More upazila poll objections poured in
Staff Correspondent
The Election Commission (EC) Secretariat continues to receive complaints from defeated upazila election candidates but the commission is yet to work out a procedure to investigate those, and go for the next course of action.
Of the two complaints it received yesterday, one is against state minister Dipankkar Talukder and the other concerns ruling Awami League (AL) lawmaker Kamal Ahmed Majumder.
In the last two days, the EC Secretariat got over 100 complaints from defeated contestants stating that ruling Awami League (AL) lawmakers and activists influenced voting, intimidated voters and stuffed ballot boxes after beating up and driving out their polling agents.
Three defeated candidates for the post of chairman in Kawkhali upazila of Rangamati jointly filed a complaint that said Dipankar Talukder influenced the local administration during the January 2 upazila parishad elections.
Influenced by the state minister, the local administration refrained from taking any action against AL activists although they intimidated voters and threatened to drive them out from the area if they do not vote for AL-backed chairman candidate Aungsapru Marma.
They also alleged that AL supporters attacked houses of the BNP-backed chairman candidate’s supporters, leaving 12 to 14 people injured.
“We lodged several complaints with the returning officer and the local administration, but they were reluctant to take any action due to influence of the state minister,” the complaint said.
The three chairman candidates also alleged that AL supporters had created a reign of terror at six polling stations in Betbunia union and at two in Kamalpaty union affecting voting.
Moreover, a woman vice-chairman candidate in Porshuram upazila in Feni complained that Kamal Ahmed Majumder visited the upazila on January 18 and campaigned for his sister-in-law Fatema Rasheda, woman vice-chairman candidate, and for AL- backed chairman and vice-chairman candidates.
Majumder also asked the local administration to favour the three candidates in the election.
Sources in the EC Secretariat said the commission met for the second consecutive day yesterday and examined those complaints, but it was yet to decide how it would investigate the complaints and go for legal actions.
The complainants have also submitted supportive documents with their complaints, and EC officials are now listing those deserving probe, the sources mentioned.
Courtesy: thedailystar.net
