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BNP demands re-election

AL terms elections wonderful

Staff Correspondent
Bringing allegations of massive irregularities in the Gazipur city polls, /X the BNP yesterday rejected the election results and demanded re-election.
On the other hand, the AL termed the polls wonderful and said the BNP insulted the Gazipur people by rejecting the results. Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) also rejected the election, terming it "staged" and its results "unacceptable" while Workers Party, a component of the AL-led 14-party alliance expressed satisfaction over holding the polls without any hindrance and the people's overwhelming participation.
AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir held separate press conferences yesterday at their party chiefs' Gulshan and Dhanmondi offices to give their parties' reactions to the Wednesday's election.
In a statement, CPB President Mujahidul Islam Selim and Secretary General Md Shah Alam alleged that the electoral code of conduct was violated on several occasions, such as snatching of ballots and intimidation of opposition party workers, in an attempt to instil fear into voters.
The Workers Party in another statement said there were no irregularities in the GCC polls. It called upon the BNP to accept the polls results and contest the upcoming polls, including the national election.
AL candidate Jahangir Alam was declared unofficially elected as the
Gazipur mayor as he defeated his nearest rival BNP nominee Hasan Uddin Sarker.
BNP PRESS BRIEFING
UNB reports: Speaking at the press conference, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, "This was merely a mockery in the name of elections. Different strategies of vote rigging were invented and used."
The BNP, however, would join the Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barisal city polls, slated for July 30, as part of its ongoing movement, he added.
Fakhrul alleged that the Gazipur election was held like the one conducted in Khulna city last month.
"Awami League has taken the election results in its favour by using law enforcers, the administration and the Election Commission as it has got isolated from the people," the BNP leader told reporters.
He said the government "snatched BNP's victory" in Gazipur with direct help from the EC. “They are using the state machinery and threatening the media to refrain from presenting the facts."
Fakhrul urged the EC to perform its constitutional duties properly and independently.
Replying to a question, he said the BNP wanted the EC to be reconstituted as the current commission completely failed to perform its duties.
BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury also spoke at the briefing.
AL PRESS CONFERENCE
Obaidul Quader said the Gazipur city polls were held in a free, fair and neutral manner and the people of Gazipur voted in favour of the ongoing development.
The AL general secretary thanked all the election stakeholders, including the EC and members of law enforcement agencies, for presenting the nation with such a wonderful election.
"I hope people will also cast their votes for nouka in the next general election to continue the current pace of development."
About the BNP's allegations of vote rigging by AL men, Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said, “Ask them [BNP leaders] to lodge complaints with foreigners; their complaints were neither accepted by the people of Gazipur nor by other Bangladeshis."