Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin has said that the Election Commission (EC) does not want to support or oppose any political party in a bid to remain neutral. 

He came up with the remark on Sunday (February 9) as the chief guest at the ‘Journalist Hossain Zakir Best Reporting Award-2025’ ceremony at the Election Commission building in Agargaon. 

Reporters for Election and Democracy (RFED), a platform for journalists covering the EC, organised the event.

CEC said that past Election Commissions faced controversies mainly due to political influence and control. EC must be protected from political interference to avoid similar disputes in the future.

Nasir Uddin said fair elections cannot be conducted solely by EC officials and staff, “We need support from all sectors of society, including media professionals, to ensure free and fair elections.”

While speaking CEC acknowledged the role of journalists as an integral part of the EC, saying that the media serves as a bridge to communicate the commission’s work to the people.

During the event, the CEC presented awards to three journalists for outstanding election reports. 

The journalists received awards are - Saidur Rahman from The Daily Ittefaq won in the print media category, Mahmudul Hasan Parvez from Independent Television in the TV media category, and Mehedi Hasan Hasib from BD24Live.com in the online category. Last year, senior correspondent Ikram-Ud-Doula from Banglanews won the award.

RFED President Ikramul Haque Sayem presided over the event, while General Secretary Humayun Kabir conducted the session. Senior journalist Sheikh Nazrul Islam, Chief Election Commissioner for RFED General Election-2025, Daily Kaler Kantho City Editor Kazi Hafiz, former RFED President and The Daily Ittefaq Election Editor Saidur Rahman, and others also spoke at the event.

BDST: 1719 HRS, FEB 09, 2025
MSK/SMS