8 boycott UZ polls in 3 dists
Saturday, 15 March 2014
Eight candidates stayed away from the race in upazila (UZ) elections in Barisal, Bagerhat and Shariatpur districts on Saturday on various allegations. In Barisal, four chairman candidates, including a BNP-backed one, withdrew from polls in Muladi upazila alleging that the men of the pro-ruling party candidates were obstructing their supporters from casting votes, forced their agents out of some polling centres and were also casting fake votes. Those who pulled out of the ballot race are: BNP-backed chairman candidate Abdus Sattar Khan in Muladi u[azila, BNP’s rebel chairman contender Belal Fakir, Awami League rebel chairman aspirant Abdul Malek Bari and independent chairman candidate Abdul Mazid Khan. Besides, Abdus Sattar Khan, president of Muladi upazila unit BNP, announced a daylong hartal in the upazila for Sunday alleging vote rigging. In Bagerhat, three chairman candidates boycotted polls in Sharankhola, Morrelganj and Sadar upazilas on various allegations. They are: Bikalpa Dhara-backed chairman candidate Brigadier (retd) Mahtab Uddin in Sadar upazila, Sharankhola BNP-backed chairman aspirant Mohammad Matiar Rahman and Morrelganj upazila BNP-backed candidate Mohamamd Abdul Majid Hawladar. In Shariatpur, BNP-backed chairman candidate Mahbub Morshed Tipu in Sadar upazila announced his election boycott alleging vote fraud, according to UNB.