A meeting between the Prime Minister (PM) and 150 retired armed forces officers at Ganobhaban was not a violation of the electoral code of conduct, said an election commissioner on Friday.
"They (retired officials) met with the Prime Minister and extended their support to her. In my opinion, it was not a violation of the electoral code of conduct," Election Commissioner Md Rafiqul Islam said while talking to reporters at Nirbachan Bhaban.
He, however, said the Election Commission (EC) would take action against those who would conduct election campaign at Ganobhaban or Bangabhaban.
He came up with the remarks while refuting BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi's comments that the Prime Minister's recent meeting with retired army officers was a clear violation of the electoral code of conduct.
"If anyone (retired officers) meets and praises us for our tasks, do you think it is a violation of electoral code of conduct?" he asked.
If a person wants to meet with the PM, then she cannot meet him or her on the street rather than her official residence, he added.
The election commissioner also said if anyone lodges complaint to the EC about the breach of electoral code of conduct, the commission could take action against him or her if found responsible for violating it.
