Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal and 22 others have been sued in Chittagong for alleged EVM forgery in the ninth phase of Union Parishad (UP) election.
Hathazari upazila Jubo League leader Nasir Uddin filed the case with the court of first Senior Assistant Judge Israt Jahan Nasrin in the port city on Wednesday.
Nasir was a rebel Awami League candidate at Farhadabad union in the ninth phase of UP polls.
The court accepted the case, said Hasan Ali Chowdhury, the counsel of the plaintiff, confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune.
Among the other 22 named in the case are -- LGRD Secretary Mohammad Mesbah Uddin Chowdhury, Election Commission Secretary Humayun Kabir, Regional Election Officer Hasanuzzaman, Chittagong Deputy Commissioner Mominur Rahman and Hathazari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shahidul Alam.
Citing the case statement, lawyer Hasan said: "In the ninth phase of the UP elections, the plaintiff received more votes than the boat candidate. However, the plaintiff was declared defeated by showing incorrect results on EVM. Petition for re-election and re-counting of votes was denied, but the gazette published boat's candidate as the winner on July 8.”
Plaintiff Nasir Uddin said: "I am a political worker of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who follows the ideals of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Despite not receiving the party nomination, I ran as an independent candidate with the support of the people. However, the district election officer, upazila election officer, and two Awami League leaders committed fraudulence by using EVM to elect a party candidate who did not have public support.”
"I reported election fraudulence to the Election Commission, regional election officer, and district election officer's office. But the gazette was published on July 8 without addressing all of these complaints. That is why I've gone to court for justice," he added.
