Jamaat alleges widespread rigging in by-elections, seeks CEC’s intervention

Jamaat-e-Islami has alleged that ruling party candidates engaged in widespread electoral fraud and intimidation tactics during vote casting in the Sherpur-3 and Bogura-6 by-elections on Thursday.

Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar raised the allegations at a press conference held at party head office, in Maghbazar, Dhaka at noon.

He asked Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin to step in and ensure that vote casting is suspended at the polling centres facing allegations. He also called for legal measures against the presiding officers of at least two polling centres.

Jamaat candidate for Sherpur-3, former army officer Masudur Rahman, withdrew from the polls in a formal announcement around 3pm, alleging rigging.

But Jamaat-backed independent candidate for Bogura-6, Abidur Rahman Sohel, has decided to remain in the race, despite raising similar rigging allegations at a press conference held around 4pm in Bogura town.

‘Agents beaten up, signature on result sheet taken early’

At the press conference in Dhaka, Mia Golam Parwar gave brief reports of rigging incidents as of 11:30am.

Vote count was manipulated, fraud votes were cast, Jamaat agents were forcibly evicted from polling centres, and at least at one polling centre the appointed Jamaat agent’s signature was taken early in the morning, the Jamaat leader alleged.

Members of the ruling BNP also attacked Jamaat’s voting agents and activists in many areas and harassed female voters, he said.

Despite pleas for assistance, the police, Army, and returning officers did not respond, Mia Golam Parwar said.

The administration seemed “helpless” amid apparent malign orders from the top, he further alleged questioning the potential credibility of future elections under the BNP-led government.

Mia Golam Parwar particularly mentioned the incident at Maltinagar Government Primary School polling centre in Bogura Sadar Upazila, where voting officials took signature from Jamaat’s agent on the result sheet early in the vote casting process in the morning.

In doing so, the officials violated the electoral code of conduct which states that the signature from a candidate’s agent has to be taken on the concerned result sheet after the vote counting and result preparation process ends.