July 30 Barishal Polls: EC agreed to stop voting

Amid allegations of anomalies, the Election Commission had agreed to stop the voting of Barishal City Corporation (BCC) polls several hours after it began on July 30.

However, the EC did not suspend the polling as it was doubtful whether law enforcement agencies would be able to handle the consequences. It was also worried about the security of the polls officials.

Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar made the disclosure while reading out a written speech at a closed-door meeting with senior police officials at the capital's Nirbachan Bhaban yesterday, said meeting sources. The meeting was organised to discuss security during the upcoming national election.

Mahbub, who was supervising the polls in Barishal, said the election was the worst among the five city corporation polls held earlier this year, according to the sources.

The voting started well at 8:00am but the situation began deteriorating as the day progressed. Different allegations of polls irregularities surfaced. 

"By 11:00am, it appeared to me that the voting cannot go on this way. I informed the honourable CEC [chief election commissioner] and other honourable commissioners that it needs to stop completely,” one of the meeting participants quoted the commissioner as saying.

"At one stage, all commissioners agreed to stop the election. But we refrained from doing that….” the participant quoted him.  

In his speech, Mahbub also said five out of the six candidates withdrew from the election. The lone candidate was elected in an almost uncontested manner.

Candidates of the BNP and four other parties boycotted the polls, raising allegations of anomalies. The ruling Awami League candidate became the mayor.

The polls to Khulna, Gazipur, Barishal, Rajshahi and Sylhet city corporations were held between May and July. BNP candidates won only in Sylhet while the AL candidates came out victorious in the rest.

Mahbub also talked about the probe committee formed to investigate the alleged anomalies.

At one point, he cited a part of the returning officer's testimony before the committee, sources said.

"In some cases, the candidates belonging to the opposition camp were harassed unnecessarily. On the other hand, police were seen playing an inactive role when ruling party candidates violated the electoral code of conduct,” another meeting participant quoted Mahbub as saying.

"Besides, there were allegations of police interference in electioneering of opposition candidates.”

Mahbub also cited a few other paragraphs of the 71-page probe report, which had an attachment of 5,000 pages, on the alleged anomalies of the BCC polls.

"The law and order was not largely normal during the Barishal City Corporation polls and the acting police commissioner was not sincere in this regard.

"Despite the Election Commission's instruction, the police authorities did not appoint any policeman for the security of the commission's observers and assistant returning officers. The law and order situation was volatile in electoral areas and polling stations in many cases. The members of law enforcement agencies did not follow instructions of returning officers and assistant returning officers. In some cases, there was a huge presence of outsiders in and outside the polling centres," the source quoted him as saying.

The election commissioner also questioned the role of police in the Gazipur City Corporation held on June 26.