Information Minister Hasan Mahmud has dismissed as ‘politically-motivated’ a report by the Transparency International Bangladesh or TIB, which alleged widespread irregularities during the general election.
“There are organisations whose work is to damage our country,” the minister told a briefing in Chittagong on Wednesday. After conducting surveys during voting at 50 among the 300 parliamentary seats across Bangladesh, the TIB found proof of some manner of irregularities in at least 47 of those constituencies, said the report released on Tuesday. The majority of reports released by the TIB are “biased, inaccurate and politically
motivated”, said the Awami League leader. “The TIB releases comments and say they are reports based on research. But we have found out that their claims aren’t really based on research.”
“There is no apparent difference between comments made by the TIB and the BNP. TIB’s so-called report merely sides with the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami”. The Awami League returned for a third-consecutive term in power after the Dec 30 polls, gaining victory at 259 seats. The Jatita Oikya Jote, the opposition alliance which includes the BNP, won eight seats. The alliance cited widespread rigging and voter intimidation among other irregularities to reject the results and demanded a fresh election under a neutral poll-time government.
“As you know our recent election has been praised all over the world. Compared to many previous general elections, this one was much more peaceful and festive,” said the information minister.
