Sagar Biswas :The ruling Awami League-backed candidates have bagged most of the ‘chairman’ and ‘member’ posts in the violence flecked fourth phase of Union Parishad (UP) elections like the previous first, second and third phases.According to Election Commission [EC], the voters’ turnout was 77 per cent in the fourth phase, which was 76 per cent in third, 78 per cent in second and 74 per cent in first phase. Out of 703 UPs, unofficial results of 657 were provided by the EC on Sunday afternoon. Of them, AL-nominated ‘chairman’ candidates won in 440 UPs, while BNP-backed ‘chairman’ contenders got victory in 70 UPs. In this phase, there was no candidate of BNP in 109 UPs. Apart from it, Awami League-backed 35 ‘chairman’ candidates have won apparently without any voting. According to EC, independent and rebel candidates of Awami League have bagged 171 ‘chairman’ posts.”We’re getting unofficial results from field level and these will be submitted to EC to get official approval. The EC will arrange re-voting in 20 UPs, where polling was suspended for massive vote rigging and gross irregularities,” SM Asaduzzaman, Director [Media Relations], EC said yesterday.Meanwhile, the post, polls violence also have caused lives of two more people rising the death toll at 8 in the fourth phase in different parts of the country till the time of filing of this report at 8:30pm yesterday. A bank employee was killed and 10 others, including UNO, OC and a police, were seriously injured in post-polls violence at Dhaperhat Bazar under Sadullapur upazila in Gaibandha district on Saturday late night. He was identified as Lebu Mondal, 38, an office assistant of Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank’s Dhaperhat branch.Of the injured, police constable Zafar Ahmed was admitted to Gaibandha Sadar Hospital in a critical condition while acting UNO Abu Raihan Dolon, OC Imrul Kayesh and other cops received treatment from Sadullapur Upazila Health Complex.Besides, Jubo League activist Jamal Miaji, son of Shahidul Haq Miaji of Shahrasti in Chandpur, who received fatal wounds on Saturday, succumbed to injuries at a hospital on Sunday. Meanwhile, about 78 persons have so far been killed in electoral violence since the UP polls started on March 22 with introducing party symbol for the first time in the country. Significantly, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal tried to downplay the bloodshed in the local body elections. “It is [violence] nothing unusual. Incidents of violence are very much common in union parishad elections. In most cases, the reason behind the violence is personal conflict, nothing political,” the Home Boss said.Criticising the CEC, the BNP yesterday said that any election will turn into Awami League’s ‘family programme’ in the coming days if this situation continues to prevail.”The government has destroyed the entire electoral system. Country’s election system now looks like a ‘grand cremation ground,” Senior Joint Secretary General of BNP Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said in an instant reaction yesterday. Echoing the same, BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan said, “One day will come when people won’t utter the word ‘election’ with respect for what is now happening in the name of polls.”
