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Published : 23 Jul 2023, 04:27 PM
Ashraful Alom, popularly known as Hero Alom, who contested the Dhaka-17 parliamentary by-election as an independent, has called for a fresh vote after raising allegations of ‘vote rigging' and other irregularities.
Alom lodged a petition with the chief election commissioner to demand the cancellation of the Jul 17 election on Sunday.
The social media star, who caught the attention of the international community after he was attacked outside a polling centre during the election, also slammed the commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police for failing to ensure his security.
While acknowledging the police's failure to provide security to Alom during the bypoll, Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq said that the authorities were unaware that he would be visiting the same polling centre twice.
In a rebuke of the DMP chief's comments, Alom said, “Whatever Commissioner Faruq Sir said is very unfortunate and shameful. He said I went to the same centre twice. I would like to draw his attention and ask him to watch the video footage. Did I go there twice? I only went there once."
Police are responsible for the security of the people everywhere, not just in polling centres, according to Alom.
“They said they would provide security inside [the polling centre] and not outside. This is an incorrect notion, as police are tasked with protecting people across Bangladesh. They had a duty to provide security in the entire constituency of Dhaka-17.
"But I saw them escorting those who attacked me. They should have escorted me to my home. Police should have come to my rescue when I was being attacked.”
Earlier on Saturday, Commissioner Faruq told the media that the police were responsible for the security of election candidates and that they were capable of ensuring it. This was evident when Alom visited the poll centre in the morning, according to him.
“But he visited again without informing the police.”
In his petition to the Election Commission, Alom said the regulator was informed by an email that 88 agents of the independent candidate were driven out of 19 poll centres within an hour after voting started.
When Alom went to visit the Banani Bidya Niketan School and College centre at 3 pm on election day, he was viciously attacked by a group of men with alleged ties to the ruling party.
“The incident attracted intentional coverage and millions of people at home and abroad saw it directly via electronic media.”
After the incident, his agents were forced out of the centres and the ballot counting took place in their absence, which was against the election code of conduct.
“The intentional attack on me, a massive number of fake ballots and irregularities in counting votes have raised questions about the [legitimacy of the] election.”
“Hence, the election was not legal. I demand the authorities scrap the farcical election and hold a fresh vote. I also demand the cancellation of the election result in favour of my opponent for violating the election code of conduct and urge the authorities to take punitive actions against him.”
Later, Alom told reporters that the returning officer suggested that he appeal to the Election Commission when he went to him demanding the annulment of the poll. The candidate, however, did not get any positive response from the commission.
