Prosecutors say Pecker's actions helped Trump deceive voters in the 2016 election
UN, foreign countries criticising city polls without facts: Inu
Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu feels the stinks raised abroad over the Apr 28 city polls in Dhaka and Chittagong is unjustified.
Published : 3 May 2015, 05:24 AM
Updated : 3 May 2015, 06:14 AM
"The UN and other foreign countries who have spoken critically of the conduct of the polls have done so without facts," Inu told journalists in Kushtia.
He said the critique came too soon after the polls to be fact-based.
"They all reacted with 12 to 24 hours after the polls. How can they get detailed reports from 3,000 polling centres in such a short time?" Inu said.
The BNP, which pulled out candidates backed by it from the polls midway through the election alleging rigging and terror by the ruling party activists, has complained about the polls to foreign diplomats.
When US State Department Under-Secretary Wendy Sherman visited BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her resident on Friday, she provided 'details of electoral fraud' to the US official, party leaders said.
Earlier in the day, UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon called Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with a request to probe the allegations of irregularities.
Moon described the BNP's participation in the city polls as 'reassuring', but described their midway pullout as 'unfortunate', Hasina's press secretary said.
The UK has also expressed 'disappointment' at the BNP's midway pullout.
The US has also expressed 'disappointment' at the BNP's midway pullout and irregularity during the polls.
“We are disappointed over both the irregularities and the BNP’s boycott,” Under-Secretary Wendy Sherman told a media briefing in Dhaka on Friday.
She too had called to probe the allegations of irregularities.
Inu came down hard on the US state department official saying: “Her comments came within 12 hours of the polls? What facts do they have?
“How did she get information of 3,000 polling stations in such a short time?”
The minister said it was usual to receive complains over elections in Bangladesh and added that not only BNP-backed candidates, ruling and other party endorsed aspirants also alleged of minor irregularities.
Khaleda Zia is intentionally using the city election to create a ‘constitutional and political crisis’, added Inu.
RELATED STORIES
Modi, who is seeking a rare third consecutive term, referred to Muslims as "infiltrators" during a campaign speech on Sunday, drawing widespread criticism from opposition groups
He seeks a rare third term on the back of issues such as growth, welfare and Hindu nationalism
The JaSaD leader died at a Dhaka hospital on Friday morning, his family said
