Citing irregularities, 57 candidates boycott polls
A total of 57 candidates, including 49 from the Jatiya Oikya Front, boycotted the Sunday’s national election, citing various irregularities, including vote rigging and capturing of polling stations by ruling Awami League activists, reports UNB.
Almost all of them pulled out of the race halfway through voting.
Oikya Front candidates who boycotted the election are Mohammad Shahjahan (Noakhali-4), Fahim Chowdhury (Sherpur-2), Mahmudul Haque Rubel (Sherpur-3), Mia Golam Parwar (Khulna-5), Sunil Shuvo Roy (Khulna-1), Abul Kalam Azad (Khulna-6), Rafiqul Islam Bakul (Khulna-3), Azizul Bari Helal (Khulna-4), Mir Ezaz Khan (Khulna-1), principal Iqbal Hossain (Pabna-5), Gazi Nazrul Islam (Satkhira-4), Moniruzzaman Montu (Nilphamari-2), professor Azizul Islam (Nilphamari-3), JM Nurur Rahman (Barishal-4), Rumana Rashid Kanak Chapa (Sirajganj-1), Rumana Mahmud (Sirajganj-2), Abdul Mannan Talukder (Sirajganj-3), Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan (Sirajganj-4), Masud Rana (Bagerhat-1), MA Salam (Bagerhat-2), Abdul Wadud (Bagerhat-3), Abdul Alim (Bagerhat-4), AKM Nasir Uddin (Shariatpur-1), Shafiqur Rahman Kiron (Shariatpur-2) and M Samsuzzoha Khan (Naogaon-2), and independent candidate Salma Islam (Dhaka-1).
Other Oikya Front candidates are Hazi Amin Ur Rashid Yasin (Cumilla-6), Anwarul Azim (Cumilla-9), Abu Yusuf Md Khalilur Rahman (Joypurhat-2), BNP candidates Sarkar Shahidul Islam (Tangail-1), Samsul Alam Tofa (Tangail-2), Lutfar Rahman Khan Azad (Tangail-3), Gautam Chakraborty (Tangail-6), Abul Kalam Azad (Tangail-7), Shahidul Alam (Satkhira-3), Mofikul Hasan (Jashore-1), Abu Sayeed Mohammad Sahadat Hossain (Jashore-2), TS Ayub (Jashore-4), M Wakkas (Jashore-5), Mawlana Iqbal Hossain (Pabna-5), Habibur Rahman Habib (Pabna-4), KM Anwarul Islam (Pabna-3), Golam Mohammad Siraj (Bogura-5), Masuma Momin (Bogura-3), Mosharaf Hossain (Chandpur-1), Jalal Uddin (Chandpur-2), Md Harunur Rashid (Chandpur-4), Mominul Haque (Chandpur-5), lawyer Asaduzzaman (Jhenaidah-1), Motiar Rahman (Jhenaidah-3), and Saiful Islam Firoz (Jhenaidah-4).
Apart from them, Jatiya Party candidates ASM Moktadir Titas (Joypurhat-1), and Taj Mohammad Sheikh (Bogura-5); Islami Andolan Bangladesh candidates Md Jahurul Islam (Joypurhat-1) and Abdul Naki (Joypurhat -2); independent candidates Afzal Hossain Nayan (Bogura-3), Hero Alam (Bogura-4), and renegade AL candidate Kamrul Hasan Bari (Jashore-5) also boycotted the polls.
