Sagar Biswas :
Massive violence by ruling party-backed candidates, dubious role of local administrations and ballot stuffing by some law enforcement members in different centres have appeared as ‘big reasons’ for the failure of Election Commission [EC] in playing their designated role in the Tuesday’s election in 712 unions.
The EC on Wednesday summoned Police Superintendent of Satkhira Chowdhury Manjurul Kabir asking him for explanation for his failure in dealing with irregularities on the previous night of the election.
At the same time, the EC also sent letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Satkhira district asking him to inform the reason behind the huge irregularities, and also take action against the responsible persons for the electoral offence, officials said.
The EC, in the meanwhile, also decided to suspend all police members who were assigned election-duty in 11 centres of four upzilas in the district of Satkhira. The decisions were taken by EC on Tuesday night instantly after getting series of complaints over electoral anomalies against the on-duty policemen and local administration. “Apart from taking action against accused police members, the Commission has also sent letters to Deputy Commissioner and SP to file cases against the candidates responsible for irregularities,” Deputy Secretary of EC [election conducting cell] Shamsul Alam said.
On charge of stuffing ballot in the previous night, the EC halted voting in three centres of Kumira union under Tala Upazila, four centres of Alipur union at Sadar Upazila, three centres of Kaikhali union at Shyamnagar Upazila, two centres of Kushdanga union at Kalaroa upzila and one centre from each Keralkata union and Parulia union of Bedhata Upazila, according to the officials.
“Among the 14 most disturbed centres in Satkhira, the law enforcers tried to resist anomalies only in three centres. But no action was taken in the rest eleven centrers. So, the EC has taken decision to file cases and suspend the responsible policemen,” Shamsul Alam said.
In this backdrop, voting is going to be held in 11 UPs today. Besides, the election will be held in Neehla and Hoaikang UPs under Teknaf Upazila on March 27.
The first phase UP election in the country’s 712 UPs was held earlier on Tuesday where chairman candidates participated under party symbol for the first time. The EC halted polling in 65 centres for alleged irregularities and violence. Two persons were reportedly killed during the voting. The violence, however, turned deadly in the night when unofficial result was coming out from different centres, leaving at least 9 persons killed in different parts of the country.
Pirojpur district administration on Wednesday formed an investigation committee to unearth the reason behind the Tuesday night’s police-BGB firing that claimed lives of five people at Dhanishapa union of Mathbaria Upazila in Pirojpur.
Superintendent of Police in Pirojpur Walid Hossain said, “The three-member probe body headed by additional district magistrate Mohammad Manik Har Rahman will investigate the matter. The rest two are Additional Superintendent of Police Subrato Halder and Mathbaria Upazila Election Officer Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman.”
The victims of BGB-police were identified as Solaiman Sahel, Quamrul, Belal, and Shahadat. Two others, those received fatal bullet wounds, succumbed to the injuries on the way to hospital.
“About 600-700 people, equipped with lethal weapons, intercepted the Presiding Officer in the area around 8:30pm, when he was returning to the UNO office from Dhanishapa Degree College centre with election result sheets after the UP polls. The agitated mob tried to swoop on the Presiding Officer and snatch the result sheet,” Kazi Ziaul Baset, Executive Magistrate, said.
As he tried to prevent them, the mob also attacked Magistrate Baset. In this situation, the Magistrate [Baset] ordered the BGB and Police to open fire to bring the situation under control.
Meanwhile, the EC yesterday claimed that the vote casting in the first phase of UP election was recorded around 84 per cent after getting official result in 502 UPs. Of them, the ruling Awami League has got 33.34 per cent and BNP bagged 10.29 per cent.
“We have got final result of 502 unions where the vote casting ratio was 73.82. Out of 502, Awami League won in 380 UPs, BNP in 32, Jatiya Party in 7, Bangladesh Workers Party in two, JSD in three, Islami Andolon Bangladesh in one and the independent candidates won in 76 UPs in ‘chairman’ posts,” EC Secretary Sirajul Islam said.
“Of the 502 UPs, the number of voters was 81,29,009. The number of vote casting was 60,00, 826. About 1,06, 465 votes were cancelled. Polling in 56 centres was halted. In these centres voting will be held again,” he said.
