EC scraps Charbhadrasan upazila by-polls

The Election Commission (EC) has cancelled the results of the recently held by-polls to the office of the chairman of the Charbhadrasan upazila council in Faridpur due to irregularities during the voting.

The commission, in a gazette notification on Sunday, came up with the cancellation order.

The Charbhadrasan upazila parishad by election in chairman post was held on October 10.

Ruling party backed candidate M Kawsar was elected as chairman in the by-election defeating Bangladesh Nationalist Party rebel candidate AKM Obaidul Bari on October 10 elections.

The commission came up with the announcement after a three-member probe committee, formed to investigate allegations of irregularities during the polls, found those as true, read the gazette.

A new date for election into the Upazila parishad chairman post will be announced later, it added.

On October 15, Senior District Election Commission Officer Nauabul Islam of Faridpur filed a case against Faridpur 4 MP Mujibur Rahman Nixon Chowdhury for violating electoral code of conduct during the by-election to the post of chairman of Charbhadrasan Upazila Parishad.

In the FIR of the case, legal action was sought against the MP under Upazila Parishad Electoral Code 2013 and Upazila Parishad Elector Code of Conduct 2016.

Nixon reportedly threatened the deputy commissioner (DC) and the assistant commissioner (land) of Faridpur district over the arrest of his supporters during by-polls to the post of chairman of Charbhadrasan Upazila Parishad.

He came up with the threat at a victory rally held in front of Charbhadrasan Upazila Awami League office after Awami League candidate Upazila Awami League General Secretary Md Kawsar Hossain (boat symbol) won the election.