AL leader teaches 'tactics' to stop voters the night before
Alamdanga municipality unit Awami League president Delwar Hossain has taught his followers how to stop the supporters of the opposition party from voting, and cast all the votes the night before the election day.
“There are many ways of voting. Voting should be done beforehand. No vote should be cast at the voting centres," he said. The ruling Awami League came to power in the 11th parliamentary election, in which the votes were reportedly casted at night before the voting day.
Delwar made the remarks at a workers' rally in support of the party's mayoral candidate Hasan Qadir Ganu in the Alamdanga municipal elections to be held on 14 February.
He has even taught his followers about those tactics of voting.
Addressing the leaders and activists, he said, “We have to take to the streets the night before the voting day and threaten them (BNP activists) that don’t dare to move out of the house? You are Razakars, you are Jamaat.”
Delwar Hossain is the former vice chairman of the Alamdanga upazila parishad. A video clip of his remarks spread on social media Facebook on Tuesday. According to the party sources, the rally was held at the office of Alamdanga Motor Workers Union last Friday.
General secretary (acting) of upazila Awami League Yakub Ali and president of Alamdanga Motor Workers Union Riyad Hossain were present on the stage during Delwar's speech in the 1 minute and 58 second video.
Speaking in regional language at the workers 'rally, Delwar Hossain was heard to say, “If the people are followers of BNP, we will stop them from voting. We will put barricades. We will vote in place of them and will vote for ‘nouka’(Awami League’s electoral symbol). There are several strategies of voting. If we follow those strategies, we will win by a huge margin.”
Delwar then asked for the opinion of everyone present and said, “Do you all agree?” When everyone responded with a resounding 'yes', Delwar Hossain said those who agree, please raise your hands a little. When the people present raised their hands, he said, Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Later he taught the ‘strategies’ to obstruct the voters of the mayoral candidate from the opposition party.
He said, “Why are we working so hard here? It is for votes. So how will we get these votes (votes of the supporters of the opposition party)? We have to take to the streets the night before the voting, and threaten them (BNP activists) that they don’t dare to go out of the house? You are Razakars, you are Jamaat. There are many ways of voting. Voting should be done beforehand. No vote should be cast at the voting centres.”
Three candidates are contesting for the post of the mayor of Alamdanga municipality. The candidates are – Hasan Quadir, the current mayor and the president of the upazila Awami League, Mir Mohiuddin, the former mayor and former senior vice president of Chuadanga district unit of BNP and independent candidate Sobed Ali, the president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), Chuadanga.
When asked about his speech in the video, Delowar Hossain said, “The man who made the speech in the video is me. However, my speech has been replaced with the help of technology.”
Meanwhile, independent candidate Sobed Ali regarded Delwar’s speech as ridiculous.
He said, “Delwar’s voice is well known to the people of Alamdanga. There is no scope to hide these offensive comments.”
Mir Mohiuddin, the mayoral candidate from BNP, said, “The voters of Alamdanga are very conscious. It is the home of many renowned persons. The top officials of the election commission have assured a free and fair election. No one’s threat can stop that.”