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Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis candidate Mamunul Haque has submitted a reply to a show-cause notice from the Election Commission (EC), rejecting allegations of violating the electoral code of conduct in the Dhaka-13 constituency.
He denied breaching the rules by distributing leaflets in favour of the “Yes” vote in the upcoming referendum before the start of the official campaign period, reports bdnews24.com.
Speaking at the EC headquarters on Saturday, Mamunul said the returning officer issued the notice “without proper verification”.
The issue arose after Mamunul distributed leaflet outside the EC building at 5pm on Tuesday. Following media reports on the matter, the returning officer sought a written explanation from him.
After submitting the reply on Saturday, his lawyer said the show-cause notice had been answered and “no violation” of the code of conduct had taken place.
“Rather, [Mamunul] encouraged the public to participate in the referendum for the government and the people. We have submitted this in writing,” the lawyer added.
“We have also stressed that the code of conduct should be applied equally to all candidates and no one should face discriminatory treatment.”
Seeking media cooperation in ensuring compliance with the code, Mamunul said misleading information had been spread to damage his public image.
“Efforts have also been made to divert my attention from my election preparations,” he added. “The leaflet campaign was in support of the referendum and the ‘Yes’ vote. We have urged cooperation to ensure the level playing field in the election is maintained and that no candidate is harassed through misleading media coverage.”
“Even as the head of a political party, if such harassment occurs, it raises serious questions about how level the playing field really is,” the leader said.
The parliamentary polls and the referendum will be held on Feb 12.
Electoral symbols for parliamentary candidates will be allocated on Jan 21, with campaigning set to begin on Jan 22 and end 48 hours before polling day.
The EC has barred candidates and political parties from campaigning before Jan 21.
Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said on Tuesday that the code of conduct applies to election candidates and political parties, noting that a referendum has no candidates or parties.
Even so, he said political parties should refrain from publicly campaigning for “Yes” or “No” votes before Jan 21, adding that early campaigning is “not appropriate