Staff Reporter
Local Government and Cooperative Minister Syed Ashraful Islam yesterday expressed his satisfaction over the law and order situation during the upazila polls across the country.
He said that the presence of voters at the polling centres would have been much higher if the political parties would participate in the upazila elections directly.
Ashraful was briefing the reporters at the party’s Dhanmondi office at the end of the upazila elections across the country.
He alleged that the Election Commission (EC) and the previous caretaker government tried to depoliticise the country by enacting an ordinance that called for holding upazila elections without political influence.” But the AL government will discuss the issue in the parliament to ensure participation of all the political parties directly in the upazila elections,” he said.
The minister thanked the army and the EC for the holding of the upazila elections in free and fair manner.
Ashraful made no comment on the allegation of the EC that the AL leaders and activists violated electoral code of conduct and captured different polling centres in the country.” AL has not participated in the polls directly. But there were candidates with our support,” he noted.
Asked whether any action would be taken against the persons who participated in the upazila elections as rival candidates ignoring the party’s directive, he said ” We requested the local leaders and activists to resolve the matter through negotiation.”
AL Organising Secretary Abdul Mannan MP and Shagufta Yasmin Amili MP, among others, were present on the occasion.
Courtesy: nation.ittefaq.com
