Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has issued the following statement on 15th May, 2018 condemning the farce in the name of election in Khulna City Corporation today which has been marked with unprecedented irregularities including massive terrorism and violence, kicking the polling agent centres out from the poll centres, widespread fake vote casting, capturing poll centres and mayhem of the ruling party cadres in front of the law enforcers.
“Today’s farcical election in Khulna City Corporation once again proved that fair and credible election is not possible under the incumbent government and its subservient election commission. I am expressing deep concern at the irregularities which have taken place today during the election period including massive terrorism and violence, kicking the polling agent centres out from the poll centres, widespread fake vote casting, capturing poll centres and mayhem of the ruling party cadres in front of the law enforcers.
We came to know from different sources that, opposition party’s candidate’s polling agents have been forcefully kicked out from 80 percent poll centres. Opposition backed candidate’s polling agents were not allowed to enter in Khulna Jila School’s academic building number one &2 and various other poll centres. Awami League hooligans barred them from entering into the centres. On last night, the terrorists of Awami League went to the houses of the voters and threatened them not to cast their votes.
The ruling party terrorists have physically assaulted opposition nominated candidate’s polling agent Salim Kazi at the Rupsha Government Primary School centre, situated in ward number 30 of Khulna City Corporation. Several booths and camps of the opposition candidate have been vandalised. Fake vote were casted for ruling party candidates in front of the election officials and the law enforcers. It is seen in many poll centres that, vote had been casted by the ruling party cadres even before the original voter reached over there.
Voters were forcefully kicked out from some centres. Such incident have taken place in Rupsha Government Primary School centre where entire ballot boxes were made full of the fake votes in favour of the ruling party candidates by 10 in the morning. Deployed police also scolded the ruling party miscreants as they were taking much time to complete their irregularities and the journalists were about to reach there. Those ruling party miscreants also replied ‘we are taking time as at least 1200 fake vote is our target’.
A local witness claimed, almost 300 votes have been casted in one centre even before 10 am. Despite all these wrongdoings, voting of just 3 poll centres have been postponed till 2 at noon. In words, the ruling party terrorists under the backing of local administration and election officials have made havoc of irregularities and fake voting in 80 percent poll centres.
The aforesaid descriptions have clearly substantiated that today’s Khulna City Corporation election was not free, fair and credible. I am urging the concerned authorities to cancel this election and to hold election again fairly and credibly.
