No plan to boycott election: Nasiruddin Patwary

Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) chief coordinator and the candidate of the 11-party alliance in Dhaka-8, Nasiruddin Patwary said that his alliance has no plans to boycott the ongoing election.

He said, “We are closely monitoring the situation as part of the 11-party alliance. So far, we have no such plan. People are coming out to vote and the atmosphere is festive. After 17 years, this is an important moment and we believe this process will strengthen democracy.”

He made the remarks during a visit to a polling centre in his constituency on Thursday morning.

However, the NCP chief coordinator alleged irregularities at polling centres, claiming that people were being stationed in exchange for money in the morning and that some of their supporters had been attacked at Sangskriti Bikash Kendra, the day before the election.

He also expressed concern over the alleged alignment of supporters of sheaf of paddy, plough, and boat symbols. “We have known that the plough and sheaf of Paddy have effectively merged. This is an alarming sign for Bangladesh. Those who were involved in killing people during the Awami League era are now collaborating with the Sheaf of Paddy. They are acting as dummy candidates for them. We believe the Awami League and BNP are joining forces, which threatens democracy. Those who destroyed democracy coming together in this election is a warning for the country. Still, I urge everyone to come to the polling centres. Insha’Allah, there will be a silent ballot revolution here,” he said.

Although Patwary visited the polling centre, he has not cast his vote yet. He told reporters, “I will vote at the end, Insha’Allah. First, I want to ensure that everyone’s voting rights are protected and the process is fair.”

SA/NSA