Dearth of voters, rigging, killing mar 12th JS polls

Anisur Rahman Khan and Al Mamun Harun Ur Rashid :

With a lean turnout of the voters, the 12th parliamentary election was overshadowed by a series of incidents including killing, sporadic violence, election boycotts, candidacy cancellations, rigging, and voter intimidation.

Reports from different pockets of the country have revealed that the presence of the voters was lackluster and devoid of spontaneity while the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and other like-minded parties boycotted the poll and urged the voters to do the same.

However, the election was held under a 48-hour countrywide hartal imposed by BNP and it will end at 6am on Monday.

After the end of the voting at 4pm, Chief Election Commissioner Habibul Awal initially mentioned at a press conference that the voter turnout stood at 28 percent.

Subsequently, he revised it from the information of the officials including the EC Secretary sat beside him and stated that so far, 40 percent of the votes have been cast, and it could potentially increase or remain the same.

Earlier, at 3pm the Election Commission (EC) claimed of nearly 26 percent voter turnout, but presiding officers from various polling stations reported the figures were below five to seven percent until noon.

EC also said, Dhaka Division has seen a turnout of 25 percent, Chattogram 27 percent, Khulna 32 percent, Sylhet 22 percent, Mymensingh 29 percent, Rajshahi 26 percent, and Rangpur and Barishal Divisions both recorded a 31 percent voter turnout.

The stark contrast between the official figures and on-the-ground reports has raised eyebrows and fueled skepticism about the transparency and credibility of the electoral process.

From the inference of the Election Commission, the last ‘magical-one-hour’ has witnessed a quantum leap of voter turnout making the figure at 40.

Meanwhile, the CEC told the journalists that it was not the responsibility of the Commission to compel voters to the polling stations.

Prior to the polling day, the government had expressed confidence in a satisfactory voter presence, but the actual turnout contradicted these assurances.

Despite poor turnout of voters, the early results of the 12th national polls showed Awami League was leading the electoral race to form the next government for the fourth consecutive terms.

Reports from different polling stations revealed supporters of candidates gathering outside centers, with some lingering near polling booths in defiance of law enforcement.

As motorised vehicles were banned on the polling day, candidates resorted to hiring rickshaws covered with the posters of the Awami League’s ‘boat’ symbol to transport voters to and from the election centers.

Several prominent election centers, including Mirpur, Darussalam, Pallabi, Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, and Agargaon, reported the low turnout of voters and the absence of polling agents for all candidates inside the booths.

In some instances, multiple polling agents bearing the symbol of the ‘boat’ were found in different constituencies in Mirpur and Pallabi, raising concerns about potential irregularities.

The confusion further deepened when this correspondent approached some polling agents, who were unable to identify their respective candidates.

“I don’t know the name of the candidate,” said Fulmoti, a polling agent for ‘truck’ symbol told the New Nation at Rupnagar Govt Model School and College Centre in the capital.

Some even admitted to not knowing the names of the candidates they were supposedly representing, casting a shadow over the legitimacy of the election process.

Meanwhile, a supporter of ruling party candidate was killed in Munshiganj-3 constituency while an Assistant Presiding Officer died of stroke while performing duty at a polling centre in Bhola’s Lalmohan Upazila early Sunday. The Assistant Presiding Officer was Mostafizur Rahman.

Regarding the killing incident in Munshiganj, Superintendent of Munshiganj Police Aslam Khan said that supporters of independent candidate Md Faisal Biplab attacked Zillur and stabbed him with a sharp weapon, leaving him dead.

Sporadic incidents of violence also erupted in various constituencies leaving a number of supporters of the candidates sustained bullet injuries, and they also blasted crude bombs, torched ballot boxes and vandalised polling stations.

Under Chattogram-10 constituency, two supporters received bullet injuries during a class between AL candidate and independent aspirant at Pahartoli College Centre on Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, seven candidates from the Jatiyo Party (JaPa), two from Trinamool BNP, one from Gano Front, and seven independent candidates boycotted the elections.

Their decision is based on allegations of significant irregularities, instances of fake voting, attempts to seize control of polling centers, and restrictions imposed on agents entering the polling venues.

Due to vote rigging and irregularities, four candidates under Sylhet-2 constituency boycotted the poll.

They were Gano Forum candidate Mokabbir Khan, independent candidate Muhibur Rahman, JaPa candidate Yahia Chowdhury and Trinamool BNP’s Mohammad Abdur Rab.

In Sylhet-4, Trinamool BNP candidate Abul Hossain, a former MP, boycotted the poll while in Narayanganj-2 JaPa candidate left election over vote rigging.

Independent candidate Ashraful Alam for Jashore-1, JaPa candidate for Cox’s Bazar-4, three candidates for Cumilla-1, Cumilla-7 and Cumilla-11, Cox’s Bazar-1 independent candidate MP Jafar Alam, Lalmonirhat-2 JaPa candidate, Bagerhat-4 independent candidate Md Jamil Hossain boycotted the poll over irregularities of vote rigging.

Meanwhile, EC cancelled voting in seven polling centres across the country as of 3:00pm over various irregularities.

Earlier, EC said that a total of 11,96,89,289 voters, including 6,76,09,741 male, 5,89,18,699 female and 849 transgender, will vote at 261,912 polling booths in 42,024 voting centres across the country.

A total of 1,970 candidates, including 1,534 from 28 political parties and 436 independents, contested the electoral race, which was mainly dominated by the Awami League candidates as BNP and other boycotted the poll.

The election was under the focus of international organisations, including the United Nations and the United States. The US had already imposed a visa restriction in a bid to helping the election to be free and fair.