Staff Reporter :
Three mayor candidates, including main opposition BNP, have pulled out of the Barishal City Corporation polls bringing allegations of ruling Awami League men’s widespread irregularities and manipulations.
The main opposition BNP’s candidate Mujibur Rahman Sarwar announced that he was pulling out from the polls at a press conference at Barishal Press Club at 12:15pm on Monday.
Following Sarwar, Islami Andolan Bangladesh mayor candidate Obaidur Rahman and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal’s Manisha Chakrabarty boycotted the election alleging the same.
Mujibur Rahman Sarwar said, “The ballot boxes were filled with stamped ballot papers very soon after the polls started. Polling agents of BNP and other political parties were stopped from entering the polling stations in most areas.”
“The administration’s role is totally disgraceful. I was elected mayor once and Member of Parliament for four times. But, I have never experienced such type of irregularities in election,” he said.
Sarwar earlier alleged that his polling agents were kicked out from at least 50 voting centres no sooner the vote started. Apart from this, Obaidur Rahman and Manisha Chakrabarty have brought out separate protest processions in the city demanding stopping the vote. They alleged that the AL candidate’s activists were involved in vote rigging in several polling centres.
Manisha told journalists that she was assaulted while she protested against vote stuffing for ‘boat’ (ruling Awami League’s election symbol) at Sadar Girls School in broad daylight. Obaidur Rahman also brought allegations of huge vote rigging in different centres.
