Staff Reporter :
The BNP has said that its at least 100 chairman candidates in the first phase of the Union Parishad (UP) polls faced obstruction from the ruling party men during submission of nomination papers. Many of the candidates could not submit nominations finally. As a result, ruling Awami League’s candidates in many UPs are going to be elected uncontested.
BNP Joint-Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed said it at a press conference in the party’s Nayapaltan central office in the city on Tuesday. He said that the ruling party men intimidated the BNP aspirants and tore their nominations.
The first phase of UP polls to 739 unions is slated for March 22 and the last date for submission of nominations expired on Monday.
Rizvi Ahmed named several unions where the BNP aspirants could not submit nominations. These are all unions in Chitalmari Upazila and Baroipara union of Bagerhat, sadar union and Raripar union of Kachua Upazila, Mollarhat, Rana Poisha and Phulkathi unions of Nalchhiti Upazila, sadar union and another five unions of Terakhada Upazila in Khulna, Jugikhali, Sonabaria, Koila and Keralkata unions; and Jainsha union of Munshiganj’s Sirajdikhan Upazila.
Rizvi Ahmed alleged that their party men did not get any remedy after seeking help from local administrations. “Newspapers have reported that the ruling party chairman candidates think that their victory is certain as they got party’s nomination. So, no one has any doubt that the government has made a plan to manipulate the polls,” he said.
The BNP leader said that the government and the Election Commission are now ‘working together like twin brothers, aiming at making the upcoming UP elections an instance of rigging’. He observed that the aggressive attitude of the current government is growing gradually, as it has exiled all the basic elements of democracy, including election, public opinion, accountability and tolerance.
“People know it very well what will be the consequences of the UP polls. People won’t get their rights back, and the rights of all political parties to join political activities won’t be established as long as this government is in power,” he said.
Rizvi Ahmed said that a strong movement is the only way to resist this government. He alleged, the government is repressing opposition leaders and activists by using law enforcers. Police are not only suppressing the opposition, the innocent people are also being subjected to repression, abduction, extortion and arrest trade by law enforcers.
