Law enforcemet, AL men rigged polls, Oikya Front tells EC

Opposition coalition of Jatiya Oikya Front on Thursday lodged as many as 17 complaints relating to rigging of 30 December elections with the election commission.

The ruling party men in collaboration with the law enforcers unleashed a reign of terror and stuffed ballots at the night before and on the voting day, the Front alleged.

After deployment of the army personnel, it pointed out, the attacks on leaders and activists of BNP and Oikya Front intensified and they were implicated in new cases.

A seven-member delegation of the front, led by BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, handed over a five-page memorandum containing polls irregularities to the chief election commissioner.

Nazrul Islam Khan, Abdul Kader Siddiqui, ASM Abdur Rab, Mahmudur Rahman Manna and Mostofa Mohsin Mintu were members of the delegation.

According to the memorandum, the law enforcers indulged in the attacks and filed lawsuits against the BNP leaders and activists instead of protecting them.

The Front leaders told thre EC that 30 to 60 per cent ballots were stuffed at the night before the voting day.

Voters were obstructed and polling agents intimidated and driven out of the polling stations, according to the complaints.

Casting fake votes and forcing the voters to cast their votes in favour of Awami League electoral symbol boat were also prominent features of the 30 December elections.

The Front also blamed the election commission for mysterious role in cancelling candidature of 18 aspirants of the coalition.