Shariatpur/Mymensingh, Nov 29 (bdnews24.com)— The biennial elections to the Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) ended on Thursday amid opposition-backed panel alleging vote rigging and irregularities.
BMA Election Commission President Dr Alauddin Sheikh, however, told bdnews24.com that the balloting was 'peaceful'.
The polls kicked off at around 8:30am and ended at 5:00pm at 67 BMA branches countrywide.
Pro BNP Doctors' Association of Bangladesh (DAB) supported Aziz-Zahid panel follower Dr. Akram Elahi alleged Shariatpur Civil Surgeon Dr. Abdul Ohab Hawladar had proposed them to cast 40 votes out of 43 in favour of the Awami League-backed Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad's (Swachip) Mahmud Hasan-Iqbal Arslan panel.
"He told us to leave as we did not agree with his proposal. We left the voting centre as the environment was not congenial for polling," he said.
The Civil Surgeon brushed aside the allegations saying, "Negotiations were going on regarding local candidates, but no talks took place about other candidates."
"Balloting has been fair," Presiding Officer of Shariatpur centre Dr. Monir Ahmmed Khan had said.
In Mymensingh, DAB election committee President Dr Mohammad Ali Siddiqui told reporters that they would boycott the polls.
Supporters of the pro government Swachip activists locked horns with DAB supporters in the Mymensingh Medical College Campus.
The Swachip activists also reportedly smashed the DAB camp set up at the campus.
Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Police Station Fazlul Karim said the incident took place around noon.
bdnews24.com/corr/nih/zk/1649h
