Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Thursday alleged widespread vote rigging, intimidation and violence in the by-elections to Bogura-6 and Sherpur-3, urging the Election Commission to take immediate corrective action.
At a press conference at the party's central office in the capital, Secretary General and former MP Mia Golam Porwar accused activists of a BNP-backed candidate of orchestrating serious irregularities on polling day. He alleged incidents of ballot stuffing, forcible takeover of polling centres, coercing polling agents to sign result sheets before voting began, and driving opposition agents out of centres-actions he said blatantly violated electoral rules.
Detailing the situation in Bogura-6, Porwar claimed that at several centres, including Maltinagar Government Primary School, agents were compelled to sign result sheets before polling commenced. He alleged that fake votes were later cast and agents expelled, adding that a climate of fear and intimidation had been created ahead of the vote to keep opposition activists away from polling stations.
Turning to Sherpur-3, he said that by noon, agents had been forced out of at least 13 polling stations, where bogus voting allegedly took place. At the Islamia Kamil Madrasa centre, he claimed, Jamaat agents were assaulted when they tried to resist irregularities, accusing local BNP leaders of leading the attack. He further alleged that a Jamaat youth leader, Hamza, was physically attacked.
Porwar said the Sherpur constituency had already been tense ahead of the polls, citing the death of a candidate and the killing of a local leader. Despite these incidents, he argued, authorities failed to ensure a credible voting environment.
Meanwhile, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Thursday said the Election Commission (EC) would investigate the allegations of irregularities made by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in Bogra-6 by-election and Sherpur-3 by-election.
Akhtar Ahmed said it at around 4:45 pm on Thursday after voting at EC Secretariat, Agargaon in the capital. Earlier in the afternoon, Jamaat-e-Islami held at a press conference in party headquarters in Moghbazar and complained about serious voting irregularities in both by-elections.
When asked if the EC would investigate, the EC Secretary said, "Of course, we will investigate. I have asked the officials for a report."
About the boycott of election by the Jamaat candidate in Sherpur-3, he said, "We organized the election, Jamaat boycotted it.'
