Hours before 18-party-supported candidates made a clean sweep in all the four city polls, the main opposition BNP on Saturday demanded that the Election Commission take immediate action against the ruling party musclemen who exercised control at polling centres.
BNP parliamentary delegation led by Barkatullah Bulu came to the election commission (EC) to submit their written allegations about irregularities in four city corporation elections.
A top BNP policymaker said the outcomes of the four city corporation polls will not influence their ongoing movement for restoration of the caretaker government system.
“The [movement] will continue whatever the results of the city corporation polls are,” standing committee member Moudud Ahmed told a discussion earlier on the day at the National Press Club.
Pointing out there is no alternative to reinstating the caretaker system for ensuring the people’s right to vote, he said: “Our movement will not stop even if the results come in our favour and would rather intensify gradually.”
Rejecting the prime minister’s declaration to host the upcoming general election in the manner it is held in other democratic countries, the BNP leader reiterated his party’s stand not to participate in the polls if it is held under a partisan government.
At 2pm, the BNP delegation met with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), and submitted their allegations to him.
Following the meeting, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury told reporters election commissioners had been absent since morning. There was no monitoring by the commissioners in the early period of the city corporation polls.
“The CEC assured us that he would take action after investigating the allegations,” said the BNP chief whip.
After the city corporations’ polls ended, CEC said: “Not just today, BNP delegation came to EC several times. We have taken initiatives as per the allegations after investigating the matter.”
Bulu informed the election commissioner, Mohammad Abdul Mobarak, that officer-in-charge of Kotwali thana, Khulna allegedly beat BNP leaders and activists.
He said polling agents of the BNP-backed candidate had been tuned out from 18 polling centres in Barisal, adding that the ruling party men were exercising their influence over all polling centres in Rajshahi.
“The returning officers fail to work independently in the four city corporations elections. The EC should take action on the allegations. If it does not, free and fair polls will not be possible,” he said.
Earlier, EC secretary, Dr Mohammad Sadik, informed the BNP delegation that allegations brought by BNP were not correct.
EC is investigating the allegations at a grassroots levels, he said, adding that it would take actions against those committing wrongdoings if it was found to be true by the EC’s own observers.
Almost halfway through the polls in four city corporations yesterday noon, BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told reporters at BNP’s Naya Paltan central office that the government was manipulating the election through “various evil designs.”
“The government is conspiring in many ways. Ruling party men are terrorising voters and forcing out the agents of theBNP-supported candidates,” reports UNB.
Rizvi identified Barisal city as most vulnerable. “Armed ruling party cadres are carrying out terrorist activities there and beating up and harassing the supporters of the BNP-supported candidate,” he said.
He alleged that BNP-backed candidate Ahsan Habib Kamal had tried repeatedly to lodge complaints to the returning officer but “he had gone into hiding.”
“Even the returning office is not picking up phone,” he added.
He also alleged that the local DC and SP did not take any effective measures even after complaints from Kamal and his representatives.