a fair election. Political parties may have different statements, but we have repeatedly raised the challenges of the proportional representation (PR) system.”

Rizvi added that discussions also covered the Representation of the People Order (RPO), redrawing of constituency boundaries, and voting rights of expatriates. “We discussed overall boundary issues, but no specific constituency was raised,” he said.

Stating that the EC has constitutional duties to uphold, Rizvi said the BNP came to learn about its overall preparedness. “We hope the Election Commission will fulfill its constitutional responsibilities. Who gets registration and who doesn’t is entirely up to the Commission,” he noted.

The BNP spokesperson further said the party expects the EC to ensure a participatory election with the involvement of all political parties.