Controversial win

Taib Ahmed and Sadiqur Rahman compare the statistics of January 5 polls,
provided by the Election Commission, against information by local media and
authorities from some constituencies
A month has elapsed since the controversial 10th parliamentary elections on January 5 that was marred by low
turnout,

opposition

boycott

and

widespread

violence

that

claimed

at

least

20

lives.

The violence had forced the Election Commission to suspend elections in nearly 600 polling stations across the
country,

resulting

in

withholding

election

results

of

eight

constituencies.

Voters across the country, though most were denied their voting right, are still in confusion about the credibility of the
newly-formed national parliament and the incumbent cabinet, as, they believe, that most parliament members do not
represent

the

people

of

the

country.

Election

engineering?

According to media reports, booths of around 41 polling centres of some 11 districts were closed by 4oclock on
election day without getting even a single vote for any contestants. New Age correspondent at Lalmonirhat district
informed that no votes were cast at 28 out of 38 polling centres in four unions of the district sadar upazila under
Lalmonirhat-3 constituency. Only 380 out of 95,260 registered voters had cast their votes in the remaining polling
centres.
Casting votes were counted at below 25 per cent in 18 constituencies. The constituencies were - Chittagong-9 and
11, Dhaka-4, 6, 15, 16 and 17, Sylhet-2, Bogra-4, Moulovibazar-2, Brahmanbaria-2, Tangail-6, Feni-3, Thakurgaon1,

Rangpur-3,

Gaibandha-2,

Jhinaidah-3

and

Satkhira-2.

New Age reporters, who were monitoring polling centres in Dhaka district, reported that local AL leaders and
activists were seen moving in groups in and around the polling centers at Mirpur, Banani, Uttara, Ashkona and
Gulshan among other areas. While flouting electoral rules, they were allowed to enter the booths, allegedly to stuff
ballots. A presiding officer, deployed at Ashkona tells Xtra, We were helpless. Even the police could not stop the
entrance of the local leaders in the centres. We were asked not to examine the identities of voters.
There

were

allegations

of

vote

rigging

from

some

candidates

hailing

from

the

grand

alliance.

The ECs statistics showed that the highest rate of voters turnout was recorded at 90.36 per cent in Gopalganj 2
constituency
Statistics

while

the

from

lowest

voters

the

turnout

EC

was
were

at

10.88

per

cent

questionable

in

Dhaka

in

15
most

constituency.
cases.

For example, it was found, during a visit to Danish Master Memorial High School polling centre at Uttara of Dhaka
18 parliamentary constituency, that a total of 17 votes were cast until 2:00pm in the polling station. As EC claimed
that 241 votes were counted in the centre, local residents found it hard to believe that 224 votes were cast in the
centre

during

the

last

two

polling

hours

(from

2:00pm

to

4:00pm).

On the other hand, the presiding officer of a polling station at Gulshan Model School and College had told newsmen
that only three votes were cast until 2:00pm in the polling station. But the ECs statistics showed later that a total of
353

votes

were

cast.

According to EC statistics, in 18 constituencies, votes were counted at over 60 per cent. These were Gopalganj-1,2
and 3 (ruling Awami League stronghold and home district of prime minister Sheikh Hasina), Bhola-2 and 3,

Lalmonirhat-1, Mymensigh-10, Netrokona-3, Chittagang-3 and 13, Jhalokathi-1, Potuakhali-3, Jamalpur-1 and 5,
Brahmanbaria-3, Cumilla-5, Barishal-4 and Sherpur-1. Of the areas, only in five constituencies- Gopalganj 1,2 and
3,

Bhola-3

But

there

and

Lalmonirhat-1,

are

varying

votes

allegations

were

counted

against

the

at

total

over

70

number

of

per

cent.

votes

cast.

Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shawon, a controversial candidate of AL who had been blamed for a murder, has won in
Bhola-3 constituency where 71.52 per cent votes were apparently cast. Nurunnabi got 171,855 votes while his rival
candidate

AKM

Nazrul

Islam

bagged

only

9,072

votes.

Local reporters, who closely monitored the polls in the area, allege that non-registered people were used as voters
in the polls. Shahadat Shahin, a local journalist says, While the polling centres were empty from the beginning of
the polls till noon, polling officers informed that 50 to 60 per cent votes had been cast after noon. He refers to one
Sabura

Khatun,

who

informed

him

that

she

herself

had

cast

78

votes.

Shawkat Hossain, editor of Ajker Bhola, informs Xtra, Even the polling officers were asked to cast votes in many
centres.
ECs

indifference

But the EC has turned a deaf ear to all of these allegations, labeling it as successful. It even did not launch
investigations

into

these

allegations

ostensibly

to

serve

the

purpose

of

the

ruling

party.

When people from all walks of life as well as different local and international organizations estimated that the actual
voter turnout during the January 5 polls could hardly be 20 per cent, the EC had underlined 40 per cent turnout.
When this 40 per cent voter turnout as deemed by the EC was questioned by reporters, the Chief Election
Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed had replied, We will have to keep trust in our officials and the figure of
voting

percentage

is

believable

as

those

were

sent

by

our

own

officials.

It is to be noted that the district deputy commissioners who are usually posted to different districts considering their
political

affiliation

are

appointed

the

returning

officers

in

the

general

elections.

The CEC avoided a question whether the Election Commission will launch any investigations to look into how voter
turnout in some districts reached up to 90 per cent whereas it was an average of 22.13 per cent in nine
constituencies

in

Dhaka

which

witnessed

no

violence

on

polls

day.

Wishing anonymity, an election commissioner tells New Age Xtra, The CEC had nothing to do but to resort to such
statements

as

means

of

escape.

The immediate-past chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, said on Wednesday that the culture of vote
rigging and ballot-stuffing has been revived in countrys electoral system through the voter-less and unwarranted
10th

parliamentary

election

held

on

January

5.

He said, Its painful that this unwarranted election has destroyed to many extents the electoral system we had
introduced through hard work and practiced during the time from 2007 to 2008 for paving the way for a fair election.
I myself saw how people were stuffing ballots openly at different booths in January 5 polls. We had tried hard to
bring an end to this culture of rigging and ballot-stuffing. But the culture has regained through this voter-less
election, he added.