Politics, violence and an election
Mohiuddin Alamgir narrates the ins' and outs' of the Bhola-3 by-elections on April 24
Mohiuddin Alamgir narrates the ins' and outs' of the Bhola-3 by-elections on April 24
 photo by Al-Emrun Garjon |
Two posters sitting side-by-side, showing Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shaon and Hafizuddin Ahmed,
calm, composed and smiling, adorned the walls of the Public Library Auditorium of Lalmohon upazila of the Bhola district. No other image could be more deceiving. AL candidate Shaon and BNP candidate Hafiz were locked in one of the fiercest rivalries in recent times, during the by-elections for constituency 117 of the national parliament, consisting of the two upazilas, Lalmohon and Tajumuddin, of the district.
The Bhola-3 by-polls, vacated by the Election Commission on February 7 this year following a High Court ruling, drew incredible attention from all walks of people in the country and generated a lot of heat in national politics, 16 months after the elections to the Ninth Parliament were held.
The much-talked about by-election was important from many standpoints.
For the ruling party, Awami League, it was an 'acid test' to prove that they still held on to the overwhelming mandate of the people they received during the election in December 29, 2008, especially, since they are under a lot of heat in recent times over the power crisis and the conduct of Bangladesh Chhatra League, an associate organisation of the party.
For the opposition, it was a challenge to regain a seat they had lost in the last elections, after having won it over three consecutive elections, and more importantly, victory for BNP would have gone a long way to prove that the government in power was losing its popularity. Many people speculated that if something went wrong during the Bhola elections, the opposition party would be gifted an 'issue' to start a political movement. During a rally in Khulna a few days before the Bhola elections, opposition leader Khaleda Zia confirmed the speculation.
At a personal level, it was a test for Hafizuddin to re-establish himself in BNP politics after his infamous rendezvous with the military-controlled interim government, during which time he had become a 'reformist'. The by-election was also important for AL stalwart Tofail Ahmed who was the election coordinator for Shaon. Tofail, another 'reformist', had been forced out of the national scene and many saw this as his ticket back to the centre of power.
The election commission also had points to prove – that it could hold a free, fair and acceptable election under an elected government.
Speaker Abdul Hamid had declared the Bhola-3 constituency void through an announcement in the parliament on February 10, this year, following a gazette notification from the Election Commission, which declared the seat of Awami League MP Mohammad Jashimuddin vacant on February 7.
The High Court on February 26, 2009 ruled that Jashim's nomination was unlawful as he had provided false information to the authorities prior to the election, following a petition served by BNP's Hafizuddin. Jashim moved the Supreme Court to overturn the verdict but the apex court upheld the HC ruling.
Electoral law stipulates that none can contest the polls in three years from the date of retirement and in five years after compulsory retirement from any public office. Jashimuddin was forced to retire from the army on Aug 31, 2006, and contested the general election in December 2008.
In the 2008 election, Jasim secured 96,034 votes while his nearest contestant Hafiz, six time MP from the area, bagged 83,123 votes.
APara area, Lalmohon thana headquarters, at about 9:00am on April 22, at least 12 Jubo League workers of the Dhaka City South unit were preparing campaign work for the day. The local authorities, in line with the instructions of the Election Commission, had already ordered outsiders to leave the area the night before.
BNP leaders had been alleging for a while that at least around 1200 outsiders were camping for Shaon, threatening and terrorising local people.
Shaon is the incumbent general secretary of the Dhaka City South Unit of Bangladesh Jubo League. BNP men also alleged that Shaon is a notorious tender manipulator at the Dhaka City Corporation and different departments of LGRD, and also accused him of being involved in the much-criticised Malibagh killing of 2001, led by then AL MP Dr HBM Iqbal. Four people, including a policeman, were killed in the incident.
Hafiz further alleged that these 1200 outsiders had injured more than 300 opposition activists in the last few days. 'Only on April 22 more than 50 BNP activists were injured by Awami League thugs,' he claimed.
Tofail Ahmed, meanwhile, said that the BNP activists were trying to give a false impression by appearing before the television cameras with bandaged heads.
'The situation is calm and quiet here, but we are seeing reports of violence in the media. Have any of you checked the bandages of those people? Were they real or false? What if 500 of our people go to you wearing bandages?' he asked.
Tofail brushed aside the BNP accusation that Awami League leaders from outside were staying at the constituency. 'No one is staying here. Anybody making such an accusation should prove it.'
When Tofail's comments were brought to the attention of Hafiz, the former national footballer, he said, 'Tofail has a habit of commenting like that, but in reality, my home has become a hospital as my people cannot go to the hospital for treatment in fear of further AL attack,' he said.
Awami League activists alleged that Moumachi Bahini (Bee force), Martial Bahini and Hockey Stick Bahini, alongside local pirates, leaded by Hafiz, were the reason behind the violence in the area for over a decade now. AL activists alleged that Hafiz was the man behind the 'oppression of the minorities' after the 2001 election. They claimed Hafiz was a local 'godfather' who carried out torture and oppression of local AL supporters between 2001 and 2006.
'BNP men will not vote for him as he was a "reformist" who wanted to dethrone his own leader Khaleda Zia during the emergency', they said.
BNP campaigners informed Xtra that they had chalked out strategies to stage small street meetings, as many as possible, as they feared that they become a target of the ruling party terrorists if they held large gatherings. BNP activists also conducted door-to-door campaign.
BNP men, during their campaign, mainly criticised the government for having failed to control the prices and meet the demands for electricity and gas. At the public gatherings at Lalmohan and Tajumuddin, BNP also alleged that the ruling party was creating anarchy in the state as they have politicised and corrupted the administration and judiciary, and had been oppressing opposition party leaders in the country.
In their campaign, AL activists claimed that electricity was not a problem in the district, as Bhola had capacity to produce 34 MW of electricity against a demand of 16 MW. AL's election strategy was to hold big meetings at the different points of the upazilas, including door to door campaign. During their meetings, AL leaders accused Hafiz of being the man behind the 'oppression to the minority' after the 2001 election. AL leaders also told locals that development could only be ensured if they voted for ruling party candidate.
'We are in power and there are another three and half years to go. For the development of the area, people have to vote for us,' said Nazimuddin, a AL campaigner of Tajumuddin area.
Hafiz had wanted the deployment of army in the constituency, from the beginning of his campaign, for a peaceful election and 'recovery of illegal arms'. He also threatened to boycott of the by-election if the army was not deployed.
Shaon opposed Hafiz's demand for deployment of troops for the polls, 'Hafiz seems to have more faith in the army than in the voters. He had won all previous elections in the constituency with the backing of the army,' Shaon said.
Both the leading political parties in the country took the Bhola by-elections as a challenge and members from the high command of both sides, frequently visited the constituency and took part in campaigns for their candidates.
Members of the Rapid Action Battalion, on the morning of April 23, stopped central Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders, including standing committee member Moudud Ahmed, vice-chairmen Abdullah Al Noman and Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, on their way to Lalmohan from Bhola town, at Kunjerhat of Borhanuddin, citing that the Election Commission had put a ban on the entrance of people without authorisation to the Bhola 3 constituency.
Violence continued on the eve of the polls on April 23 and Hafiz said the AL men had attacked his polling agents in the evening when they were going to their localities with electoral roll and other documents.
'Outsiders were attacking BNP men while the administration was stopping national leaders from entering the constituency,' Hafiz alleged he had lodged a complaint, of violence by the AL's activists, with the Election Commission, but the commission has apparently said 'ram da' (machete) was not a weapon.
Hafiz said he was confident if the voters could go to the polling centres he would win but feared that Awami League goons would not allow the voters to go to polling centres and stop them on their way.
In the evening, BNP men also became violent and at least a dozen vehicles, more than 30 shops and two election camps of the Awami League were vandalised.
By night, different places at Tajumuddin and Lalmohon held an eerie silence and a number of BNP men alleged that they were warned about not going to the polling centres to vote for BNP candidate.
'AL activists had warned us not to go to the polling centre. They said if we go, they will break our legs,' said Sabuj, a resident of Badarpur.
On voting day, voters, members of the administration, election commission, law enforcement agencies, the media started the day in apprehension after the violent clashes the night before as well as sporadic clashes for the last few days.
In time, it became clear that the elections would be marred by irregularities, violence and intimidation.
On election day, at about 10:00am in the morning, about 500 yard from a remote polling centre of Pashim Char Umed Government Primary School centre of Lalmohon, a number of the voters were returning home alleging that AL workers had barred them from going to the polling centre. This scene was visible in at least 15 polling stations of the constituency that this correspondent had visited.
Supporters of the Awami League blocked the centres at the Azharuddin High School and College, Pashchim Char Umedpur Government Primary School, Annadaprasad Government High School and Raichand Government Primary School, Debi Char High School and Hajiganj Primary School, Char Kachchhapiya Governemnt Primary School centre, and other polling stations.
At about 11:00am at the Lalmohan Public Library Centre, just about 300 meters away from the Lalmohon Police Station, no BNP agent was available, 'they left their station without giving me a notice,' said Jasimuddin, presiding officer of the centre.
At this centre, the total number of votes cast, was more than the number of voters, election officials later said.
In most places, BNP polling agents were not present at the booth and when asked about it, the respective presiding officers informed that BNP polling agents had left their station without giving them a notice.
Amanullah Aman, chief election agent for the BNP candidate, alleged that polling agents were driven out of 38 polling centres, out of the 86 centres by 11:00am, and it had no agent at the polling centres by 1:00pm. At least 200 BNP activists and supporters were injured in attacks by the ruling Awami League men in different places since the morning.
Supporters of Shaon attacked BNP supporters near the Kishoreganj Primary School centre at Farazganj, polling centres at Badarpur, Kalma, Ramganj and Lord Hardinge, in the Lalmohan upazila. At polling centres of Tajumuddin there were similar reports.
Amanullah Aman himself came under attack at the Aralia Government Primary Juba League general secretary Shahidullah.
At Annadaprasad Government Primary School, the member of Ward 3 of the Lord Hardinge union council, Haji Badshah Miah, was assaulted by Awami League men. No supporter of the BNP was let in the area.
The Awami League supporters also assaulted Abul Kasem, a BNP supporter, and four others at the centre. Only a police sub-inspector and two constables were deployed at the polling centre in the remote area and they could do nothing but watch helplessly.
At Raichand School, BNP supporter Emran Hossain was assaulted for approaching the polling centre.
Some of the Awami League activists at Raichand tried to defend what they did by saying, it was nothing compared with what was done by the BNP in 2001. They alleged that the Moumachi Bahini alone produced 40,000 fake votes in the 2001 election.
Fake votes was a regular scene at a numbers of centres and two persons were arrested at the Debi Char High School and Hajiganj Primary School centres at Badarpur by the police.
At the Char Kachchhapiya Government Primary School centre, voters were seen stamping ballots in an open area and supporters of the Awami League candidate were checking who they were casting their vote for.
At 2:00pm, there were only two persons in the queue and 2,000 votes out of the 4,586 had been cast by 1:00pm at the Char Kachchhapiya centre, said presiding officer Mozammel Huq. There was no agent of BNP at the polling booth.
Rafiqul Islam, a BNP polling agent at Azharuddin School and College, said the ruling party activists had snatched away national identity cards and other documents from him and some other BNP agents.
At about 2:00pm the Election Commission suspended polling in nine centres because of various irregularities including Lalmohan Public Library Centre, Azharuddin Registered Primary School, Karimganj Senior Madrassah, Satani Government Primary School, Kishoreganj Government Primary School, Maheshkhali Ashrafia Government Primary School, Uttar Annadaprasad Government Primary School, Lord Hardinge Fazil Madrassah and Syedabad Forkania Madrassah.
In the afternoon, no BNP agent was present during the vote count, Lalmohan election officials said. In the morning, voter turnout was average but after 12:00pm, almost all the centres were without voters and the turnout of female voters was more than expected.
The election commission officially declared AL candidate Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shaon winner of Bhola – 3 constituency's by-election on April 25. The constituency's returning poll officer Nuruzzaman Talukder made the declaration at his office.
He said that 67.17 per cent of the total 234,926 registered voters in the constituency had cast votes in the by-election.
Of the 136,531 votes cast, Shaon had received a total of 93,873 votes in comparison to his BNP rival Hafiz's 42,658 votes. Voting was suspended at nine out of 86 centres, which represents just over 10 per cent. The nine centres accounted for some 31,000 votes.
The EC had earlier said that the polls were held peacefully except for a few separate incidents. However the BNP has raised strong allegations of widespread violence and intimidation demanding the elections be declared null and void. Hafiz alleged that law enforcers, the Election Commission and the ruling party colluded to defeat the BNP.
Shaon, meanwhile, said that election was free, fair and acceptable.
'The EC, RAB, police and local officials abetted the ruling Awami League to stage a farce of an election. The Bhola-3 by-election was marked by the intimidation of voters, violence, lack of management and poor turnout,' wrote Democracywatch in their immediate report.
However, Brotee, another election observer group, said no major untoward incident took place at the polling centres that witnessed steady voter turnout. Voters of minority communities cast their ballot without fear, Brotee reported.
Democracywatch in a primary report said around 55 per cent voters exercised their franchise. Voter turnout in some voting centres was thin. Brotee said about 70 per cent voters cast ballot in the poll.
The chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, on voting day, said the by-election to the Bhola 3 constituency was 'by and large free and fair' and it had reflected the will of the people. Talking with reporters at his office in the evening, he said barring a few incidents, the atmosphere for polling was good.
'Election results reflected the will of the people… A fully fair election is not practically possible anywhere,' he said.
Shamsul said in the 2001 by-elections there was killing, but this time things were comparatively better and there had not been any use of firearms during the elections.
'In some incidents, sharp weapons, but no firearms, have been used during the Bhola by-polls.'
BNP on April 25 rejected as a 'farce' the by-election to Bhola 3 parliamentary constituency and demanded resignation of the Election Commission and fresh polls to the constituency.
'We are rejecting this one-sided and stage-managed election. We are demanding immediate cancellation of the ballot and schedule for a fresh election under a new set-up of Election Commission,' BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas said at a hurriedly called press conference at the party's Naya Paltan central office.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on April 25, said the people of Bhola-3 had given fitting reply to the main opposition BNP. 'Our candidate in Bhola by-election got more votes than what the Awami League candidate had secured in Dec 29, 2008,' she said at a meeting at Chandpur Outer Stadium.
calm, composed and smiling, adorned the walls of the Public Library Auditorium of Lalmohon upazila of the Bhola district. No other image could be more deceiving. AL candidate Shaon and BNP candidate Hafiz were locked in one of the fiercest rivalries in recent times, during the by-elections for constituency 117 of the national parliament, consisting of the two upazilas, Lalmohon and Tajumuddin, of the district.
The Bhola-3 by-polls, vacated by the Election Commission on February 7 this year following a High Court ruling, drew incredible attention from all walks of people in the country and generated a lot of heat in national politics, 16 months after the elections to the Ninth Parliament were held.
The much-talked about by-election was important from many standpoints.
For the ruling party, Awami League, it was an 'acid test' to prove that they still held on to the overwhelming mandate of the people they received during the election in December 29, 2008, especially, since they are under a lot of heat in recent times over the power crisis and the conduct of Bangladesh Chhatra League, an associate organisation of the party.
For the opposition, it was a challenge to regain a seat they had lost in the last elections, after having won it over three consecutive elections, and more importantly, victory for BNP would have gone a long way to prove that the government in power was losing its popularity. Many people speculated that if something went wrong during the Bhola elections, the opposition party would be gifted an 'issue' to start a political movement. During a rally in Khulna a few days before the Bhola elections, opposition leader Khaleda Zia confirmed the speculation.
At a personal level, it was a test for Hafizuddin to re-establish himself in BNP politics after his infamous rendezvous with the military-controlled interim government, during which time he had become a 'reformist'. The by-election was also important for AL stalwart Tofail Ahmed who was the election coordinator for Shaon. Tofail, another 'reformist', had been forced out of the national scene and many saw this as his ticket back to the centre of power.
The election commission also had points to prove – that it could hold a free, fair and acceptable election under an elected government.
Speaker Abdul Hamid had declared the Bhola-3 constituency void through an announcement in the parliament on February 10, this year, following a gazette notification from the Election Commission, which declared the seat of Awami League MP Mohammad Jashimuddin vacant on February 7.
The High Court on February 26, 2009 ruled that Jashim's nomination was unlawful as he had provided false information to the authorities prior to the election, following a petition served by BNP's Hafizuddin. Jashim moved the Supreme Court to overturn the verdict but the apex court upheld the HC ruling.
Electoral law stipulates that none can contest the polls in three years from the date of retirement and in five years after compulsory retirement from any public office. Jashimuddin was forced to retire from the army on Aug 31, 2006, and contested the general election in December 2008.
In the 2008 election, Jasim secured 96,034 votes while his nearest contestant Hafiz, six time MP from the area, bagged 83,123 votes.
APara area, Lalmohon thana headquarters, at about 9:00am on April 22, at least 12 Jubo League workers of the Dhaka City South unit were preparing campaign work for the day. The local authorities, in line with the instructions of the Election Commission, had already ordered outsiders to leave the area the night before.
BNP leaders had been alleging for a while that at least around 1200 outsiders were camping for Shaon, threatening and terrorising local people.
Shaon is the incumbent general secretary of the Dhaka City South Unit of Bangladesh Jubo League. BNP men also alleged that Shaon is a notorious tender manipulator at the Dhaka City Corporation and different departments of LGRD, and also accused him of being involved in the much-criticised Malibagh killing of 2001, led by then AL MP Dr HBM Iqbal. Four people, including a policeman, were killed in the incident.
Hafiz further alleged that these 1200 outsiders had injured more than 300 opposition activists in the last few days. 'Only on April 22 more than 50 BNP activists were injured by Awami League thugs,' he claimed.
Tofail Ahmed, meanwhile, said that the BNP activists were trying to give a false impression by appearing before the television cameras with bandaged heads.
'The situation is calm and quiet here, but we are seeing reports of violence in the media. Have any of you checked the bandages of those people? Were they real or false? What if 500 of our people go to you wearing bandages?' he asked.
Tofail brushed aside the BNP accusation that Awami League leaders from outside were staying at the constituency. 'No one is staying here. Anybody making such an accusation should prove it.'
When Tofail's comments were brought to the attention of Hafiz, the former national footballer, he said, 'Tofail has a habit of commenting like that, but in reality, my home has become a hospital as my people cannot go to the hospital for treatment in fear of further AL attack,' he said.
Awami League activists alleged that Moumachi Bahini (Bee force), Martial Bahini and Hockey Stick Bahini, alongside local pirates, leaded by Hafiz, were the reason behind the violence in the area for over a decade now. AL activists alleged that Hafiz was the man behind the 'oppression of the minorities' after the 2001 election. They claimed Hafiz was a local 'godfather' who carried out torture and oppression of local AL supporters between 2001 and 2006.
'BNP men will not vote for him as he was a "reformist" who wanted to dethrone his own leader Khaleda Zia during the emergency', they said.
BNP campaigners informed Xtra that they had chalked out strategies to stage small street meetings, as many as possible, as they feared that they become a target of the ruling party terrorists if they held large gatherings. BNP activists also conducted door-to-door campaign.
BNP men, during their campaign, mainly criticised the government for having failed to control the prices and meet the demands for electricity and gas. At the public gatherings at Lalmohan and Tajumuddin, BNP also alleged that the ruling party was creating anarchy in the state as they have politicised and corrupted the administration and judiciary, and had been oppressing opposition party leaders in the country.
In their campaign, AL activists claimed that electricity was not a problem in the district, as Bhola had capacity to produce 34 MW of electricity against a demand of 16 MW. AL's election strategy was to hold big meetings at the different points of the upazilas, including door to door campaign. During their meetings, AL leaders accused Hafiz of being the man behind the 'oppression to the minority' after the 2001 election. AL leaders also told locals that development could only be ensured if they voted for ruling party candidate.
'We are in power and there are another three and half years to go. For the development of the area, people have to vote for us,' said Nazimuddin, a AL campaigner of Tajumuddin area.
Hafiz had wanted the deployment of army in the constituency, from the beginning of his campaign, for a peaceful election and 'recovery of illegal arms'. He also threatened to boycott of the by-election if the army was not deployed.
Shaon opposed Hafiz's demand for deployment of troops for the polls, 'Hafiz seems to have more faith in the army than in the voters. He had won all previous elections in the constituency with the backing of the army,' Shaon said.
Both the leading political parties in the country took the Bhola by-elections as a challenge and members from the high command of both sides, frequently visited the constituency and took part in campaigns for their candidates.
Members of the Rapid Action Battalion, on the morning of April 23, stopped central Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders, including standing committee member Moudud Ahmed, vice-chairmen Abdullah Al Noman and Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, on their way to Lalmohan from Bhola town, at Kunjerhat of Borhanuddin, citing that the Election Commission had put a ban on the entrance of people without authorisation to the Bhola 3 constituency.
Violence continued on the eve of the polls on April 23 and Hafiz said the AL men had attacked his polling agents in the evening when they were going to their localities with electoral roll and other documents.
'Outsiders were attacking BNP men while the administration was stopping national leaders from entering the constituency,' Hafiz alleged he had lodged a complaint, of violence by the AL's activists, with the Election Commission, but the commission has apparently said 'ram da' (machete) was not a weapon.
Hafiz said he was confident if the voters could go to the polling centres he would win but feared that Awami League goons would not allow the voters to go to polling centres and stop them on their way.
In the evening, BNP men also became violent and at least a dozen vehicles, more than 30 shops and two election camps of the Awami League were vandalised.
By night, different places at Tajumuddin and Lalmohon held an eerie silence and a number of BNP men alleged that they were warned about not going to the polling centres to vote for BNP candidate.
'AL activists had warned us not to go to the polling centre. They said if we go, they will break our legs,' said Sabuj, a resident of Badarpur.
On voting day, voters, members of the administration, election commission, law enforcement agencies, the media started the day in apprehension after the violent clashes the night before as well as sporadic clashes for the last few days.
In time, it became clear that the elections would be marred by irregularities, violence and intimidation.
On election day, at about 10:00am in the morning, about 500 yard from a remote polling centre of Pashim Char Umed Government Primary School centre of Lalmohon, a number of the voters were returning home alleging that AL workers had barred them from going to the polling centre. This scene was visible in at least 15 polling stations of the constituency that this correspondent had visited.
Supporters of the Awami League blocked the centres at the Azharuddin High School and College, Pashchim Char Umedpur Government Primary School, Annadaprasad Government High School and Raichand Government Primary School, Debi Char High School and Hajiganj Primary School, Char Kachchhapiya Governemnt Primary School centre, and other polling stations.
At about 11:00am at the Lalmohan Public Library Centre, just about 300 meters away from the Lalmohon Police Station, no BNP agent was available, 'they left their station without giving me a notice,' said Jasimuddin, presiding officer of the centre.
At this centre, the total number of votes cast, was more than the number of voters, election officials later said.
In most places, BNP polling agents were not present at the booth and when asked about it, the respective presiding officers informed that BNP polling agents had left their station without giving them a notice.
Amanullah Aman, chief election agent for the BNP candidate, alleged that polling agents were driven out of 38 polling centres, out of the 86 centres by 11:00am, and it had no agent at the polling centres by 1:00pm. At least 200 BNP activists and supporters were injured in attacks by the ruling Awami League men in different places since the morning.
Supporters of Shaon attacked BNP supporters near the Kishoreganj Primary School centre at Farazganj, polling centres at Badarpur, Kalma, Ramganj and Lord Hardinge, in the Lalmohan upazila. At polling centres of Tajumuddin there were similar reports.
Amanullah Aman himself came under attack at the Aralia Government Primary Juba League general secretary Shahidullah.
At Annadaprasad Government Primary School, the member of Ward 3 of the Lord Hardinge union council, Haji Badshah Miah, was assaulted by Awami League men. No supporter of the BNP was let in the area.
The Awami League supporters also assaulted Abul Kasem, a BNP supporter, and four others at the centre. Only a police sub-inspector and two constables were deployed at the polling centre in the remote area and they could do nothing but watch helplessly.
At Raichand School, BNP supporter Emran Hossain was assaulted for approaching the polling centre.
Some of the Awami League activists at Raichand tried to defend what they did by saying, it was nothing compared with what was done by the BNP in 2001. They alleged that the Moumachi Bahini alone produced 40,000 fake votes in the 2001 election.
Fake votes was a regular scene at a numbers of centres and two persons were arrested at the Debi Char High School and Hajiganj Primary School centres at Badarpur by the police.
At the Char Kachchhapiya Government Primary School centre, voters were seen stamping ballots in an open area and supporters of the Awami League candidate were checking who they were casting their vote for.
At 2:00pm, there were only two persons in the queue and 2,000 votes out of the 4,586 had been cast by 1:00pm at the Char Kachchhapiya centre, said presiding officer Mozammel Huq. There was no agent of BNP at the polling booth.
Rafiqul Islam, a BNP polling agent at Azharuddin School and College, said the ruling party activists had snatched away national identity cards and other documents from him and some other BNP agents.
At about 2:00pm the Election Commission suspended polling in nine centres because of various irregularities including Lalmohan Public Library Centre, Azharuddin Registered Primary School, Karimganj Senior Madrassah, Satani Government Primary School, Kishoreganj Government Primary School, Maheshkhali Ashrafia Government Primary School, Uttar Annadaprasad Government Primary School, Lord Hardinge Fazil Madrassah and Syedabad Forkania Madrassah.
In the afternoon, no BNP agent was present during the vote count, Lalmohan election officials said. In the morning, voter turnout was average but after 12:00pm, almost all the centres were without voters and the turnout of female voters was more than expected.
The election commission officially declared AL candidate Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shaon winner of Bhola – 3 constituency's by-election on April 25. The constituency's returning poll officer Nuruzzaman Talukder made the declaration at his office.
He said that 67.17 per cent of the total 234,926 registered voters in the constituency had cast votes in the by-election.
Of the 136,531 votes cast, Shaon had received a total of 93,873 votes in comparison to his BNP rival Hafiz's 42,658 votes. Voting was suspended at nine out of 86 centres, which represents just over 10 per cent. The nine centres accounted for some 31,000 votes.
The EC had earlier said that the polls were held peacefully except for a few separate incidents. However the BNP has raised strong allegations of widespread violence and intimidation demanding the elections be declared null and void. Hafiz alleged that law enforcers, the Election Commission and the ruling party colluded to defeat the BNP.
Shaon, meanwhile, said that election was free, fair and acceptable.
'The EC, RAB, police and local officials abetted the ruling Awami League to stage a farce of an election. The Bhola-3 by-election was marked by the intimidation of voters, violence, lack of management and poor turnout,' wrote Democracywatch in their immediate report.
However, Brotee, another election observer group, said no major untoward incident took place at the polling centres that witnessed steady voter turnout. Voters of minority communities cast their ballot without fear, Brotee reported.
Democracywatch in a primary report said around 55 per cent voters exercised their franchise. Voter turnout in some voting centres was thin. Brotee said about 70 per cent voters cast ballot in the poll.
The chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, on voting day, said the by-election to the Bhola 3 constituency was 'by and large free and fair' and it had reflected the will of the people. Talking with reporters at his office in the evening, he said barring a few incidents, the atmosphere for polling was good.
'Election results reflected the will of the people… A fully fair election is not practically possible anywhere,' he said.
Shamsul said in the 2001 by-elections there was killing, but this time things were comparatively better and there had not been any use of firearms during the elections.
'In some incidents, sharp weapons, but no firearms, have been used during the Bhola by-polls.'
BNP on April 25 rejected as a 'farce' the by-election to Bhola 3 parliamentary constituency and demanded resignation of the Election Commission and fresh polls to the constituency.
'We are rejecting this one-sided and stage-managed election. We are demanding immediate cancellation of the ballot and schedule for a fresh election under a new set-up of Election Commission,' BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas said at a hurriedly called press conference at the party's Naya Paltan central office.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on April 25, said the people of Bhola-3 had given fitting reply to the main opposition BNP. 'Our candidate in Bhola by-election got more votes than what the Awami League candidate had secured in Dec 29, 2008,' she said at a meeting at Chandpur Outer Stadium.
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