EC cancels results of Faridpur UP by-polls

The Election Commission today cancelled the results of the chairman's post of Faridpur's Charbhadrasan upazila parishad by-polls as its probe committee found "irregularities" in the election.

Ruling Awami League candidate M Kawsar was unofficially elected chairman in the by-polls defeating BNP rebel candidate AKM Obaidul Bari on October 10.

"The commission has decided to cancel the result of the by-polls as there were irregularities in the election," an election commissioner told The Daily Star this evening.

Letters will be sent to authorities concerned to notify them of the matter.

An EC circular said that a probe committee formed by the commission has found proof of violating electoral code of conduct at the Charbhadrasan upazila parishad by-polls.

Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury, known as Nixon Chowdhury, independent lawmaker from Faridpur-4, was backing Kawser.

After the election Mujibur allegedly issued threats in public to the deputy commissioner of Faridpur and the upazila nirbahi officer of Charbhadrasan for deploying an "excessive" number of magistrates in the upazila chairman by-polls held on October 10. He refuted the allegations.

The EC formed a three-member probe committee. 

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda on October 13 said Mujibur had violated the electoral code of conduct during the local polls.

On October 15, Faridpur district senior election officer, also the returning officer of the election Nawabul Islam filed the case with Charbhadrasan police station a day after Nurul Huda's comment.

The Cabinet Division on October 12 sought action over violations of the electoral code of conduct for local body polls by Nixon and the newly elected upazila chairman.

It wrote to the Prime Minister's Office, the Parliament Secretariat, the Election Commission Secretariat and other authorities concerned to that end.