BNP alleges plot to manipulate national election
BNP Central Election Steering Committee Spokesperson Mahdi Amin on Saturday alleged that a political party is systematically preparing for ‘election engineering’ to influence the national election and its results.
“Some recent incidents indicate a well-planned attempt to manipulate the voting process. We are also receiving reports from various places that a large number of burqas and niqabs have been prepared to misuse religious sentiments and carry out fake voting” he said while speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Gulshan election office.
Mahdi, also an adviser to BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, said the recovery of six illegal voting seals in Laxmipur and the arrest of a printing press owner strongly support their claim. UNB News
He said the press owner admitted before a court that the seals were made following instructions from a Jamaat-e-Islami leader.
Mahdi said preliminary investigations have found WhatsApp order details, seized materials and evidence of close links with a concerned candidate, suggesting a conspiracy to influence the election.
On behalf of BNP, he demanded that all those involved in the incident be brought under the law.
Mahdi also claimed a large number of burqas and niqabs have been prepared in different parts of the country to facilitate fake voting.
Calling upon the Election Commission, he urged it to ensure an adequate number of female polling officers in women’s booths and to strictly enforce voter identification rules by requiring voters to uncover their faces during voting, as per existing laws and guidelines.
The BNP leader said the Election Commission has already issued clear instructions that voters must keep their faces uncovered during identification, similar to procedures followed while taking National ID or Hajj photographs.
He also stressed the need for political parties to appoint female polling agents in women’s booths to ensure transparency and credibility.
Mahdi also alleged that the same political party earlier collected National ID details and mobile banking numbers by going door to door, raising serious concerns about fake voting.
He also claimed to have information about preparations for printing extra ballot papers.
Referring to a recent law enforcement drive, the BNP leader said 152 cricket stumps were recovered from the house of a leader of that party in Sutrapur of Old Dhaka.
“This raises the question of whether they are preparing for violence during the election,” he said, urging authorities to increase monitoring.
Concerns over Election Observers
Mahdi also raised concerns over irregularities in the appointment of election observers, claiming that some observer organisations have links with a particular political party.
He cited the example of the People’s Association for Social Advancement (PASA), which has been approved to deploy the highest number of observers.
Out of 55,454 local observers approved nationwide, Mahdi said PASA alone has been allocated 10,559.
He, however, claimed the organisation reportedly operates from a single room of a village house in Habiganj with only one person, a matter already reported by the media.
Mahdi said BNP has earlier informed the Election Commission about such organisations and believes these issues pose obstacles to holding a free, fair and credible election.
He urged the Election Commission and the interim government to take necessary steps to ensure a level playing field for all political parties and to guarantee a free, fair and neutral election.