TIB terms city polls embarrassing

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) today termed the Dhaka and Chittagong city corporation elections questionable and embarrassing in national and international level.

“We express our grave concern and frustration as the election commission and law enforcers have failed to hold the city polls in a free and fair manner,” TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said in a press statement floated for the media today.

Incidents like subversive activities and rigging took place during the voting. Voters were resisted on their way to polling centres, and journalists from home and aboard were also barred to discharge their duties, he added.

A fresh risk in the political arena has also been created through deliberate boycott of the election, he said.

Iftekharuzzaman has urged all the political parties to be respectful to the democratic practices under the prevailing circumstances.

Acceptability of the just concluded city corporations polls have been made questionable due to the use of muscle-power by the politically influential people, he said.

“We are very anxious as the Election Commission has failed to uphold impartial role and electoral code of conduct as a constitutional body,” Iftekharuzzaman said.

“The EC has made falsehood despite having documents of irregularities in the election. People have lost their trust in the EC and its goodwill was destroyed by itself,” he said.