The people’s apprehensions about the three city corporation elections were finally proved true.
Political analysts see this as a victory for the ruling Awami League (AL), but a defeat for democracy.
Government supporters did not allow the opposition supporters anywhere near the polling stations in most areas. They openly cast their false votes, aided and abetted by the police and the administration.
Within a few hours of the election, the BNP-backed candidates announced that they were boycotting the polls. First Chittagong mayoral candidate Manjur Alam announced his boycott, followed shortly by in Dhaka Mirza Abbas’ wife Afroza Abbas and Tabith Awal.
A total of 27 reporters from Prothom Alo visited 123 of the 1093 centres of Dhaka North city corporation and 156 of the 889 centres in the south, and got this picture. In Chittagong, 12 Prothom Alo reporters visited 127 of the 719 centres. In the remaining centres, it was reported that voting went smoothly in some while there was rigging in others.
There were approximately 2.35 million voters in Dhaka north, 1.87 million in Dhaka south and 1.81 million in Chittagong city corporation.
The Awami League candidates — Annisul Haque in Dhaka North, Sayeed Khokan in Dhaka South and AZM Nasir Uddin in Chittagong — have all won the elections. Most of the winning councillors are backed by the ruling party too.
Amid all the mayhem of the polls, the chief election commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed, blithely claimed that the elections were free, fair and festive. On behalf of the commission, he thanked all involved in the election and highlighted the expansive voter turnout.
Speaking during a press briefing at the election commission secretariat media centre on Tuesday, the CEC said he had visited a number of polling centres and nowhere did anyone complained of being obstructed from casting their votes or being threatened in any way.
After the controversial 5 January election, this election only proved that the apprehensions were true. The Awami League, though, officially declared that the elections were free, fair and peaceful. It said that BNP boycotted the election in fear of defeat.
Workers and supporters of the BNP-backed candidates hardly put up any resistance of protest during the elections as they had been threatened by the ruling party activists as well as the police. Polling agents of the BNP-backed candidates didn’t even turn up in many of the centres. Finally, mid-way through the voting, all three of the BNP-backed mayoral candidates announced their boycott of the election.
There were also clashes between the supporters of the Awami League-backed candidates and those of the Awami league rebel candidates. The gunman of a member of parliament even opened fire on voters in a polling centre of Old Dhaka.
Government supporters and the police clamped down on journalists taking picture or collecting information. The media persons were even beaten up in some instances.
Others boycotted the polls too: Other than the BNP-backed candidates, others boycotted the polls midway too. Jatiya Party-backed mayoral candidate Saifuddin Ahmed of Dhaka South announced his boycott after casting his vote in the morning. He said that all the centres were in the ruling party’s control and the ballot boxes had been stuffed in advance.
In Dhaka North, Zonayed Saki summoned a press conference and announced his no-confidence in the election process. Similar boycotts were announced by others.
Communist Party of Bangladesh President Mujahidul Islam Selim said, “The government instigated the opposition to boycott the 5 January election and snatched victory. This time it snatched victory through sheer vote theft. The election commission, the police and the administration assisted them. They have hammered the last nail in the coffin of democracy.”
Source: Prothom Alo