[ALOCHONA] Complaints of vote fraud in upazila polls start pouring in at EC

Complaints of vote fraud in upazila polls start pouring in at EC
Courtesy New Age 26/1/09

 

Complaints of ballot box stuffing, capture of polling centres and intimidation in the upazila elections held on January 22 have started pouring in at the Election Commission secretariat.
   Over a hundred complaints have been submitted by candidates from different upazilas till Sunday noon demanding re-election to a number of polling centres and to entire upazilas in some cases.
   The Election Commission, which suspended elections to six upazilas out of 481 over clashes and capture of polling stations, decided to look into the complaints and take actions against the people responsible.
   ‘We are examining the complaints. After review, we will decide what should be done,’ election commissioner M Sakhawat Hussain told reporters at his office.
   Keshab Ranjan Sarker, a chairman candidate for Atpara upazila in Netrakona district in his letter to the EC said assistant returning officer Nasir-ud-Dowla, in the presence of all the candidates, had cancelled the results of four centres after polling personnel from the centres informed him that the result sheets and ballot papers had been snatched on the way to the returning officer’s office. ‘Nasir then asked us to leave the office but afterwards we came to know that he had announced the polls results declaring a contestant winner,’ Sarker alleged.
   Belal Hossain Bhuiyan, a BNP-supported chairman candidate for Raipur upazila in Laksmipur said he had produced some photographs to the commission showing a nude man standing in the way of women voters inside a polling centre and stuffing the ballot box.
   Shariful Islam, and two other chairman candidates for Araihazar upazila in Narayanganj district, in their complaints to the commission said that they were compelled to announce polls boycott at midday on the polling day as their polling agents had been driven away from all 70 polling stations by the supporters of AL candidate Nurul Islam Milon. Shariful said they had produced photographs showing stuffing of ballot boxes and how the local parliament member Nazrul Islam Babu influenced the polls.
   Shafiqul Bahar, a chairman candidate for Parshuram upazila informed the commission that the thana nirbahi officer, also assistant returning officer, did not take any action when they requested him to do something as 22 polling stations had been captured by the supporters of AL candidate Kamal Uddin.
   ‘When we requested the TNO to free the polling stations, he said he had nothing to do as Kamal was a man of the ruling party,’ Bahar alleged.
   Azam Khan, a chairman candidate for Kaliganj upazila in Gazipur district brought allegation against local parliament member Meher Afroj Chumki of the AL of using the administration in favour of his uncle Nazrul Islam, a chairman candidate.
   Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, a chairman candidate for Fulgazi upazila in Feni, alleged that he had lodged several complaints with the returning officer describing how his polling agents had been driven away and beaten up and voters intimidated by the supporters of chairman-elect Ekramul Huq. But the returning officer turned a deaf ear.
   M Abdul Quddus Mia, a chairman candidate for Nagarpur upazila in Tangail district, in his complaint said polling at Abdur Rashid High School centre was suspended due to stuffing of ballot boxes after his polling agents and voters had been driven away. But the returning officers announced the results counting the votes cast at the centres. He demanded re-polling at the centre.

 

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