EC to visit Gono Odhikar Parishad offices before finalising its registration

The Election Commission has decided to visit the offices of Gono Odhikar Parishad to reassess its workings before finalising its registration as a political party amid infighting which culminated in the 'removal' of its convener and member secretary.

The visit has been scheduled for Monday, and the regulator has asked the party's feuding leaders, Reza Kibria and Nurul Haque Nur, to be present at its Purana Paltan office with all the necessary information and documents.

They have both received letters from the EC's information verification panel to this end, according to bdnews24.com.

However, the probe is not connected to the rift within the party, according to Abdus Salam, the committee's deputy secretary.

"The Election Commission has instructed us to conduct an investigation. It is not related to the party's internal conflict. Our records show that Reza Kibria and Nurul Haque Nur are the party's convener and member secretary. Accordingly, a letter was sent to them both on Wednesday," he said.

Gono Odhikar Parishad started its journey in the political realm in October 2021 with Kibria and Nur at the helm as convener and member secretary.

But the party was thrown into disarray in the lead up to the upcoming general election due to a public spat between Kibria and Nur last month.

As the two fired broadsides at each other on their respective Facebook accounts, Nur's supporters pushed for a change in leadership, culminating in Kibria's removal as convener. But Kibria maintained that he had not been ousted from the post and fired back by sacking Nur as the party's member secretary.