Staff Reporter :Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) spokesman for Bangladesh said on Wednesday that the nation witnessed one more manipulated election on Tuesday. According to AHRC, a Hong Kong-based organisation, the process of electing people’s representatives to the City Corporations of Dhaka and Chittagong has been marked by fraudulence. Rigging and ballot stuffing by ruling party men, polling officers, and law-enforcement agents reigned all across the two cities, as witnessed by human rights defenders associated with the Asian Human Rights Commission.Widespread violence by rival groups of the ruling political camps prevented electors from approaching the booths and casting their votes. By mid-day, the police and polling officers had asked voters of several jurisdictions to leave the polling centers, informing that their votes had already been cast. Many candidates were themselves not allowed to vote. Poling agents of all candidates other than those associated with the ruling party – Bangladesh Awami League – were driven away; some were assaulted and arrested by law-enforcement agents.Contestants reportedly filed written complaints to the Election Commission officials; however, their complaints did not yield any action in terms of preventing violence and stopping blatant electoral manipulation. As a result, pro-opposition and independent candidates boycotted the election by the afternoon.The police barred journalists from covering news, preventing the creation of photos and footage documenting the rigging. At least a dozen journalists were assaulted and their cameras were snatched or broken. Despite challenges, the media has succeeded in exposing electoral manipulations in the newspapers and private television channels.
