Nayeb-e-Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and former member of the Parliament Professor Mujibur Rahman has issued the following statement on 29th July, 2018 protesting and condemning the biased and lopsided role of the Election Commission and the administration centering the upcoming city polls in Sylhet, Rajshahi and Barisal City Corporations.
“We are deeply concerned to observe the biased and pro-ruling party approach of the election commission, government and the local administration in order to secure the victory of the ruling party backed candidates in Sylhet, Rajshahi and Barisal City Corporation elections. The people of these three city corporations expected that they could cast votes to elect their favorable candidates. But the role of the administration even immediate before the city polls indicates that the government is mulling to hold another farcical election as the way they had done in Khulna and Gazipur in the recent past. Already, the general voters are facing harassment. Their houses are being raided. People are being detained in connection with some false cases.
The house of Abdul Hie, the chief polling agent of mayoral candidate Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Jubayer has been raided and his relatives are being harassed too. Police also arrested the chief polling agent of Dhaner Shish candidate and freedom fighter Abdur Razzaq and his son. Ruling party cadres also created obstruction in yesterday’s last electoral procession. Jubo League conveners and his fellow goons also attacked in the rally in Darshan Deori area. They also created hindrance in the campaign activities of Advocate Jubayer in Tilagor area. The ruling party hooligans also misbehaved with him while he was coming out of the mosque in Tilagor area. The ruling party men also created similar obstruction in city’s Pir Moholla and Jalalabad area. The election commission so far did not take any punitive measure against the ruling party candidate despite his repeated violations of the electoral rules and code of conducts. In reverse, the commission issued a show cause notice to the candidates who are competing with the ‘Table clock’ symbol. Such biased and unfair role of the election commission has instigated the ruling party cadres to violate electoral rules again and again.
The government has created a dreadful atmosphere by carrying out raid, arrest drive and harassment against the Jamaat activists and the general people. The authority has arrested around 50 Jamaat men including Rajshahi city Nayeb-e-Ameer Advocate Abu Mohammad Salim, Assistant Secretary Mainul Islam, Boalia thana Ameer and Secretary. Even the female activists are not spared from these unlawful arrest drives. Mobile court also sentenced 4 women with one-month imprisonment. It is surprising that the law enforcers of Rajshahi city also visited the houses of general voters and intimidated them rapidly.
Similar arrest drives and crackdown is going on in Barisal city too. The local authority is arresting the 20 party alliances backed candidates and their supporters. Police already arrested Barisal city Jamaat’s Secretary Jahir Uddin Mohammad Babar.
We are observing that the election commission has failed to play fair roles since the beginning. Instead of creating a congenial and favorable atmosphere for the voters, they are working relentlessly to ensure the victory of the ruling party candidates.
The ill-activities of the administration including continuous arrest drives, harassment and false cases are indicating that the upcoming election of 30th July is going to be a charade and nothing more but a travesty.
Under the circumstances, we are urging the election commission to stop harassment and biased role in order to ensure the congenial atmosphere for holding a free, fair and credible election. Otherwise, they have to be responsible for following untoward consequences.
