Staff Reporter :
Observers on Wednesday said that the municipality election was unfairly slanted with the ruling Awami League (AL) and marred by apparent manipulations including ballot box stuffing and violence.
Voting for the country’s maiden partisan local body elections ended amid reports of violence, clashes, irregularities, boycott of candidates, and death of one person.
“The municipality election was tilted with the ruling AL due to irregularities and manipulation committed by AL candidates and their supporters,” Taleya Rahman, a polls observer told The New Nation on Wednesday night.
She said it could hardly characterize as a fair election as we have reports of ballot box stuffing, capture of poling centers, violation of the electoral code of conduct and incidents of violence.
Taleya Rahman, the Executive Director of Democracy Watch, also said that a festive mood was absent at many polling stations due to poor presence of voters amid fear of violence.
Raising question about the fairness of the municipality election, Badiul Alam Majumder, General Secretary of Sushasoner Jonno Nagorik (SUJAN) told The New Nation that the election was marred by violence and manipulation allegedly by ruling party men and all these have disrupted to hold a free and fair elections.
He blamed the Election Commission (EC) for creating such an environment saying that although the EC has adequate power to act against such incidents it remained silent raising question about the fairness of the election.
Meanwhile, Jatiya Nirbachan Parjabekkhan Parishad (Janipop), a non-governmental organization working for ensuring free and fair election throughout the world, branded the Wednesday’s election as ‘inclusive’ one saying that it was held in a festive mood.
“It was an inclusive election as voters could exercise their franchise freely despite widespread fear of violence,” Najmul Ahsan Kalimullah, Chairman of Janipop, told The New Nation on Wednesday night.
He added, people participated in the polls with much enthusiasm because it was the first ever partisan local government elections in the country.
“People’s emotional attachments with the major parties’ electoral symbols played a key role to their large scale participation.” he noted.
Another significant part of the polls was the political stance of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). It took part in the polls coming out from an anarchic position.
“The BNP, which boycotted the parliamentary elections and has long resisted elections held under the current government, participated in the polls, turning a 180 degree somersault which is praiseworthy,” he added
When asked, Kalimullah said, election violence is common around the world and Bangladesh is no exception.
“There were some reports of violence during the polls. But if we analyse the election atmosphere, it was relatively peaceful,” he added.
