BNP on Saturday alleged that ruling party men played a vote rigging game in the third phases of Union Parishad elections.Speaking at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office on the election to 614 UPs, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said there is a clandestine contact between the government and the Election Commission (EC) to ensure the victory of Awami League candidates.
“Awami League men using their muscle power with the help of the administration and have played a unique game of vote rigging this time as they did in the first two phases. There’re incidents of huge irregularities, including capturing of polling stations, casting fake votes and snatching ballot boxes, at most polling stations in 47 districts,” he said.
Referring to the Prime Minister’s instruction to the EC to check irregularities and flaws in the UP polls, he said the country’s people have considered it as a mockery. “As per the constitution, the government is bound to provide any assistance if the EC seeks from it for holding the polls fairly and peacefully. But, now the government is instructing the Commission.”
He said the Prime Minister’s instruction is nothing but sweet-talking to confuse people. “It’s now become clear that vote rigging is a joint game of the government and the Election Commission. There’s a secret deal between them to favour Awami League candidates.”
Rizvi said the EC did not take any step in the third phase polls as well to check irregularities, vote rigging and muscle flexing by the ruling party ‘cadres’.
BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan also voiced frustration over the ‘silent spectator role’ of the Election Commission as he said the third phase polls were also marred by widespread irregularities and vote fraud.
“We’d lodged our complaints with the EC over huge rigging and irregularities in the first two phases. We’ve also registered same complaints this time, too. The terrorists did everything necessary to ensure the victory of the ruling party candidates. Police and administration helped them, instead of resisting them,” he said.
Nazrul came up with the allegation while talking to reporters after a meeting between a BNP delegation and the EC at its Sher-e-Bangla Nagar office in the afternoon.
Accusing the ruling party men of capturing most polling stations across the country forcing out BNP candidates’ agents, he demanded re-elections to the UPs marred by huge irregularities. “It’s a meaningless election. There has no reflection of people’s will in it.”
