Denial of Registration: UPDF sends legal notice to EC

Denial of Registration: UPDF sends legal notice to EC

chtnews.com
News No. 167/2008, November 9, 2008

THE United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) on Sunday, November 09, sent a legal notice to the Chief Election Commissioner, A T M Shamshul Haq, urging him to inform the party by 2pm today whether the EC would "cancel, withdraw or rescind" its decision of 2. 11. 2008 not to register the UPDF as a political party.

The notice has been sent on behalf of the UPDF President, Mr. Prasit Khisha, by Advocate Md. Shariful Haq from Hazlul Karim and Associates.

It said " the said decision dated 2.11.2008 of the Election Commission not to register the UPDF as a political party is ultra vires of the Political Parties Registration Rules, in particular Rule 7(5) which specifically provides that the Commission shall give any applicant party an opportunity of fifteen days to correct any errors in its application and to supply the necessary documents in support of such application."

It also contended that " the said decision dated 2.11.2008 of the Election Commission is without lawful authority and of no legal effect inasmuch as it is wholly arbitrary and in violation of the principles of natural justice."

The press release was signed by Aongay Marama, Publication and Public Relations Department of the UPDF.
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chtnews.com is an independent and voluntary online news service dedicated to projecting and analyzing the current events in the Chittagong Hill Tracts from the perspective of the Jumma people's struggle for the right to self-determination. For further information please contact at: UPDF terms EC 'biased' in party registration

chtnews.com
News No. 164/2008, November 8, 2008

The United People's Democratic Front on Friday accused the Election Commission of showing 'discriminatory and biased' attitude in the registration of political parties, says the New Age, an English national daily in Bangladesh.

Full excerpt of the New Age report is as follows:

UPDF terms EC 'biased' in
party registration

Staff Correspondent

The United People's Democratic Front on Friday accused the Election Commission of showing 'discriminatory and biased' attitude in the registration of political parties.
Condemning the commission's decision not to register the UPDF as a political party, the party's president Prasit Bikash Khisha, in a statement signed by Angya Marma, the office and public relation secretary of the party, termed 'unacceptable and illogical' the reasons the commission showed for not registering it.
'It is very unfortunate the commission refused to register democratic and progressive parties such as the United People's Democratic Front whereas it registered parties like Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami which acted against the country's independence in 1971, amid strong opposition,' the statement said.
Prasit Bikash asked the chief election commissioner to reconsider registering it as a political party.

http://www.newagebd.com/2008/nov/08/nat.html

UPDF member arrested in Sajek

chtnews.com
News No. 166/2008, November 9, 2008

A member of the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) was arrested in Sajek under Rangamati district on 7 November.

Sources said Motor Chakma, aged 33, s/o Budu Chakma (mother's name Erebu Chakma) of village Balukhali under Bongoltoli Union of Baghaichari Thana was arrested from the house of one of his relatives in the village of Egojyachari in Sajek.

A group of army personnel from Majolong camp raided the village at around 4:30pm and arrested him.

Mr. Chakma, an active member of the UPDF, is believed to have been there on a family business. He has not been handed over to the police till the writing of this report at 3pm today.

No further details are available.
PCP Naniachar office standoff: army picks up 10 PCP and HWF members

chtnews.com
News No. 165/2008, November 8, 2008

In a latest development today, the army picked up five members of the Hill Students Council (PCP) including the president of its Naniachar branch, Bilash Chakma, and another five Hill Women's Federation members from their office at T & T area in Rangamati district.

However, they were released later after "interrogation". PCP and HWF sources in Naniachar told chtnews.com that a group of army personnel led by Adjutant Nazmul from Naniachar zone (1 EBR) came to the PCP and HWF office at around noon and took the PCP and HWF members to the zone headquarters.

At the zone, they were interrogated by captain Morshalin. In reply to his questions, the PCP Naniachar unit president told him that they had closed down the office after the declaration of the state of emergency last year.

"The army officer said they will not allow us to open the office without permission from the TNO (Thana Nirbahi Officer)." one of the PCP men present at the interrogation told chtnews.com.

Captain Morshalin also asked them to appear before the zone headquarters with identity cards and meet with the Commanding Officer (CO) tomorrow.

The other PCP members that were picked up included Bablu Chakma, Organising Secretary; Bignabinashon Chakma, Assistant General Secretary; Tapu Moni Chakma, member; Kalo Moni Chakma, member.

The HWF members taken to the zone headquarters along with them are Aruna Chakma, Kemie Chakma, Bipasha Chakma, Rupashi Chakma and Api Chakma.

PCP condemns
The Hill Student's Council President, Ricoh Chakma, and General Secretary, Aungya Marma, in a statement condemned what they called "the autocratic and undemocratic attitudes" of the army.

Army-police cordon off UPDF office in Naniachar

chtnews.com
News No. 163/2008, November 8, 2008

A joint force of army and police personnel cordoned off the office of the Naniachar branch of the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) yesterday, 7 November, a day after it was opened for the first time in nearly two years.

Like all other political parties of the country, the UPDF also closed down its offices after the promulgation of the state of emergency on 11 January last year suspending all kinds of political activities.

After the announcement of polls schedule on 2 November, the caretaker government relaxed the emergency rules, allowing the parties the freedom to conduct election related activities. A few months earlier, the government had withdrawn a ban on indoor politics.

In the morning of 6 November, the UPDF members and supporters opened their office in Naniachar Thana under Rangamati district. At 12 noon, two security intelligence personnel visited the office, but they did not speak to any one. "They stayed a few minutes at the office and then left" said a UPDF member from Rangamati.

The following day, i.e., 7 November, around 7am a joint force of army and police personnel came to the office in three pick-up vans and cordoned it off until 5pm.

The soldiers asked the people, present at the nearby tea shops, who had opened the office the day before.

The soldiers also told them that they had information that there would be a meeting at the office.

Sachib Chakma, a central committee member of the UPDF, confirmed the incident and said "the way the army and police cordoned off our office is a clear violation of our democratic rights."

"This is a tactic of intimidation and coercion, and they did it so that we are not able to participate in the polls freely and openly." he added.