‘Most irregularities in Khulna polls on police initiative’

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday alleged that most of the irregularities in Khulna civic polls took place on the police initiative.

“This [AL] government has pitted the police against the opposition political parties. In most of the cases, the police took the initiative. These [irregularities] happened on their initiative which is ominous for the nation,” Mirza Fakhrul told a media briefing after the Khulna polls.

Ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) mayoral candidate Talukder Abdul Khalek was unofficially declared elected in the Khulna mayoral elections marred by rigging, ballot-stuffing, capture of polling station and intimidation of voters on Tuesday.

Briefing the media at the Gulshan office of the BNP chairperson, the BNP secretary general said, “It seems that the CEC is working against the BNP. The country’s election has emerged to be a complete farce.”

He pointed out that the Khulna polls would not be held in farcical manner, had the military troops been deployed in the local government polls.

“Rivals will not be able to do electioneering and their agents will be driven out of the polling centres - this can’t be called elections.”

Alleging that the authorities have strictly controlled the media, Fakhrul said, “The authorities have all along said everything is okay.

“They controlled all of the elections but a very few held in the past five years. They forced the election commission. They destroyed the election system. None is keeping trust in the election system,” he added.

He alleged that voters were intimidated and barred from visiting the polling stations by the ruling Awami League activists.

“The BNP activists as well as polling agents were driven out. They (AL men) stamped seal on election symbol boat. A fair election can’t be held under these circumstances. This election commission is inept. It must be reconstituted,” said Fakhrul.