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Bangladesh opposition boycotts mayoral elections

Tuesday, 28 April 2015 1:10 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 28 April 2015 1:17 PM ]

Khaleda Zia, the leader of Bangladesh’s main opposition party, BNP, left, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are seen in this AFP photo.

The main opposition party in Bangladesh has boycotted mayoral elections, alleging that the polls are marred by massive fraud and vote rigging.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) withdrew from the polls in the capital, Dhaka, and one of the largest cities of the country, Chittagong, on Tuesday.

“We’re formally announcing that we are withdrawing from these elections. There were riggings in 98 percent of the voting booths,” media outlets quoted BNP spokesman, Moudud Ahmed, as saying.

“Our polling agents were not allowed to enter voting booths. Some were kicked out while others were arrested. This is no election. Once again it was proved that there is no democracy in this country,” the BNP official added.

The opposition announcement came more than four hours after voting got under way.

Local media have also reported allegations of irregularities and ballot-box stuffing in recent elections.

Meanwhile, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, the joint general secretary of the ruling party, Awami League, promptly responded to the accusations of vote rigging. He said the boycott was a ploy by the BNP.

Hanif argued that the opposition leader, Khaleda Zia, had planned beforehand to boycott the elections, adding, “She knew she would lose the poll. She had no intention to participate” in the elections.

Hanif, a close aide to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also alleged that Zia herself organized an attack on her motorcade during campaigning last week.

People in Dhaka storm the convoy of Khaleda Zia, leader of the main opposition party in Bangladesh, BNP, April 20, 2015. © AFP

Zia’s vehicle was shot at and stoned by a mob on April 20 during her campaigning for the mayoral elections. The opposition has accused pro-government supporters of trying to kill the BNP leader in the capital.

Analysts say the recent boycott by the opposition would fuel the already existing tensions across the country.

Zia has been confined in her office at the opposition headquarters in Dhaka since January 3. She left her office on April 5, for the first time in three months, as a sign of easing tensions after deadly protests plunged the country into political crisis.

Zia has stepped up protests as part of efforts to overthrow the government of Hasina and pave the way for new parliamentary elections.

Hasina, who was re-elected in the polls of January 5, 2014, has warned Zia of “dire consequences” if the protests continue. The elections had been boycotted by the opposition.

JR/HSN/SS

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