Current administration qualified to hold elections: Cabinet Secretary

Bangla Press Desk:  Currently serving administrative officials are qualified and ready to arrange free and fair elections on 12 February, said Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid on Thursday.

Before the election schedule was announced in December, the government appointed 55 district administrators, and none of them served in the previous three rigged national elections, Sheikh Abdur Rashid told reporters at the Secretariat.

Some leaders from Jamaat-e-Islami, and NCP have alleged biasedness in the approach of some returning officers.

Some returning officer may not be experienced enough, but the government is hoping they can execute their election-time duties well, the cabinet secretary said.

Still, if any discrepancy or issue is noticed, higher authorities would take prompt corrective measures. But the entire administration should not be blamed for minor irregularities, the cabinet secretary added.

Jamaat-e-Islami has also asked the Election Commission (EC) to remove partisan district administrators.

On this issue, Sheikh Abdur Rashid said the government will withdraw a district administrator if the EC asks for it. For that to happen, the EC will first have to be convinced enough of the officials’ incapacity, the cabinet secretary noted.

BP/SP