11-party alliance leaders were defeated through ‘election engineering’: Nahid

NCP chief Nahid Islam has alleged that the party and leaders of the 11-party alliance were defeated in the 13th parliamentary election through “election engineering”.

“Our results were tampered with through election engineering,” said the convener of the National Citizen Party while speaking as the chief guest at a divisional iftar programme held on Sunday evening at Halima Khatun School in Barishal.

He claimed that several candidates were defeated through manipulation of the vote count.

He cited examples of Nasiruddin Patwary, Sarjis Alam and a candidate named Ahad from Dinajpur, who he alleged lost due to vote manipulation. According to him, several other leaders from the 11-party alliance were also defeated in the same manner.

He also alleged that attempts were being made to capture Bangladesh Bank by inciting mobs, while loan defaulters were being sent to the parliament.

He further said that efforts were underway to politicise the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which he described as an independent institution.

“We are moving towards a country where you cannot call an extortionist an extortionist,” Nahid said, adding that if someone labels an extortionist as such, they may face legal cases.

Nahid also said they were waiting for the formation of a reform council during the parliamentary session scheduled for March 12. “If the reform council is not formed, we will have to take to the streets again to protect our rights.”

He alleged that the government was standing against justice for the July killings and reforms, claiming that the chief prosecutor of the ICT had been replaced with a partisan and unqualified person, which he said was an attempt to undermine the trial.

Among others, NCP Senior Joint Convener Ariful Islam Adib and Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary also spoke at the event.