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Upazila Polls

LDA, several Islamist parties won't take part

Rashidul Hasan and Mohiuddin Alamgir
Left Democratic Alliance and several Islamist parties may boycott the upcoming upazila polls as they do not see any prospect of a free and fair election.
Leaders of the parties said the Election Commission controlled by the government might stage “a farce of an election" like the 11th national polls held on December 30.
The BNP has already announced its decision not to join the polls. LDA, a combine of eight left-leaning parties, and Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan and Bangladesh Muslim League are likely to follow suit.
Top LDA leaders told The Daily Star in the last few days that they would formally announce their decision soon.
"Right now we don't see any situation, in which we can join the polls. The Election Commission does not have our confidence in the least. The ruling party is arranging the election to ensure absolute control," said Saiftil Huq, general secretary ofBiplobi Workers’ Party.
Khalequzzaman, general secretary of Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal, said the ruling party used state machineries during the last parliamentary polls to serve its interest.
"Election has become ineffective. People have lost confidence in all election commissioners except one. Keeping this commission unchanged will make it really difficult to hold a free, fair and acceptable election. Also, with administration being what it is, we do not see hope of a free and fair election," he said.
Other parties in the alliance are Communist Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist), Canasanghati Andolan, United Communist League of Bangladesh,
Ganatantrik Biplabi Party and Bangladesher Samajtantrik Andolan.
Among the Islamist party leaders, Habibullah Miazi, secretary general of Khelafat Andolan, said his party would not waste time and money by joining the upazila election.
"We have seen a farcical election on December 30. Voting ended at 11:00am. Our supporters could not cast their votes even after waiting in the queues for hours. The upazila polls mean nothing under this government andtheEC,” he said.
In the national election, Islami Andolan Bangladesh nominated the highest number of candidates in 299 constituencies. But it decided to shun the polls.
Shahidul Islam Kabir, media coordinator of the party, said stuffing of
ballot papers took place the night before the December 30 election.
Kazi Abul Khair, secretary general of Bangladesh Muslim League, said, "The EC kept mum about irregularities in the last election. In fact, no election was held in December. The ruling party robbed people of votes. Why should we now hope that the upazila polls would be free and fair?"
On January 15, the Transparency International Bangladesh in a study titled Review of Election Process of 11th National Election said irregularities took place in 47 out of the 50 constituencies it surveyed.
It said ballot papers stamping took place the night before the election in 33 constituencies, stamping took place openly inside occupied
booths in 30 and ballot papers ran out in 22.
The upazila parishad election is set to begin on March 8 or 9. The EC will fix the date on February 3.
For the first time in the country's history, political parties will nominate their candidates in the U P polls.
The last phase of the five-phase polls would be held after the Ramadan, which would begin early May.
EC sources said they were planning to hold the second phase of the election on March 18, the third phase on March 24 and the fourth phase on March 31.
The fifth UP polls will be held in 480 out of the 492 upazilas.
The last UP election was held in 2014.