Local AL protests postponement of by-polls

The procession, led by the upazila parished (UP) chairman GM Salim Parvez, marched down different roads and burnt tyres at upazila premises.
Prothom Alo

The leaders and activists of Awami-League (AL) in Gaibandha brought out rallies at Shaghata and Fulchhari upazilas, protesting against the election commission's (EC) announcement postponing the by-elections to Gaibandha-5 constituency.

Chief election commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal made the announcement at the EC office in the capital's Agargaon area around 2:30pm on Wednesday.

The CEC said, "We think the voting situation has gone out of control and a group or a rival opponent candidate has managed to influence the polls. That is why we think voting is not being held neutrally."

The commission monitors the situation in the by-election to Gaibandha-5 constituency from the EC office through CCTV cameras.

The CEC said EC officials had monitored the election uninterruptedly since 8:00am, but high officials of the EC informed him about 12:30pm that CCTV connections have been disconnected at many voting centres.

Around 3:00pm, a demonstration rally was brought out from Fulchhari upazila premises. The procession, led by the upazila parished (UP) chairman GM Salim Parvez, marched down different roads and burnt tyres at upazila premises.

Then, a rally was held there with the participation of AL leaders and activists.      

In the rally, speakers said people cast their votes peacefully since the morning. No untoward incident was reported from anywhere. There is no reason behind halting the election.     

Meanwhile, AL nominated candidate Mahmud Hasan briefed the media around 4:30pm at Shaghata upazila AL office in Bonarpara. At the press conference, he demanded the announcement of the results of other polling centres except the 44 postponed ones.

Mahmud Hasan claimed people exercised their franchise in a peaceful atmosphere the whole day. They didn't file any complaints to the local administration and the election officials. But the EC postponed voting in some booths on no logical ground -- an action that disappointed and aggrieved the voters.

Bitterly condemning the 'arbitrary decision' of the EC, he said the Jatiya Party candidate hatched a conspiracy against him.   

Meanwhile, other candidates, including JaPa, expressed a sigh of relief as the EC postponed the by-elections.    

Denying the allegation of hatching conspiracy, JaPa candidate Golam Shahid said the EC played a neutral role in the election. The commission found irregularities in the election which is why they first halted voting at 44 centres. Then the EC made the right decision.

There are 339,098 voters in Gaibandha-5 (Saghata-Fulchhari) constituency.

Five candidates including Mahmud Hasan of Awami League, AHM Golam Shaheed of Jatiya Party contested the by-polls.