The ruling Awami League has claimed yesterday’s upazila parishad election was “fairer” than the previous three phases as the Election Commission contained law and order situation with iron hands.
HT Imam, co-chairman of AL Election Management Committee, came up with the claim as reports of at least four deaths came during the election marked by ballot box stuffing and snatching mainly by alleged activists and supporters of the ruling party. Eight chairman candidates boycotted the election citing rigging as voting was cancelled at three centres and suspended at 13 centres. Briefing reporters at party president’s Dhanmondi office after the voting, HT Imam, also the prime minister’s adviser for political affairs, expressed satisfaction over the polls.
“It was quite a fair and satisfactory election. Election Commission conducted the polls in a free, fair and neutral manner. It delivered its duty properly and contained the law and order situation with iron hands,” he said. Imam thanked the EC for its “good job”. Responding to a query about internal feud in the ruling party in different parts of the country, he said that AL is probing whether the clashes took place between AL men or “infiltrators” are behind such incidents. Asked to comment on BNP’s allegation of vote rigging during today’s election, Imam termed BNP leaders “professional liar”.
He dismissed newspaper reports that army has been given judicial authority during the upazila polls.
