Opposition BNP on Thursday alleged that the government has made a ‘dress rehearsal’ through the Kishoreganj-4 by-polls to rig the next general election.
“The ruling party through Kishoreganj by-polls has exercised how they’ll loot vote in the next general election if it is held under a partisan government. We condemn government’s such activities,” said BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
“Yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) by-election has proved that a free and fair election is not possible under this government,” he added.
Though his party boycotted the by-polls, Fakhrul came up his party’s reaction to it at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.
Awami League candidate Rejwan Ahmed Toufiq, the eldest son of President Abdul Hamid, was unofficially declared winner in the by-polls on Wednesday.
Toufiq bagged 100,053 votes while ruling party rebel candidate Syed Mahitul Islam Asim polled 58,785.
The parliamentary seat fell vacant as its MP former Speaker Abdul Hamid was elected President of the country on April 22.
Fakhrul questioned how the returning officer collected polls results of all the centres by evening when it was supposed take three to four hours to get the results from remote haor areas. “This gives an impression the way they held the polls yesterday… everything has been done as per the directives of the government.”
Fakhrul also alleged that the ruling party cadres looted votes at different centres by forcing out the agents of the rival candidate.
He also criticised the Election Commission for its failure to ensure a fair election and take action against the ruling party men for violating the election code of conduct, and said the commission has turned into a subservient institution of the government.
BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Kishoreganj district BNP president advocate Fazlur Rahman were, among others, present at the press conference.
Source: UNBConnect