Govt Can't Force To Vote: Moyeen

BNP standing committee member Moyeen Khan on Friday (January 5) said that the government cannot force people to vote in the January 7 national polls.

"The government can't force people to vote; there are no laws in Bangladesh about this." 

"The government says that asking people not to vote is unlawful, but this is a lie. Everyone must be aware of this," said Moyeen at a press conference at his residence two days before the national election.

"Whether or not a voter goes to the polling station to vote is a fundamental right," Moyeen said.

"The AL government expects a victory on January 7, the polls will instead deliver a defeat for the ruling Awami League."

BNP standing committee members Nazrul Islam Khan and Selima Rahman were also present at the briefing.

The BNP has boycotted the 12th parliamentary election after failing to realise their demand of the government stepping down and the polls being held under a non-party caretaker government.

In the lead-up to the polls, the party has been holding mass contact programmes to drum up support for their call to boycott the polls.

He called upon "democratic people" not to be worried by the "threats" and "intimidation" of the government ahead of the polls.

He asked voters to "courageously face" any attempts to influence their voting.

"Find out who is pressuring you to cast a vote. The time of one-party rule is finished. Do not be frightened of the threats of an illegal government," he added.

Moyeen said the poor community are being coerced to vote by government supporters, and those involved in such acts would face legal consequences in the future.

He said the AL government has failed by promoting a false image of BNP.

"But the global media and democratic people are aware of the current crisis in Bangladesh."

The BNP leader claimed that local and central AL leaders had threatened to seize government beneficiaries' ID cards.

"They are being warned that their cards won't be returned if they don't vote for the boat [Awami League's electoraql symbol]," he said.

According to Moyeen Khan, Awami League leaders are threatening to invalidate voters' NID cards if they fail to show up at the polls.

The BNP leader claimed that government workers were being forced to vote by postal ballots against their own choice.

"About 20 lakh government employees are being pushed to vote by postal ballots against their wishes.

"They are under pressure to bring every member of government officials' families to cast their vote for the boat," he added.

On election day, he claimed, the 61 lakh appointed Ansar members were forced to cast postal ballots.

Additionally, there has been a threat to vote for their family members.

Moyeen further alleged that leaders of Chhatra League, and Swechchchhasebak League -- the student and volunteer wings of the party -- have been preparing to cast "fake votes", as they did in the 2014 and 2018 polls.