Accusing the ruling party men of unleashing mayhems in election areas, BNP on Sunday said the government has got desperate to manipulate today’s upazila elections results into their favour as it did in previous phases.”The government has got crazy this time too as during the four previous phases to grab the chairman and vice chairman posts in the fifth phase upazila polls by resorting to violence, capturing polling stations and snatching ballots and ballot boxes,” said BNP joint secretary general Salahuddin Ahmed.Addressing a press briefing at the BNP’s Nayapaltan Central office, the BNP leader also alleged that the ruling party leaders and activists and local administrations are harassing, attacking and intimidating the BNP-supported candidates, their agents, supporters in all the polling areas across country to ensure the victories of Awami League loyalists.Salahuddin voiced his party’s apprehension that the ruling party will indulge in massive vote fraud in Monday’s balloting. “We’ve got information from almost all the upazilas that the ruling party leaders and cadres are intimidating the opposition leaders for not going to the voting centres,” he added.The Election Commission is set to hold elections to 73 upazilas in the fifth phase of the local body polls on Monday.Branding Awami League as the annihilator of democracy, Salahuddin said it is the habit of the current ruling party to resort to terrorism and anarchy, no matter whether they are in office or not. “They obliterated democracy repeatedly undercover of democracy.”He came down hard on the Election Commission for what he said its submissive role. “The commission has failed to contain vote fraud despite having enough constitutional power. Election commissioners have stigmatised the statuary institution by exposing their extreme loyalty to the government.”The BNP leader demanded resignation of the election commissioners and a fresh and immediate national election under a non-party neutral administration.
