Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Secretary General Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has issued the following statement on 26th June, 2018 expressing deep concern over unprecedented irregularities in today’s Gazipur City Corporation election including forcible expulsion of the opposition candidate’s polling agents from different centres, fake vote casting in front of the law enforcers and violence.
“I am expressing deep concern as today’s Gazipur city corporation election has been marked with unprecedented irregularities including forcing the opposition candidate’s polling agents out of the centres, fake vote casting in front of the law enforcers and rigging. Today’s election once again proved that fair and credible election is not possible under the tenure of the present government and its subservient election commission.
The ruling party cadres forcibly kicked out the opposition candidate’s polling agents and casted fake votes in favour of the ruling party candidates in different polling centres including 30 number ward’s Kanaighat centre, Konapara Johir Uddin High School, Pubail High School, Kashimpur Government Primary school centre and Konabari Jorun area’s 4 number polling centres. Awami League councillor candidate was caught red handed with 300 fake votes in Vogara polling centre which compelled the authority to postpone the vote casting for one and half hour over there. Later, the voting resumed again. The ruling party cadres also seized the Mugar Khal polling centre and casted all votes by fake names within two and half hours. Similarly the voting officials postponed the vote casting in Konabari great mat Primary School polling centre as they claimed that ballot papers had been finished already. Returning officer Rafiq Uddin Mondol also admitted the irregularities in 6 other vote centres and told the media about taking measures in this regard.
BNP’s mayoral candidate called for postponing election citing the allegations of confiscating the poll centres and forcible expulsion of his agents from different centres. But election commission remained silent about his allegations. Such inactions proved that the Gazipur City Corporation election was not free, fair and credible at all.
We have said it before and such claim has been proved once again throughout today’s election incidents that, no one should expect a free, fair and credible election under the tenure of the incumbent election commission.”
