AL snatched victory in municipal polls: BNP

Dhaka, Jan 17 – BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday alleged that Awami League (AL) candidates snatched the victory in Saturday’s municipal polls by indulging in ‘vote robbery ‘.“You’ve seen what’s happened to the municipal elections held yesterday (Saturday). They (AL) have captured most of the polling stations and snatched the victory by indulging in vote robbery,” he said.
Fakhrul also lamented that a BNP nominated councillor who got elected securing 85 percent of votes in Sirajganj municipality was killed.
He made the remarks while speaking at a meeting of BNP’s Dhaka divisional coordination committee on the celebration of the golden jubilee of independence.
The meeting was held at BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas’ Shahjahanpur residence.
Fakhrul said the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are being used in the elections to ‘rig’ votes and ‘manipulate’ the results through different tricks. “They’re using the state machinery to stay in power and cement the one-party governance system.”
He said it is unfortunate that the nation is going to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of its independence when people are deprived of freedom and democratic and constitutional rights, including the voting one.
The BNP leader said a section of people in the country has been amassing wealth while the ordinary ones are struggling with poverty and becoming poor to poorer.
“Our democracy has been annihilated and human rights have been snatched. That’s why we attach great importance to this Golden Jubilee and thus remind people about their aspirations for which they liberated the country in 1971,” he said.
Fakhrul said their party’s main goal is to establish a truly democratic state and democratic society ensuring the equal rights of all by uniting people.
He said though the nation liberated the country in 1971 through a bloodstained struggle, Bangladesh now cannot be said to be an independent state in true sense.
The BNP leader said Bangladeshis are regularly killed along the border by Indian Border Security Force. “Such genocide along the border of any civilised country can’t continue.”
He said Bangladesh’s justified rights as an independent country are not being ensured. “The current government is ensuring the benefits of the neighbouring countries by adopting a knee-jerk policy. “But we’re unable to resolve the outstanding problems (with the neighbour).”
BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said their party will present the ‘genuine’ history of the Liberation War before the new generation by celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the indolence in a befitting manner. – UNB