Awami League leader confesses to ‘vote robbing’ in 2014 and 2018 polls

An election camp of Mottalib was opened at ward no 5 of Barahatia union at around 8:00pm on Sunday. Speaking at the inauguration programme, Ritan Barua said, “I'm speaking about our MP. I want to tell you one thing. We robbed the vote for you in the 2014 election. This is as simple as that. We also partook in vote robbing in 2018. Now our prime minister repeatedly makes one statement that we are under pressure from the international community. We have to queue to vote without fighting each other. This has to be shown to the world.”

During Ritan Barua’s speech, independent candidate Abdul Mottaleb’s son Wahidul Islam, central Chhatra League’s former assistant secretary Md Riyad, Chattogram district Chhatra League’s former deputy-madrasa affairs secretary Sazzad Hossain were present.

Md Riyad told Prothom Alo that Ritan Barua had worked diligently for the current MP in the last two elections but in return he only faced harassment. He made this remark out of frustration.

Asked about his remark, Ritan Barua told Prothom Alo, “We cast some votes in 2014 and 2018. Now the leader (prime minister) wants this election to be fair and participatory. This election will not be like in the past.”

Asked about Ritan Barua’s comment, independent candidate Abdul Mottaleb’s chief coordinator of the election conducting committee in Lohagara Khorshed Alam Chowdhury said, “We don’t agree with his remarks. He can tell you better what he meant."