AL showed true colours: BNP

BNP has claimed ruling Awami League behaved like an ‘aggressive invader’ during the second phase of the Upazila elections.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 27 Feb 2014, 12:45 PM
Updated : 27 Feb 2014, 01:54 PM

Acting Secretary General of the party Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the allegation after the end of polling in 115 Upazilas on Thursday.

The former main opposition party has bagged most number of seats in the first phase of Upazila elections held on Feb 19.

“Awami League showed its true colours by invading voting centres during the Upazila elections.”

He said the ruling party took control of the polling centres like the way villagers fight to occupy ‘Chars’ (sand banks).

Fakhrul demanded that fresh elections be held in the ‘invaded’ centres.

BNP had alleged irregularities during the first phase of the polls held at 96 Upazilas.

But the candidates the party had backed were elected as chairmen in 45 Upazilas.

File Photo

Fakhrul accused the Election Commission of being ‘loyal’ to the Awami-League led government and claimed that because of that loyalty it was turning a blind eye to the attacks on polling centres.

The BNP leader reiterated his party’s claim that the current government was devoid of the people’s mandate and therefore it was illegal.

“We believe that no election can be held fairly under this illegal government, let alone the national polls.”

Having said that he demanded a fresh general election under a neutral government.

“Election under a neutral body must be announced as soon as possible. Otherwise a strong movement will be launched to topple this government. I pledge this standing near the grave of martyred president Ziaur Rahman.”

Fakhrul was talking to reporters at the BNP founder’s grave at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. He was accompanied by BNP Vice-Chairman Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, who was recently released from detention.