Manisha Chakrabarty walks out on Barishal city polls

Manisha Chakrabarty, nominated by the Socialist Party of Bangladesh as its mayoral candidate, has pulled out of the Barishal City Corporation election after alleging that she was attacked by supporters of the ruling party.

The BNP and Islamic Andolon Bangladesh candidates for mayor had previously walked out on the election over allegations of vote rigging and irregularities.

“There were irregularities at the Government Women’s College centre. They were stuffing vote boxes with ballots for the Awami League. I caught them red-handed,” said Chakrabarty at the SPB offices on Fakirbari Road at 2:30pm on Monday.

“When I protested they attacked and injured me. I am boycotting the election.”

She called for the election to be scrapped and for another to be held in its place. The SPB will hold a nationwide demonstration on Tuesday to protest the attack, she said.

City corporation elections were held in Rajshahi, Barishal and Sylhet.