JS polls was faulty — TIB

Speakers at a press conference on 11th parliamentary elections organised by Transparency International Bangladesh at its office in the capital on Tuesday. -- Saurov Laskar

Transparency International Bangladesh on Tuesday termed the December 30 general election as partially participated, non-competitive, questionable and faulty.

Addressing a press conference on 11th parliamentary elections at its office in the capital, TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman said that all the candidates were not allowed to conduct electioneering freely while voters faced obstacle to cast their votes.

He said that the Election Commission failed to act neutrally and the role of a section of a polling officers and law enforcement agencies were biased.

He said that the election result was extraordinary and EC's role was controversial during the election.

At the press conference TIB released its research finding over 50 constituencies out of 300.

According to the findings, irregularities including ballot stuffing, violation of electoral code of conduct and violence were taken place in 47 out of 50 seats.

Irregularities were witnessed in at least one or multiple voting centres across those constituencies, the finding stated.

TIB senior programme manager (research and policy) of the independent thinktank Shahjada M Akram revealed their findings at the press conference.

He said that incidents of irregularities involved law enforcers and administration officers playing a silent role, ballot stuffing, fake voting, booth occupation and stamping ballots among others.

'Ballots were stamped on the night before the elections' in at least one or more than one centre in 33 of the 50 constituencies surveyed and while polling booths were occupied and ballot stuffing in 30.

Iftekhar said that the faulty election would hamper the democracy.

• The NewAge/Jan 15, 2019