Staff Correspondent
The Election Commission in its half-month investigation primarily found proofs of irregularities including stuffing of ballot boxes, capturing of polling centres, tampering with the results and intimidation at the polling centres in 50 upazilas, but suspended publication of the official results of only 20 of them.
The election commissioners, after looking into a few hundred complaints lodged by defeated candidates in the upazila polls held on January 22 amid massive irregularities and intimidation by Awami League leaders and activists, cleared the results of all the upazilas except 20.
‘We received a number of complaints against polls in 111 upazilas. Of them, the complaints against 50 upazilas were proved primarily. We decided to carry out judicial inquiry against 13 upazilas in addition to the earlier announced seven upazilas,’ said the chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, at a press conference.
The 13 upazilas are Madarganj in Jamalpur, Gaffargaon and Iswarganj in Mymensingh, Atpara in Netrakona, Pakundia in Kishoreganj, Sadar in Madaripur, Jagannathpur in Sunamganj, Ajmiriganj in Habiganj, Chandina and Daudkandi in Comilla, Raipur in Lakshmipur, Harinakunda in Jhenidah and Chagalnaiya in Feni. The EC has already launched judicial inquiry after suspending the result of seven upazilas — Bancharampur in Brahmanbaria, Araihajar in Narayanganj, Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar, Kaliganj in Gazipur, Mehendiganj in Barisal, Muradnagar in Comilla and Raipura in Narsingdi.
‘After receiving the reports of the judicial inquiry, the commission will decide whether or not the polls results of the upazilas will be cancelled and fresh elections held,’ said the CEC.
About the remaining upazilas where EC found proofs of irregularities but did not suspend the polls result, the CEC said, ‘The commission has nothing to do with some irregularities like violation of the electoral code of conduct, submitting false information and the influencing of elections by the polling officers and members of law enforcing agencies.’
He suggested that the aggrieved candidates lodge complaints with the Election Tribunal. ‘Within 30 days after publication of the gazette notification of results, aggrieved candidates should go to the Election Tribunals set up in each district,’ Shamsul said.
The CEC said that the EC found evidences of election officials’ insincerity, non-cooperation, bias and corruption in eight cases and warned them of exemplary punishment.
‘The results they [returning officers] announced at night and the ones they sent to us do not match. After announcing the result at night, they changed it the next day,’ said the CEC.
He said the commission would submit charge-sheets against the guilty officials to the concerned ministries or directly file cases against them in the court. He said that they had already requested the heads of arms forces and police to take action against two members of their forces for playing foul during the polls duty.
According to CEC, the commission cleared the results of 446 upazilas out of 475 after the elections.
The EC announced the schedule of elections to all the 481 functional upazilas, but polling to four upazila parishads was suspended during voting and elections to two of them were postponed before the voting began.
The EC during polling hours suspended elections in four upazilas — Sadar in Brahmanbaria, Ramganj in Lakshmipur, Barura in Comilla and Belkuchi in Sirajganj — on January 22.
The EC on early January 22, eight hours before the polling, postponed elections to the Ukhia upazila parishad in Cox’s Bazar because of the snatching of ballot boxes and papers. On January 15 it suspended elections to the Dighinala upazila parishad in Khagrachhari as an aspirant for chairmanship was forced to withdraw his candidature.
Soon after the elections, complaints regarding irregularities in polling started pouring into the EC secretariat. About 200 complaints have so far been lodged by candidates who demand re-elections at a number of polling centres or to all the centres in some cases.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
