Irregularities found in 5 of 8 upazilas so far

JAN 22 UPAZILA POLLS
Irregularities found in 5 of 8 upazilas so far
Eight judicial inquiry committees out of the 16 formed to investigate alleged irregularities in the January 22 polls to upazila parishads have submitted reports to the Election Commission till Wednesday recommending re-elections in some polling centres of five upazilas.
The five upazilas where massive irregularities were found in a number of polling stations are Chhagalnaiya in Feni, Banchharampur in Brahmanbaria, Muradnagar in Comilla, Araihazar in Narayanganj and Atpara in Netrakona.
The judicial inquiry could not prove alleged irregularities in three upazilas. The three upazilas are Madarganj in Jamalpur, Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar and Raipur in Lakshmipur.
The commission in early March launched judicial investigations of the 16 upazilas where it was compelled to suspend the results of the polls held on January 22 because of snatching of ballot papers and capture of polling centres, tampering with the results, and intimidation.
Election Commission secretariat officials said the inquiry reports on the remaining eight upazilas would be available soon. The eight upazilas are Kaliganj in Gazipur, Mehendiganj in Barisal, Raipura in Narsingdi, Gaffargaon in Mymensingh, Pakundia in Kishoreganj, sadar in Madaripur, Jagannathpur in Sunamganj and Chandina in Comilla.
‘The commission will, after going through the reports, decide whether the polls results of the upazilas will be cancelled,’ election commissioner M Sakhawat Hussain told reporters on March 2.
Judicial magistrates were asked to submit their reports to the commission in 15 days. But they failed to submit the reports by the deadline as they could not work properly amid threat, influence and violence by the ruling Awami League-backed candidates in the upazilas. The commission secretariat later extended the report submission deadline and ensured the security of the magistrates.
The reports found the allegation of the stuffing of ballot boxes with the help of presiding officers and assistant presiding officers true in the Paharikandi Government Primary School centre and balloting in the Dashdona Government Primary School centre at Banchharampur was not in accordance with the rules.
The inquiry committee recommended cancellation of voting in 10 centres out of the 47 of Chhagalnaiya as it found that polling centres were captured and voters were intimidated.
At Muradnagar, the committee found disruption in voting and violence centring on the casting of fake votes in three centres.
The judicial magistrate found involvement of presiding and assistant presiding officers at Mariyadi polling centre of Araihazar in the stuffing of ballot boxes.
At Atpara, the body recommended re-polling in Diara and Bamsidha polling centre as irregularities could be proved there.
Soon after the upazila elections, complaints of irregularities in polling started pouring in the EC secretariat. About 200 complaints have so far been lodged by candidates who demanded re-elections in a number of polling centres or in all the centres in some cases.
The chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, on February 10 said the commission in its half-month investigation had primarily found evidence of irregularities, including stuffing of ballot boxes, capture of polling centres, tampering with the results and intimidation in 50 upazilas, and decided to suspend publication of the official results of 20 of them for inquiry.

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