No doubt about fairness of polls

The first-ever Zila Parishad elections held yesterday were free, fair and peaceful, said Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad. 

Except for those defeated by party rebels, the ruling Awami League-backed candidates expressed no doubt about the fairness of the polls.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Zila Parishad elections are different from other elections. Here voters are elected representatives of local government bodies.

“As voters were few, it was a challenge to maintain the secrecy of the voting. That's why special measures were taken. Directives were given so that voters didn't stuff ballots openly and take pictures of their ballots,” the CEC told journalists at a press conference at the Election Commission.

The EC, as requested by the Speaker, had asked local lawmakers to leave their constituencies to ensure that they could not influence the polls.

During his visit to two polling centres in Dhaka, he saw the polls were held in a free and peaceful manner, Rakibuddin said and thanked law enforcers, election officials, journalists, observers and other stakeholders for cooperating with the EC.

“Today's Zila Parishad elections were free and fair. Through these local government elections, the practice of democracy will continue,” said Dipu Moni, joint secretary general of the AL, at the party's Dhanmondi office.

However, those defeated had complaints.

Among them, AL-backed chairman candidate Md Shah Alam was defeated in Pirojpur by 121 votes by party rebel Mohiuddin Maharaj, district unit organising secretary.

Shah Alam alleged that local lawmaker and AL district unit President AKMA Awal and Minister Anwar Hossain Manju had worked for Maharaj. He also accused Maharaj of spending a huge amount of money to convince voters to vote in his favour.

The opposition BNP said the concept of district council elections contradicts the constitution and is not fit for democracy, which was why the party didn't participate.

The constitution speaks of people's direct voting in local government elections but Zila Parishad elections see voting by elected representatives, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary general of the party, told journalists.