Blatant rigging in city polls, says BNP

The BNP says the ruling party is “blatantly engaged in outrageous cheating” in the city corporation elections.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 30 July 2018, 07:57 AM
Updated : 30 July 2018, 07:57 AM

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi made the remarks at a press conference held at 11am at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters on Monday, three hours after the polls opened in Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barishal.

“The government has been able to engage in blatant lawlessness because of a subservient Election Commission,” said Rizvi.

“The commission is silent because it does not understand right or wrong and does not have even the vaguest sense of ethics, which is encouraging the theft of the elections by the ruling party’s candidates.”

“The allegations we have made regarding the government’s blueprints from the start have become blatantly and outrageously obvious today,” Rizvi said.

“What kind of election is it when we can prove that polling centres are occupied, the BNP’s agents are removed and ballot boxes are stuffed?|

Barishal City Corporation BNP mayoral candidate Mazibor Rahman Sarwar has pulled out of the race, citing rigging and irregularities.

Police forced former Rajshahi mayor Mizanur Rahman and other leaders from polling centres, according to Rizvi.

He criticised the silence of the Election Commission.

“The commission is deaf and dumb. We have the inevitable outcome of an illegal government paired with a spineless Election Commission.”

The government has become ‘delirious’ after clinging to power illegally and will not allow a fair and peaceful election to be held, he said.