EC to take action over Jamaat candidate's misbehavior with army person

Election Commission will take necessary action over Jamaat-e-Islami candidate SM Khalequzzaman from Dhaka-17 constituency for using obscene language and abusing army personnel, said Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud.

He said this in response to a question from journalists at the Election Commission on Wednesday (February 4).

Regarding the allegations of the candidate misbehaving with army personnel and trying to forcibly carry weapons, the Election Commissioner said that the matter is under investigation. If anyone is affected or aggrieved, they can file a complaint with the Electoral Inquiry Committee and Adjudication Committee. If evidence of violation of the code of conduct is found during the investigation, the commission will recommend action against the person concerned.

He said that each complaint will be considered on the basis of facts and evidence (facts to facts, case to case).

Highlighting the commission's preparations to maintain electoral discipline, Abdur Rahmanel Masud said that 300 electoral inquiry and adjudication committees consisting of about 300 judges are working across the country. In addition, mobile courts are being run at the field level under the leadership of executive magistrates. Fines and punitive measures have already been taken for violating the code of conduct in various places and the same measures will be taken in the future if the allegations are proven.

He also said that in addition to filing direct complaints, the concerned committee can also take cognizance of the matter based on information received from the media or other reliable sources. After the investigation, they will send a report and recommendations to the commission and the commission will take a final decision accordingly.

Urging everyone to follow the code of conduct to keep the electoral environment fair and orderly, the Election Commissioner said that if any issue is very serious, the Election Commission can form an investigation committee on its own initiative and take action.

When asked about the overall environment of the election, he said, "We think that the electoral environment is relatively good."