CEC Huda says election was fair, plays down rigging allegations

The Election Commission has expressed satisfaction over elections in three cities despite allegations of rigging and other irregularities.

“The election was fair, except for some stray incidents in Barishal and Sylhet,” Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda said in a press briefing after the voting ended at 4pm on Monday.

In response to a query, Huda said: “Yes, I am satisfied.”

The EC has suspended voting at three centres and frozen results in 15 out of 395 polling stations in the three cities.

Mayoral candidate Mazibor Rahman Sarwar from the BNP has pulled out of the race in Barishal, citing rigging and other irregularities.

The party’s mayoral candidate for Rajshahi, Md Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul, squatted on a field outside the Islamia College polling centre in the city, claiming the election was rigged. He did not cast his vote.

Huda downplayed the rigging allegations and said: “Voting was fair in 138 polling centres in Rajshahi. In Sylhet, polling was peaceful in 134, except for two polling stations.”

However, he admitted that some irregularities took place in some polling stations in Barishal.

“Only two out of 123 polling stations had some stray incidents. Voting in a polling station was postponed in the morning and we have received allegations against 15 polling centres.”