Turning down the results of local body elections held on Tuesday at different parts of the country, BNP on Wednesday demanded reelections, bringing various allegations of ‘vote fraud’.
“The ruling party cadres indulged in terrorism, captured voting centres, cast fake votes and stuffed ballots in local government elections on Tuesday in different areas of the country,” said party leader Syed Emran Saleh Prince.
Prince has recently been given the charge of the party’s central office due to the absence of Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Speaking at a press conference, he said Awami League ‘cadres’ also resorted to all evil tactics, including driving out the agents of BNP candidates from polling stations and obstructing common voters, to unilaterally ensure the victory of Awami League candidates.
“BNP is rejecting the results of the local government elections held on Tuesday and demanded fair and neutral elections there by announcing a fresh schedule,” Prince added.
He alleged that the Election Commission and the local administration and law enforcers played a role of silent spectators when ‘ruling party men attacked pro-BNP voters and indulged in massive vote frauds’.
BNP leader also said the returning officers did not take any action against the Awami League leaders and activists though various complaints were lodged with them.
He said the recent polls have exposed once again that the Election Commission has become the puppet of the government. “As always, the role of the Election Commission was very shameless in ensuring the victory of the ruling party candidates in Tuesday’s polls.”
Depicting the election scenario, Prince said the supporters of Awami League candidates captured all most all the voting centres in Dinajpur, Naogaon, Jessore, Khulna, Bagerhat, Madaripur, Comilla, Chandpur, Gazipur, Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Barisal, Mymensingh, Sirajganj, Pabna, Chuadanga, Sylhet, Habiganj, Laxmipur, Chattogram and other areas during the balloting.
“The ruling party’s armed terrorists established a reign of terror in those electoral areas by attacking BNP supporters and voters. Common voters couldn’t go to the polling stations, let alone giving votes,” he said.
The BNP leader urged all to pray for the speedy recovery of their party’s ailing senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
