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Poll results of seven upazilas cancelled

EC probe finds massive irregularities

Staff Correspondent
The Election Commission (EC) yesterday suspended poll results of seven upazila parishads on grounds of massive irregularities in the elections, following an investigation sparked by an onslaught of complaints from defeated candidates.
After a series of meetings over the last couple of days, the commission also decided to launch a judicial inquiry to find the details of the irregularities.
Earlier, the commission suspended polling in six other upazilas preceding and during the elections due to similar allegations which will be investigated as well.
The EC also decided to let the judicial inquiry committee investigate alleged involvement of government ministers and ruling party lawmakers in the January 22 local government election irregularities.
He however did not mention which ministers and lawmakers will be investigated, but said the probe will reveal who influenced the elections.
Based on the inquiry report, the commission will decide the fate of the suspended election results of the seven upazilas, and whether any legal action is warranted against the perpetrators.
"We've suspended the results of seven upazilas as we are convinced there were serious problems during the elections," Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain told reporters in his office after a commission meeting yesterday.
The upazilas - poll results of which are not being published ®he jBally §tar
in the official gazette — are Bancharampur of Brahmanbaria, Araihajar of Narayanganj, Teknaf of Cox's Bazar, Kaliganj of Gazipur, Mehendiganj of Barisal, Muradnagar of Comilla, and Raipura of Narsinghdi.
Sakhawat said after examining the complaints, relevant documents, newspaper reports, video footages, and photographs they are convinced that massive poll irregularities took place in the seven upazilas.
The commission will write to the law ministry seeking the judicial inquiry and urging the ministry to forward the request to the registrar of the Supreme Court, he added.
The upazilas where polling were suspended during the January 22 elections are Brahmanbaria Sadar, Ramganj of I.axmipur, Barura of Comilla, and Belkuchi of Sirajganj, while polling in Dighinala of Khagrachhari, and Ukhia of Cox's Bazaar had been put off before the electionday.
"The commission has identified 6 upazilas and 48 other centres where voting will beheld again,” yesterday's EC meeting sources said.
But, Sakhawat said repolling will be allowed only in those disputed centres where the total numbers of suspended votes have chances of offsetting the current aggregateresults.
When the reporters asked Sakhawat what action the EC will take against ministers and lawmakers who will be proven guilty of influencing the elections, he told them to look up the relevant law.
SAKHAWAT REBUTS TAJ'S CLAIM
As the election commissioner's attention was drawn to State Minister for Home Affairs Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj's remark that the EC has command over law enforcing agencies till 15 days after the elections, Sakhawat said the
statement is wrong.
"I think he didn't look up the law. It is good to look up the laws before making comments from the home ministry, otherwise, public doubts might be sparked," Sakhawat quipped.