Staff Reporter :BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday said people have woken up against the current ‘illegal and repressive’ regime and they have demonstrated that in the recent upazila elections.”The upazila elections have proved that people have woken up. The ruling party men resorted to various evil designs, captured polling stations and snatched ballots, but they were ultimately defeated and rejected by people,” he said.Fakhrul made the remarks while addressing a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club arranged by Bangladesh Sangskritik Academy.In the first two phases of the upazila polls held on February 19 and 27 respectively, the BNP-led 19-party-supported chairman candidates won the elections in around 116 upazilas while the ruling party favourites in 80.The third phase of the upazila polls will be held on March 15 in 83 upazilas.The BNP spokesman was critical of the ‘partisan’ role of the Election Commission in the first two phases of the upazila polls. “Awami League leaders and activists unleashed chaos and resorted to irregularities and terrorism in the upazila polls. Instead of taking any action against them, the Commission tried to protect them.”Calming that people have completely rejected the ruling party through the polls, he said, “As per my knowledge, many BNP-backed candidates contested the polls from jails and there were no agents of the opposition candidates at the polling stations. Even then, our favourites won the polls as people got fed-up with Awami League. They (people) are not even ready to utter the name of Awami League.”The BNP leader deplored that the government has not stopped by destroying an impartial process of fair general election through the 15th amendment to the constitution as they are now resorting to the strategy of manipulating the local government polls by force.Fakhrul termed the January 5 election farcical one and said the entire world laughed at it. “The country is now under the grip of an autocrat. Those who want to exercise free thinking are being sued on charge of treason. No one can express or write the truth.”Mentioning that they are on a movement for restoring democracy, the BNP leader hoped that they will be successful with people’s support.
