Polling in the crucial mayoral polls for Dhaka and Chittagong metropolises came to an abrupt halt amid sudden boycott of the elections by the BNP, alleging vote rigging and other malpractices.
The boycott of the BNP from the race will enable the ruling party candidates to dominate the three major city corporations in the country.
Both the ruling Awami League and the major non-parliamentary opposition, BNP, fielded their candidates for the three major city corporations — Dhaka North, South and Chittagong — raising the hope of a welcome shift in politics following a three month-long violent agitation led by the Khaleda Zia.
A policy-maker of the main political opposition and also a former Law Minister, Moudud Ahmed, announced the party’s withdrawal from the race, terming the polling “a farce.” The ruling Awami League, however, denied outright the claims.
Trashing BNP’s allegations, Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said its decision to quit the polls was to create “a new issue” after its violent agitation to topple the government. The ruling party also alleged the elections were boycotted as BNP knew it would lose.
The Election Commission termed the polling largely peaceful but suspended voting in a few polling centres admitting to violence and irregularities. The mainstream national media reported large turnout.
However, it also reported about some incidents of rigging both in Dhaka and Chittagong.
The Election Commission deployed a total of 75,000 personnel of law enforcement agencies to maintain law and order in the three city corporations.
With the BNP quitting the race within hours of the voting, and the Awami League alleging that it was a deliberate decision, the national politics is back to the square one, analysts say.
The BNP, in fact, had decided to participate in the elections to measure its popularity, particularly after three month-long violent blockade and hartal s, when at least 135 people, mostly civilians, were killed in mindless fire bombings on vehicles.
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday had told a press conference that the ruling party, with help of the administration, was set to rig the election and if that happens, her party would launch a fresh agitation.
She also said that BNP also wanted to prove to the world that a fair election under the Awami League government was impossible, to back her claim for a national election under neutral administration — a demand unlikely to be endorsed by the ruling party.
