At least ten BNP backed Upazila Chairman candidates on Thursday announced boycott of Upazila election bringing allegations of irregularities including massive rigging and influence of the administration in favour of the ruling party backed candidates.
The local units of the BNP announced observance of hartal for Friday in Kabirhat,Companiganj and Chatkhil (Noakhali) in protest against the failure of the Election Commission (EC) to hold Upazila polls in a free and fair manner.
The Upazilas where the BNP backed candidates announced their boycott are Barisal Sadar, Charfession and Borhanuddin (Bhola), Companiganj and Kabirhat of Noakhali, Faridganj in Chandpur and Shibchar of Madaripur and Sharsha and Chowgachha of Jessore. The BNP leaders brought allegations of booth capture, stuffing of ballot papers, driving away BNP polling agents and attack on their supporters .
The local level BNP leaders announced observance of hartal in those places for tomorrow (Saturday) while for Sunday in Barisal city in protest against irregularities in election and attack on the party supporters centering the elections.
Former mayor of Barisal Mujibur Rahman Sarwar addressing a press briefing at his house on Thursday morning said the BNP backed candidates have boycotted the Upazila elections in Barisal Sadar, Charfession and Borhanuddin Upazila in Bhola due to stuffing of ballot papers, booth capture and driving away polling agents of their candidates.
Local level BNP leaders addressing a separate briefing in Jessore Press Club on Thursday afternoon brought allegations of irregularities in Sharsha and Chowgachha Upazila elections. They blamed the EC for its failure in conducting free and fair elections. District BNP General Secretary Advocate Syed Saberul Huq Sabu among others, who spoke on the occasion.
Meanwhile, Khalilur Rahman Thandu Chowdhury, a BNP backed candidate of Shibchar Upazila, Madaripur along with two vice chairmen candidates announced their decision of boycotting the election race bringing allegations of irregularities against the administration.
They announced the decision at a protest rally in front of the office of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer at around 11 AM on the day.
When the rally was in progress police opened blank shots to disperse it. Besides, police also lathi-charged the people who were at the rally causing injuries to five persons.
BNP backed candidates have also announced election boycott at Faridganj in Chandpur and Mirpur, Kushtia bringing identical allegations. Meanwhile, BNP backed candidate boycotted polls in Sadar Upazila bringing allegation of vote rigging and massive irregularities. Local BNP also called a day long hartal in the Upazila for tomorrow (Saturday) in protest against snatching away people’s right to vote.
BNP backed candidates had earlier boycotted Upazila polls in seven out of 97 Upazilas in the first phase of the elections. But the party candidates won in majority places, it should be recalled.
