The BNP will lay siege to the deputy commissioners’ offices across the country tomorrow (Thursday) in protest at “vote rigging and attacks” on the 19-party alliance leaders and activists by “the ruling party men” during the third phase of Upazila Parishad elections on March 15.
The party will also submit memorandums to the DCs on the day, citing “vote rigging and illegal stamping on ballots.”
“We will lay siege to the deputy commissioners’ offices across the country on March 20 protesting the violence, killing, vote rigging, attacks on BNP-backed candidates and snatching of ballot boxes that took place in last three phases,” Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, joint secretary general of the party, said.
Addressing a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters, he alleged that the ‘illegal’ government has increased the level of violence to ensure the victory for the ruling party-backed candidates.
“News reports showed that these incidents took place with direct support of the administration. The only target of the violence in the upazila elections was to divert people’s attention.”
Rizvi said that they repeatedly brought allegations to the election commission, but the commission played a silent role. “The EC turned into a rubber stamp institution.”
The BNP leader claimed that every day party leaders and activists were going missing mysteriously.
“According to today’s news report, at least 13 bodies were found in last 24 hours. These bodies are sometimes identified and sometimes unidentified. People of all strata, including politicians, journalists, businessmen, public representatives and students, became the victims of government-sponsored terrorism since it came to power.”
