At least 16 candidates have boycotted the 10th parliamentary elections, bringing allegations of irregularities and vote rigging by their opponents from ruling Awami League. Of them, nine are independents contesting the polls as rival candidates of ruling Awami League, six from the Jatiya party and one from BNF. The independent candidates are Bodiuzzaman Badsha of Sherpur-2, Md Saidur Rahman Shahid of Dhaka-6, Ekhlas Uddin Molla of Dhaka-15, Ataur Rahman Raton of Sirajganj-5, Dr Abul Hossain Sikder of Barguna-2, Amirul Islam Amir of Noakhali-6, Sabina Akter of Barisal-2, Azad Uddin of Laxmipur-4 and
Dr. Mahmud Hasan of Chittagong-2. Six Jatiya party candidates are Md Sirajul Islam Chowdhury of Chittagong-12 constituency, Dr Md Farid Ahmed of Brahmanbaria-3, Kazi Mamunur Rashid of Brahmanbaria-5, Advocate Sharif Uddin of Laxmipur-4, Taha Yahiya of Cox’sBazar-4 and Golam Kibria Tipu of Barisal-3. The other one boycotted the polls is Jainul Abedin of Bangladesh Nationalist Front from Chittagong-11. Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed told reporters at a news conference at the EC Secretariat that allegations of vote rigging and boycotting of election during polling would be scrutinised after receiving formal complaints. Ekhlas Uddin Molla, an independent candidate of Dhaka-15 constituency, claimed that ruling party candidate Kamal Ahmed Majumder’s activists forced out his polling agents from 70 polling centers. “And I have decided to boycott the election,” he said. He has also filed complaint with the Election Commission. Kamal Ahmed Majumder termed the allegations brought against him by opponent Eklashuddin Molla baseless.
“There were media persons, members of the law and enforcement agencies and the presiding and polling officers, and since they have not said anything about it, the allegation has no basis,” he said. Independent candidate of Pabna-1 constituency professor Abu Sayeed, a former state minister alleged ballot stuffing by the son of State Minister for Home Affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku. He alleged that Tuku’s son and his associates had stuffed 475 ballots at Paikhati Shahidnagar High School centre after assaulting and driving out the polling agent of Sayeed from the centre. But, talking to this correspondent, Tuku accused Sayeed of spreading falsehood against his son to malign the elections. “My son can not do such a thing,” he said. Independent candidate of Dhaka-6 constituency Md Saidur Rahman Shahid said that he and his polling agents boycotted the elections due to vote rigging by his rival JP candidate Kazi Firoz Rashid’s activists. “In protest the vote rigging; my all polling agents and I came out of the polling centres,” he said. JP candidate Md Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, who was contesting polls for Chittagong-12 constituency, boycotted the polls after bringing allegation of vote rigging in most of the polling centres by ruling party activists. He informed that he filed complaints to the assistant returning officer. JP candidate Dr Md Farid Ahmed of Brahmanbaria-3 and another JP candidate Kazi Mamunur Rashid of Brahmanbaria-5 have also boycotted the elections alleging irregularities and vote rigging by their opponents. At a press conference in local press club, independent candidate Ataur Rahman Ratan of Sirajganj-5 constituency announced boycott of election alleging vote rigging by his rival candidate.
Independent candidates Dr Abul Hossain Sikder, Amirul Islam Ameer and Azad Uddin said they boycotted the elections due to vote rigging and other irregularities allegedly committed the ruling party activists.
-With The Independent input
