Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda yesterday said he wanted the upcoming by-polls to Dhaka North City Corporation mayoral post and councillor election to the 36 new wards under the DNCC and the DSCC to be free and fair.

“The 11th general election was held in a fair manner. We want the Dhaka city corporation elections to be held like the national election,” he said.

Huda made the comment while briefing returning officers and executive magistrates, who will carry out election duties for the February 28 polls, at his office in the capital's Agargaon.

The CEC thanked all returning officers and executive magistrates for performing their duties during the December 30 election.

“I congratulate you and all your colleagues across the country for their hard work, skills and gifting the nation a fair election,” he said.

Huda said if the officers and the magistrates could ensure that the electoral code of conducts was properly followed, most of their duties would be performed. “Who will win the election is none of your concern.”

“People love you and they have confidence in you. Because of this, you have to ensure that the electoral rules are followed,” he told the officers and the magistrates.

“I am sure you will not do any irregularities. There is no doubt that you won't compromise with neutrality,” he added.

According to the polls schedule, the last day for filing nomination papers for the election to the 36 new wards -- 18 under the DNCC and 18 under the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) -- is January 30.

The returning officers will scrutinise the nomination papers on February 2, and the last date for withdrawing candidacy is February 9.

The DNCC mayoral post fell vacant following the death of Annisul Huq on November 30, 2017.

He was elected on April 28, 2015.

Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar is doing whatever necessary to disgrace and undermine the current Election Commission, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda said today.

He said this following Mahbub Talukdar's speech at National Voters' Day programme at the auditorium of Bangladesh Nirbachon Bhaban today.

The CEC also accused Mahbub -- present at the programme at the time -- of undermining the commission for his own benefit.

"Mahbub Talukdar has made political remarks on the occasion of National Voters' Day," he stated.

"He does not work for the benefit of the country's Election Commission," CEC said.

Earlier, Mahbub Talukdar, at the same programme, said that voter turnout in the elections where electronic voting machines were used has reduced to a critical level.

Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar. File photo

He said that a "sensational" election took place at Rauzan municipality in Chattogram where all the mayor and councilor candidates were elected unopposed.

He also mockingly proposed that the same model can be followed across the country where everyone will be elected unopposed.

"This process will save money and can reduce violence, and Election Commission will have no responsibility. If it happens, question will arise whether there is any necessity of Election Commission anymore" Mahbub said.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda yesterday rejected the Transparency International Bangladesh report on irregularities in the 11th parliamentary polls, terming the report “baseless”.

Besides the CEC, two ministers criticised the report. 

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, called the TIB report a “fairy tale”.

Information Minister Hasan Mahmud said the TIB report was a “deliberate falsehood” and it echoed the speech of opposition alliance -- Jatiya Oikyafront -- regarding the December 30 polls.    

On Tuesday, the TIB in its study titled “Review of Election Process of 11th National Election” said irregularities took place in 47 out of the 50 constituencies it surveyed. 

It termed the polls “partially participatory, non-competitive, questionable and faulty" and demanded a judicial inquiry into the reported irregularities.

The anti-graft watchdog said ballot papers stamping took place the night before the election in 33 constituencies, stamping ballots openly after occupying booths in 30 seats on the election day and non-availability of ballot papers in 22 constituencies.

The TIB study found ballot boxes filled-up before polling even began in 20 constituencies; voters forced to cast ballots for a particular symbol in 26 constituencies, casting of fake votes in 41 seats, silence of the administration and law enforcing agencies in 42 seats and obstructing and driving out polling agents in 29 seats.

In the 50 constituencies, not all the polling centres necessarily saw the anomalies. Irregularities happened in one or more centres of a seat, the watchdog said.

'IT IS BASELESS'

“We are completely rejecting the TIB report on the election. It is baseless,” the CEC told reporters after an orientation programme of the newly appointed Election Commission officials at the Nirbachon Bhaban in the capital yesterday.

The CEC said there was no similarity of the TIB report with those published in newspapers and accounts of other observers on the voting day.

Information provided by the election enquiry committees, executive magistrates and EC officials and others on the polls also do not match the TIB findings, he said.

The CEC also slammed the TIB's allegation that the EC failed to act neutrally and the role of some polling officers and law enforcement agencies were biased, saying, “The speech is disrespectful ... They should not speak like that.”

He said the commission would not take any step against TIB over its report.

'FAIRY TALE'

“The TIB has come up with the fairy tale long after the election,” Quader told journalists after an extended meeting of Dhaka South City unit Jubo League at AL's central office on the Bangabandhu Avenue.

“The TIB has cooked up so many imaginary and unbelievable stories. The countrymen will give a reply to the report.”

He termed the December 30 election transparent and excellent.

“Did any agent of BNP and Oikyafront candidates make any objection about the transparency of the election on the voting day?” Quader questioned.   

HASAN BINS REPORT

In another development, Information Minister Hasan Mahmud said, “There is no difference between the TIB    report and the speech of the Oikyafront. In fact, the TIB just published a report in favour of BNP and Jamaat-Shibir.”

He was addressing a press conference in his Dewanji Pukur Par lane house in the port city yesterday, reports a staff correspondent in Chattogram.

The minister added that though the TIB usually claimed that its reports were based on research findings. But in fact, no proper research was actually done. 

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda said polling agents should have the strength to stay put at polling centres.

“The agents must have strength to persist…They shouldn’t leave whenever anyone asks,” the CEC said after a reporter drew his attention to allegations that polling agents of BNP-nominated mayor candidates were being driven out.

Nurul Huda was briefing reporters after casting his vote around 11:30am at IES school and College at Uttara. 

“We did not receive any direct complaint that agents are being driven out,” he said.

Asked whether polling agents should resist if they face difficulties, the CEC said, “They should. I think so…Primarily he/she should resist whenever anyone asks them to leave.”

The CEC told the polling agents to ask for assistance from presiding officers and members of law enforcement if they were threatened or driven out.

Returning officers will take steps if they receive allegations, he said, adding “We will stop voting if situation of a centre goes beyond control.”

At the briefing, he, however, said the voter turnout till then was not satisfactory and hoped that it would pick up soon.

The CEC expressed his satisfaction over the overall election situation.