BNP on Wednesday called daylong hartals for Thursday in eight upazilas under six districts to protest what the party said upazila polls fraud.
The upazilas are Sadar in Meherpur, Sadar and Shailakupa in Jhenidah, Sonatola in Bogra, Bakerganj and Gouranadi in Barisal, Sujanagar in Pabna and Kazipur in Sirajganj.
Addressing a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the local units of the party separately announced the shutdown programmes.Narrating the various incidents of “election fraud” by the ruling party ‘cadres’, the BNP leader said Awami League men captured many centres forcing out BNP-backed candidates’ polling agents and attacked the opposition leaders and activists in different upazilas during the election.
“Still, we didn’t get information from all upazilas. As per the information we’ve received, it gives us an impression that it’s a bizarre polls in which ruling party men are using their clout and capturing polling centres and attacking BNP leaders and activists,” he said.
He claimed that the ruling party men forced out their party-backed candidates’ agents and captured many polling centres in Bhedarganj upazila in Shariatpur, Nababganj in Dhaka, Doulatpur and Shibalaya in Manikganj, Sonatala in Bogra, Sadar and Kazipur in Sirajganj, Gobindaganj in Gaibandha, Bajitpur in Kishoreganj, Gouranadi and Bakerganj in Barisal, Dighulia in Khulna, Sadar in Meherpur, Shoilakupa and Sadar in Jhenidah, Sarishabari in Jamalpur, Lalmohan in Bhola, Goshairhat in Shariatpur and Sujanagar Pabna.
Rizvi denounced the ruling party men’s action to manipulate the first phase of the upazila election. – UNB
Earlier, ten candidates, mostly backed by BNP, boycotted their election in Gournadi upazila of Barisal, Lalmohan upazila of Bhola district, Shailkupa upazila of Jhenidah and Kazipur of Sirajganj on Wednesday on various allegations.
In Barisal, six pro-BNP chairman and vice-chairman candidates boycotted the election in Gournadi upazila alleging that the supporters of ruling party candidates were obstructing their followers from casting their votes.
BNP-supported chairman candidate Abul Hossain Mia, two of its rebel chairman candidates — Lokman Khan and Nur-e-Alam — vice-chairman candidate Mehidi Hasan and rebel candidate Sharif Zahid Sazzad and vice chairman candidate Taslima Begum declared their election boycott at a joint press briefing around 09:45am.
Contacted, Awami League-backed chairman candidate Shah Alam Khan and its vice-chairman candidate Farhad Hossain denied the vote fraud and claimed that the residents of the upazila are voting in a festive mood.
In Jhenidah, pro-BNP chairman candidate Rakibul Hasan of Shailkupa upazila boycotted the election as supporters of ruling party candidates prevented his supporters from casting their votes. The residents of 97 upazilas of 40 districts started casting their votes at 8 am Wednesday to choose their long list of representatives to upazila parishads in the first phase of the staggered local body elections.
In Bhola, two pro-BNP chairmen candidates pulled themselves of the election as supporters of ruling party candidates obstructed the BNP men from casting their votes.
During a press briefing, Aktaruzzuman Tito, a BNP rebel candidate, alleged that the Awami League men drove the polling agents out of the polling centres in various centres. They also attacked several polling centres and beat up 100 of his supporters.
Meanwhile, BNP-backed chairman candidate Shafiqul Islam Babul claimed that at least 250 of his activists were injured in attacks by the supporters of ruling party candidates in 66 centres in the upazila. In protest of the incident he also called a daylong hartal in Lalmohon upazila for Thursday.
In Sirajganj, Awami League rebel candidate Abul Kalam Azad boycotted the election in Kazipur upazila alleging that the supporters of ruling party-supported candidate Mozammel Haque Bakul captured polling stations. – UNB
