A good number of irregularities and incidents of vote rigging occurred in the fifth phase of upazila parishad elections, Election Working Group (EWG) observed.
In the polls, the turnout was 63.7%, most of which were fake votes, the EWG stated.
The EWG consists of 29 elections observatory organisations yesterday came up with the observation in its primary statement on the immediate past upazila polls at a press conference held at National Press Club in the capital.
Of 73 upazilas, the EWG observed 34 parishads where around 53% incidents of vote rigging were recorded.
The statement also said 50% incident of violence in the polling centres barred 20% voters to cast their franchise while there were also 183 incidents of forced leave of voters and 59% of polling agents.
Election expert Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah said the administration and law enforcers played an inactive role in tackling the electoral irregularities which is a matter great concern. “The dirty administrative influence on the fifth round of upazila polls is disgraceful to the nation.”
The situation started worsening from the second phase of polls, Kalimullah said, adding that 13 unruly supporters of a candidate in Belkuchi upazila of Sirajganj stuffed ballots after stamping under the nose of law enforcers who did not take any action. Director of EWG Abdul Alim echoed the expert, saying marked ballot papers were stuffed on the previous night of the voting day. “Such sort of bad practices was not seen before.”
Alim said five miscreants allegedly entered a polling centre in Gazipur Sreepur upazila and ordered the presiding officer to stop voting and the officer was forced to publish final results on their information.
