2018 election marred with systematic, widespread electoral fraud: AB Party

Amar Bangladesh Party, AB Party, held a discussion meeting at the National Press Club on Saturday afternoon.

Leaders from major opposition political parties attended the programme and talked about the trust deficit of any election under partisan government as well as current electoral crisis, read a press release.

Waresul Karim, a globally renowned academic and the foremost researcher on caretaker government and electoral crisis, presented his keynote findings on electoral fraud in 2018 election.

AFM Solaiman Chowdhury, AB Party convenor and a retired bureaucrat, presided over the meeting,

Mojibur Rahman Monju, member secretary, moderated the session and Tajul Islam, joint convenor of the party, gave the welcome speech.

Waresul Karim said that he was shocked to go through the election data of 2018. In one hand, the ruling party secured over 82 per cent of the casting votes, surpassed the record of the first election in 1973 when the same party secured over 73 per cent votes.

On the other hand, the opposition, Oikya Front led by BNP, got no votes in hundreds of polling stations. In some centres, ruling party got over 100 per cent of votes including dead ones and ghost voters.

In summary, the research findings suggest that electoral fraud was systematic, widespread and highly orchestrated, he added.

BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan thanked the AB Party for organising data and research based on the findings of the 2018 election.

He said theft and burglary used to take place in secrecy but electoral fraud and vote rigging in 2018 were open and with the aid of the administration.

Awami League became so blind and blocked that they could not even fathom unprecedented level of public anger due to their years of misrule, mega-corruption, bank loots; that’s why they fear a free, fair and credible election.

Common people would simply boycott this farcical, lopsided and potemkin election as a peaceful protest against this authoritarian government.

Noted photographer Shahidul Alam said, "Our campaign is simple - ‘no overnight election’ anymore. This regime had even changed definition of a freedom fighter; if not with the ruling party, every one else is a traitor. I highly appreciate AB Party’s initiative."

Nagorik Oikya president Mahmudur Rahman Manna said affidavit declarations of the ruling party candidates shocked the nation. The wealth increase was exponential and disproportionate to any conscience; assets grew hundreds and thousand of times for some!

Revolutionary Workers Party general secretary Saiful Haque said, "I was frightened to hear PM saying the BNP had lost eligibility of doing any politics. Loosing public legitimacy and mandate, the ruling party is trying to ban opposition political parties."

Reza Kibria said that the 7th January election is unfortunate drama being staged from the the prime minister' office.

Hasnat Abdul Qayum of Rashtro Shongskar Andolon said that although the election research was a brilliant job but 2018 election has already been proven as a fraudulent act beyond any reasonable doubt.