Municipality polls: BNP alleges irregularities

UNB

Published at 06:51 pm January 16th, 2021

Voting municipality elections Noakhali Basurhat

File photo of voters queue up to cast their votes in the second phase of municipality elections. The photo was taken from Basurhat Government Primary School centre in Companiganj upazila of Noakhali on Saturday, January 16, 2021 Dhaka Tribune

BNP leaders also criticized the use of EVMs in the elections

BNP claims ruling party supporters kept most polling stations captive during the municipality polls on Saturday, just like during the general elections.

"We have information that the ruling party didn’t allow our polling agents to go to centres in [Saturday’s] municipal elections. They were driven out from the centres in many places,” said BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain.

Speaking at a program at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, he also alleged that BNP supporters were not allowed to go to polling stations to exercise their right to franchise.

“Awami League supporters captured polling stations with support from the administration. They resorted to the same irregularities in the municipal elections as in general elections,” the BNP leader said.

Mosharraf claimed the current government had connived with Election Commission to destroy the country’s election system.

He also said some Awami leaders had started speaking about the “real situation” of elections and polling stations in the country. “If a genuine election is held, Awami League candidates won’t find any escape route. An Awami League candidate made this remark, and that’s the fact.”

The BNP leader criticised the Election Commission for using EVMs in the polls, while people were not allowed to go to polling stations. “There’s an evil motive behind EVM use in elections.”

The voting in 60 municipalities across the country began around 8am and continued until 4pm on Saturday in the second phase of the staggered municipal elections.

Of the 60 municipalities, EVMs were used in 29 while the voting took place with traditional ballot papers in 31 others.

At the program, Mosharraf said BNP have decided to form different regional committees comprising pro-BNP expatriate Bangladeshis living in different countries to celebrate the golden jubilee of independence outside Bangladesh.

He said they will form the regional committees in countries in the Middle East and European, including the UK, to celebrate the event in a befitting manner outside Bangladesh.