Whole Country
Barisal city polls not suspended considering officials’ security.

Barisal city polls not suspended considering officials’ security

Whole Country

BD Correspondent: Election commissioner Mahbub Talukder on Thursday said that the Election Commission could not suspend Barishal city polls on July 30 despite massive irregularities fearing repercussion that might have put the election officials’ at risk.

In presence of chief election commissioner and three other commissioners, he also told a special law and order meeting with police officers at the commission headquarters in Dhaka that huge irregularities also took place in Gazipur city polls on June 26.

He said that he submitted a report to the chief election commissioner about the ir regularities in the Gazipur city polls but the report never came to light.

The election commissioner said that the returning officer of Gazipur city polls forwarded 11 allegations filed by opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party mayoral candidate while police replied to four of them only and made to response to the rest seven.

He said that he monitored the Barishal city polls and requested the chief election commission to suspend the polls as six of the seven mayoral candidates boycotted the polls alleging irregularities by ruling Awami League candidate and supporters.

Later, the commission refrained from suspending the Barisal city polls as the commission was concerned about the possible law and order situation and security of the polling officials, he said.

Awami League mayoral candidates in Barishal and Gazipur respectively Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah and Jahangir Alam won the positions defeating BNP candidates.