An MP's lesson on rigging votes

Awami League lawmaker Sheikh Afil Uddin has been caught on tape instructing the party faithful on how to vote again and again.
"One hundred boys will always be in the queue. One will go inside the booth and then stand at the end of the line again. He will not go home. One hundred boys will always be in the line. One will enter the booth and then stand again behind the ninety-nine. The next one will go and stand in the queue again.
"Like this, they will come and go again and again. People and journalists will come and see the centre is full -- thousands of votes are being cast; thousands of voters have turned out. No problem," he said, instructing the polling agents of Monirul Islam, AL aspirant from Jessore-2.
Afil himself has already unofficially won the January 5 polls uncontested from Jessore-1.
Giving directives to the party polling agents at Parbazar High School on Monday evening in Jessore, the ruling party MP said: "Talk of police? No problem. Come to me and I will help you. If you face any problem, any administrative problem, I will face it….. But you have to do what you must. Bring voters to the centres and make sure that the votes are cast for boat."
Monirul Islam, who is Afil Uddin's relative, was present at the time.
Rafiqul Islam, who was state minister for power and energy during the last period of the AL rule, is challenging Monirul for the parliamentary seat. Rafiqul has been expelled form the party for filing his candidacy against Monirul.
The audio of the speech went viral on the social media over the past two days. Reportedly, Rafiqul's supporters recorded it and then posted online.
Shaheen-ul-Kabir, Rafiqul's chief polling agent, lodged a complaint with the district Election Commission in this connection on Wednesday.
Mostafizur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Jessore, said the election inquiry committee will investigate the matter and recommend action.
The Daily Star made repeated attempts to reach Afil Uddin and Monirul Islam over the phone yesterday, but none of them picked up the phone.
Mahabubul Alam Lablu, director of Afil Group that Afil Uddin owns, said the lawmaker would not talk about the matter.
In the audio, Afil is also heard to compare himself with a tractor that can cultivate acres of lands for days after days without having to need any fuel or water.
At one point, he said: I can't say everything in public. Come to me and I will tell you in private what to do."
Audio of the speech: http://ow.ly/sdvkI
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