The Election Commission has out and out failed to contain violence centring the upazila polls, SHUJAN, a platform of civil society members, has alleged.
It also came up with the allegation that of the 379 chairman candidates vying for the fourth phase upazila elections, 128 were accused in different cases including for murder.
The allegation came at a press conference held yesterday at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity in the capital. The fourth phase of polls will be held on Sunday.
“The EC has so far failed to hold the upazila polls in a free and fair manner. The law enforcers did not obey the commission’s order. They have worked as per the government instruction,” SHUJAN Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder said.
He added that the EC was silent on taking action against violence that marked the last three phases.
“We are not any party’s agent. During the BNP tenure, it described us as agent of Awami League while the ruling party now compares us with Jamaat-e-Islami.”
In his address, former adviser to a caretaker government M Hafizuddin echoed Badiul.
He said the commission hardly exercised its authority to enforce law to ensure a peaceful atmosphere of election.
In the fourth phase polls, affidavits of 379 out of 388 candidates vying for the post of chairman have been uploaded on the EC’s website, SHUJAN says.
It adds that around 200 chairman candidates had their graduation while 62 did not pass school.
A total of 1,287 candidates are contesting the fourth phase upazila polls for the posts of chairman, vice-chairman and female vice-chairman.
