Dhaka: Bangladesh's Awami League (AL) has swept the just concluded local government body polls, securing 225 chairmen posts in the 458 upazilas, amid allegations of widespread rigging by the ruling party.
Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) bagged 156 chairmen posts in the five-phased polls held between February 19 and March 31. At least six people died in the violence that ensued during the polls.
“We have seen some old techniques of election rigging that reappeared in the upazila polls this time,” said Abdul Alim, director of Election Working Group while fellow government expert Tofayel Ahmed suggested that the results be scrapped and polls be conducted afresh.
The Election Commission too came under attack by local media and election watchdogs for its failure to ensure fair polls.
The Prothom Alo today carried a story titled “Election system destroyed” and “Election Commission exposed to crisis of confidence”, while another major daily Samokal's story was titled “EC had no control over field level administration”.
