The fifth and final round of voting in 73 upazila parishads in 34 districts was held amid reports of irregularities and election boycott by a number of candidates, mostly the BNP loyalists. The polling was held from 8am to 4pm without any break, wrapping up the five-phase local government elections. Monday’s election saw less violence than the two previous phases. But the voting was reportedly marred by vote rigging, capturing polling stations and casting fake votes in many places. At least 17 chairman candidates, mostly BNP favourites, boycotted the elections in Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali, Madarganj of Jamaplur, Ghatail of Tangail, Ashtogram of Kishoreganj, Araihazar of Narayaganj, Chuadanga sadar and Alamdanga, and Chandina of Comilla raising allegations of capturing polling stations and casting fake votes. Besides, five people were injured in police firing in Ghatail of Tangail when police opened fire on demonstrators on Tangail highway after 10 candidates, including four chairman contenders boycotted the polls alleging capture of almost all the polling centres and casting of fake votes. The four chairman candidates are AKM Rezaul Karim (BNP), Abdur Rashid Miah (BNP rebel), Abdul Halim (Jatiya Party) and Ansar Ali (Islami Andolan). However, Acting Election Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mobarak claimed that the elections were free, fair and peaceful. Addressing a press briefing on Monday evening at the Election Commission Secretariat, he also said, “Today’s election has been marked by less violence compared to the polls of previous four phases. Even we’ve received no report that any person was killed in the polls violence.” “If the commission would have arranged elections of all upazilas on a single day, it would have been difficult to prevent violence completely,” he said adding that the first and third countrywide upazila elections in 1985 and 2009 were marked by more violence. Voting of 19 polling centres in five upazilas was suspended in the fifth phase election due to violence, he added. In Kalapara, three chairman candidates, including BNP-backed Mostafizur Rahman, at a joint press conference at 11am announced the election boycott alleging that the supporters of the ruling party candidates obstructed their supporters from casting votes, forced their agents out of some polling centres and also cast fake votes. In Madarganj, BNP-backed chairman candidate Faidul Islam Lanzu boycotted the polls on various allegations, including ‘capture of 19 polling stations and beating up their agents out of some polling centres. In Chuadanga, two chairman contestants, including BNP-supported one pulled out from the race in Sadar upazila, while three chairman candidates in Alamdanga upazila raising allegation of capturing the centres and casting fake votes. Six vice chairman candidates also boycotted the polls in the two upazilas. Besides, BNP-backed chairman candidate Kazi Manjurul Quader boycotted polls in Ashtogram upazila, while BNP-supported chairman contender Gazi Masud along with three vice chairman pulled out from the electoral race in Araihazar upazila, and BNP-blessed chairman candidate Mafiz Uddin Bhuiyan and LDP-supported chairman contestant Abu Taher in Chandina upazila. A total of 1,056 candidates contested in the elections, including 362 for chairman posts and 418 for vice chairman positions. The vice chairman posts for women have 276 candidates, said the EC secretariat. The 73 upazilas had 1,38,91,751 voters, including 69,30,269 men and 69,61,482 women under 5,534 polling stations. The 73 upazilas where elections were held :Biral, Parbatipur and Hakimpur of Dinajpur, Domar of Nilphamari, Kaliganj of Lalmonirhat, Fulchhari, Sundarganj of Gaibandha, Bogra Sadar, Poba of Rajshahi, Belkuchi and Shahjadpur of Sirajganj, Bera and Sadar of Pabna, Alamdanga and Sadar of Chuadanga, Debhata, Sadar and Tala of Satkhira, Bamna, Patharghata, Sadar and Amtali of Barguna, Dashmina and Kalapara of Patuakhali, Ghatail, Sadar, Mirzapur and Gopalpur of Tangail, Madarganj of Jamalpur, Gafargaon, Trishal and Nandail of Mymensingh, Ashtagram and Pakundia of Kishoreganj, Tongibari, Sirajdikhan and Louhajong of Munshiganj, Sreepur and Kaliganj of Gazipur, Manohardi, Sadar and Raipura of Narsingdi, Sonargaon, Rupganj and Araihazar of Narayanganj, Goalanda of Rajbari, Biswambhapur and Tahirpur of Sunamganj, Biyanibazar of Sylhet, Juri and Rajnagar of Moulvibazar, Baniachong of Habiganj, Kasba, Ashuganj and Sadar of Brahmanbaria, Muradnagar and Chandina of Comilla, Chhagalnaiya of Feni, Subarnachar and Hatia of Noakhali, Ramgati, Ramganj, Raypur and Sadar of Laxmipur, Sandeep of Chittagong, Teknaf, Ukhia and Sadar of Cox’s Bazar, Dighinala of Khagrachhari, and Langgadu, Rajasthali and Bilaichhari of Rangamati. – UNB
