‘UN, foreign nations criticising city polls without facts’

Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu feels the concerns raised abroad over the April 28 city polls in Dhaka and Chittagong is unjustified, reports bdnews24.com.

"The UN and other foreign countries who have spoken critically of the conduct of the polls have done so without facts," Inu told journalists in Kushtia.

He said the critique came too soon after the polls to be fact-based.

"They all reacted with 12 to 24 hours after the polls. How can they get detailed reports from 3,000 polling centres in such a short time?" Inu said.

Inu came down hard on the US state department official saying: "Her comments came within 12 hours of the polls? What facts do they have?

"How did she get information of 3,000 polling stations in such a short time?"

The minister said it was usual to receive complains over elections in Bangladesh and added that not only BNP-backed candidates, ruling and other party endorsed aspirants also alleged of minor irregularities.

Khaleda Zia is intentionally using the city election to create a 'constitutional and political crisis', added Inu.