<div><b><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday reiterated that her government&nbsp; is determined to make the upcoming national election free and fair.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister made the statement while a group of incumbent and former election commissioners from India, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Nepal called on her at her Sangsad Bhaban office.</div><div><br></div><div>They are: Former Chief Election Commissioner of India&nbsp; Dr. SY Quraishi, Chairman of Election Commission of Maldives&nbsp; Fuwad Thowfeek, Chairman of Election Commission of Sri Lanka RMAL Rathnayake, Election Commissioner of Nepal Sagun Shumsher JB Rana and Former Election Commissioner of Nepal Ila Sharma.</div><div><br></div><div>They are visiting Bangladesh at the invitation of the Election Monitoring Forum (EMF), a polls watchdog consisting of incumbent and former election commissioners from the neighbouring countries.</div><div><br></div><div>PM's press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the reporters after the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister mentioned that the election commission of Bangladesh has been constituted under a law passed by parliament.</div><div><br></div><div>"Under the act of 2022 the chief election commissioner and other commissioners have been appointed. Besides, the government has given absolute budgetary independence to the election commission," she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina, also the president of the ruling Awami League, said that the EC has already set several examples of smoothly conducting elections including parliamentary by-elections and local government elections.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister said that female candidates alongside males can contest in three hundred seats of Jatiya Sangsad, while there are also 50 seats reserved for women proportionally from the political parties representing in the parliament.</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to the 2018 general election, Hasina said that BNP took part in that by nominating 700 candidates in 300 seats while changing their candidates time and again.</div><div><br></div><div>"Even, the BNP withdrew their candidates from the polls on the day of voting to make the election controversial," she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister told the visiting ECs how votes were rigged in the past by the military dictators and BNP. She said BNP founder Ziaur Rahman seized power illegally violating the constitution and declared himself as president although he was thr Chief of Army Staff.</div><div><br></div><div>"The military dictators ascended to the state power unconstitutionally and later formed political parties," she added.</div><div><br></div><div>About politics of the BNP, She said the party has now no leadership and its top two leaders are convicted for their misdeeds and crimes.</div><div><br></div><div>During the meeting, the delegation members said, they discussed the issue of next general election in Bangladesh with the Election Commission, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>"The EC of Bangladesh is very confident in holding it in a free and fair manner," former Chief Election Commissioner of India Dr SY Quraishi said.</div><div><br></div><div>He also said that the Indian Election Commission takes over the administrative power of the government during the election time.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>