19 candidates quit over polls irregularities
A total 19 candidates, including 11 of opposition Jatiyo Party, in 13 districts boycotted the national polls yesterday, bringing allegations of widespread irregularities.
They are: Rejaul Razi Swapan Chowdhury (Thakurgaon-1), Md Delowar (Lalmonirhat-2), Johurul Haq (Jashore-4), Mohammad Ali (Tangail-1), Enayet Hossain (Mymensingh-2), Mir Shamsul Alam Lipton (Jamalpur-3), ANM Rafiqul Islam Selim (Narsingdi-2), Alamgir Sikdar Loton (Narayanganj-2), Yahiya Chowdhury (Sylhet-2), Sazzad Rashid (Chandpur-4) and Nurul Amin Sikdar Vhuttu (Cox's Bazar-4) of JP; MM Shahin (Moulvibazar-2) of Trinamool BNP; Mokabbir Khan (Sylhet-2) of Gonoforum; and independent aspirants Advocate Sohana Tahmina (Munshiganj-2), Mizan Sayeed (Cox's Bazar-3), Zafor Alom (Cox's Bazar-1), Nurul Bashar (Cox's Bazar-4), Yunus Islam Talukder (Tangail-2), Ashraful Alam Liton (Jashore-1), and AKM Shafi Ahmed Salman (Moulvibazar-2).
They alleged that ruling Awami League leaders and activists occupied the polling centres in their respective constituencies by driving out their agents before casting fake votes, while the local administration and the police collaborated with them in rigging the election.
Mahmud Alam, joint office secretary of JP, confirmed to The Daily Star that 11 candidates of the party boycotted the polls.
Contacted, JP's Rejaul Razi Swapan said the AL candidate's supporters grabbed almost all polling centres of his constituency with help of local administration and police.
"They drove out my polling agents from different vote centres," he said.
"I visited many centres to get firsthand experience regarding the allegations and found those to be valid. Later at around 2:00pm, I announced to quit the election in protest of vote rigging," Swapan added.
Mohammad Ali and several other JP candidates also echoed the same when contacted.
Besides, independent candidate Sohana Tahmina, who is also joint general secretary of Munshiganj district AL unit, made similar allegations.
"Only activists of the AL candidate are present at the polling centres. I didn't receive any cooperation from the administration. My final decision is to boycott the polls," she said.
The three independent candidates from Cox's Bazar, who are also leaders of ruling AL, announced to boycott the polls just an hour before voting ended.
They alleged that AL-nominated candidates in their respective constituencies rigged the election by bribing the polling and presiding officers.
Mizan Sayeed from Cox's Bazar-3 filed a written complaint to the returning officer citing that his agents were driven out of polling centres and fake votes were cast in favour of the AL candidate.
Independent aspirant AKM Shafi Ahmed Salman from Moulvibazar-2 also filed a written complaint addressed to the Election Commission secretary, RO and OC of the local police station, alleging that the local administration collaborated with the AL candidate in the seat and did not respond to his complaints over polls irregularities.