Send in rigging info
BNP has asked its grassroots leaders to send evidence of 'vote rigging' in Monday's general election to the party chairperson's office on the basis of which it will fix its next course of action, party sources said yesterday.
In the wake of the party's debacle in the poll, party chief Khaleda Zia early yesterday said the election was stage-managed and farcical, and so its results were not acceptable.
"We are yet to decide on taking a hard line on issues like oath taking of members and participation in parliament session," BNP standing committee member RA Ghani told The Daily Star last night.
“We have asked the party men across the country to send evidence of vote rigging to work our next course of action," said M Shamsul Islam, another standing committee member.
Meanwhile, some close aides to Khaleda Zia advised her to congratulate her political arch-rival Sheikh Hasina after Awami League's landslide victory in the election, and to accept the poll result. But she did not pay any heed to it, party insiders said.
BNP is also evaluating the performance and strategy of its election conducting committee comprised of several former bureaucrats.
In presence of Khaleda Zia, party leaders and activists on Tuesday blasted some members of the committee for their 'wrong strategy' and for 'misleading' the party.
Khaleda Zia castigated at the standing committee meeting several policy makers of the party, including Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, who were too enthusiastic about going for the election, sources said.
The BNP chief appreciated that party Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain had taken the stance of taking more time for participating in the election, and for bargaining with the caretaker administration on the party's interests, meeting sources said.
Asked whether BNP will participate in the upcoming upazila election, a standing committee member said they might leave the decision to upazila level leaders of the party.
"I think the party high command will not restrain upazila level leaders who wish to participate in the election," he said.
BNP ALLEGES RIGGING AGAIN
Meanwhile, at a press conference party BNP Office Secretary Rizvi Ahmed alleged that in post-election violence at many places BNP men and their houses and shops came under the attacks of Awami League (AL) activists.
"While the Awami League chief is calling for peace and restraint her party men are attacking BNP leaders and activists," he said.
He also alleged that vote rigging and irregularities took place in many constituencies.
It has been said that 100 percent votes were cast in some poll centres within 12:00noon, which is very unlikely, he said, adding that in many cases the voter list supplied to candidates did not match the official voter list of the Election Commission.
"Normally it takes two to two and a half minuets for a person to cast a vote, but if 100 percent votes were cast within 12:00noon, then a person cast a vote in 40 to 45 seconds which is nearly impossible," he said.
He alleged that the AL men ousted the BNP agents at some polling centres and then they rigged ballots.
Three injured BNP men allegedly attacked by AL activists were also present at the press conference held at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office.
BNP candidate for Dhaka-16 barrister Rafiqul Islam Chowdhury Mia alleged that AL activists captured the ward-92 BNP office.
Quoting Bhola-1 MP-elect Andaliv Rahman Partha, Rizvi said AL activists set fire to BNP activists' houses there and also in Comilla, Munshiganj, Narayanganj and Manikganj.
The BNP also demanded release of its leader Manjurul Ahsan Munshi.
Comments