Faridpur-4 MP: Cabinet Division seeks actions over violation of election code
The Cabinet Division has sought actions over violations of the electoral code of conduct for local body polls by the Faridpur-4 lawmaker and a newly elected upazila chairman.
It yesterday wrote to the Prime Minister's Office, the Parliament Secretariat, the Election Commission Secretariat and other authorities concerned to that end.
Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury, an independent lawmaker from Faridpur-4, issued threats in public to the deputy commissioner of Faridpur and the upazila nirbahi officer of Charbhadrasan for deploying an "excessive" number of magistrates in the upazila chairman by-polls held on October 10.
In its letter, the Cabinet Division said the activities of Mujibur, also known as Nixon Chowdhury, and Md Kawsar, the newly elected chairman of Charbhadrasan upazila, clearly violated the electoral code of conduct for local body polls.
"Under these circumstances, it is requested, as per instructions, that necessary actions be taken in this regard," it reads.
The Daily Star has obtained a copy of the letter.
The Cabinet Division made the move after getting a letter from Faridpur DC Atul Sarkar about the lawmaker's activities in the by-election.
"The district magistrate deployed the required number of executive magistrates as per the demand from the local assistant returning officer and the Election Commission for holding the election in a free, fair and impartial manner," the letter further reads.
At different public rallies the day before the election and on the election day and also at a victory rally, Mujibur and Kawsar used abusive language and gave false and defamatory statements about the DC, district magistrates, the UNO and executive magistrates for deploying 12 executive magistrates in the election.
At those rallies, they also threatened the DC, district magistrates, the UNO and executive magistrates, the letter said.
Mujibur contested the 2018 national election from Faridpur-4 as an independent candidate after failing to get the Awami League ticket. The AL gave nomination to Kazi Zafrullah to contest from the constituency.
Locals and witnesses told this newspaper that while campaigning in favour of Kawsar, Mujibur warned the DC several times against arresting Awami League leaders and activists.
At the victory rally in front of the Charbhadrasan upazila AL unit office on October 10, the lawmaker lambasted the DC for deploying 12 magistrates.
He also alleged that many of the AL men in Charbhadrasan area were assaulted and arrested upon the DC's directives so that the BNP-backed chairman candidate could win the polls.
"My supporters became afraid. I told them not to be afraid. He is just a deputy commissioner. We have seen so many players bigger than him…," he said at the victory rally, reported our Faridpur correspondent.
Supporters of the lawmaker there chanted abusive slogans against the DC.
Pointing to the commissioner, Mujibur said, "You will not get even a minute to breathe if my people go against you.
"Being a government official, how dare you want to help a BNP candidate win the election."
The post of Charbhadrasan upazila chairman fell vacant following the death of Mosharraf Hossain.
The by-election was supposed to be held on March 29. But it was rescheduled for October 10 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Atul Sarkar, DC of Faridpur, recently told The Daily Star, "Twelve magistrates were deployed as per the demand from the Election Commission to hold the election in a free, fair and peaceful manner. It was not clear to me why their deployment in the polls should be a problem."