AL wins Bhola-3 seat unofficially
Sunday, 25 April 2010
BHOLA, AP 24 (UNB): Awami League candidate Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shaon was unofficially declared elected with a comfortable margin in the Bhola-3 by-election Saturday.
Shaon polled 96,591 votes in 77 polling centres out of 86 while his lone rival Hafizuddin Ahmed of BNP got 42,950 votes, according to unofficial results available from the Election Office here.
Voting in nine centres have been cancelled due to disturbances.
Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda has said the by-election in Bhola-3 constituency was "free and fair reflecting the will of the people."
Talking to reporters at his office Saturday evening, he said barring a few incidents, the atmosphere for voting was good.
The CEC said BNP, through fax messages and sending a delegation, complained against 30 polling centres in Lalmohan Upazila. After scrutiny, voting at nine centres was suspended to make the election flawless, he added.
Huda said election in Tajumuddin Upazila was also free and fair.
Asked about the BNP's rejection of the election, the CEC retorted: "That's their affair."
He said deployment of the law enforcers was six times higher for the by-elections. Some 240 RAB members were on duty.
In a reaction, the opposition BNP rejected the by-election alleging massive rigging and forcible eviction of its polling agents and demanded a schedule for fresh election.
"This was a fraud election," BNP standing committee member and ex-Minister Mirza Abbas told a hurriedly called press briefing at the party's central office at Naya Paltan within hours of closing the vote.
He said the election was one-sided and rejected its results, and called for rescheduling of the by-election.
Abbas also demand resignation of CEC Dr ATM Shamsul Huda and two other Election Commissioners.
However, bdnews24.com adds: The ruling Awami League lauded the just concluded by-elections in Bhola as a free, fair and peaceful one.
Awami League joint general secretary Mahabub-ul-Alam Hanif said at a press conference in Dhaka, just after the voting ended, that the results should be accepted, whatever the results are.
Hanif also urged the opposition BNP to accept the results regardless of who won.
Regarding the BNP candidate's demand to cancel the polls, he said, "It is completely out of the question."
Hafiz claimed that the BNP supporters could not caste their votes due to intimidation by the AL activists.
"It is unfortunate that one demands cancellation of the elections whenever one loses. It has turned into a culture."
Shaon polled 96,591 votes in 77 polling centres out of 86 while his lone rival Hafizuddin Ahmed of BNP got 42,950 votes, according to unofficial results available from the Election Office here.
Voting in nine centres have been cancelled due to disturbances.
Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda has said the by-election in Bhola-3 constituency was "free and fair reflecting the will of the people."
Talking to reporters at his office Saturday evening, he said barring a few incidents, the atmosphere for voting was good.
The CEC said BNP, through fax messages and sending a delegation, complained against 30 polling centres in Lalmohan Upazila. After scrutiny, voting at nine centres was suspended to make the election flawless, he added.
Huda said election in Tajumuddin Upazila was also free and fair.
Asked about the BNP's rejection of the election, the CEC retorted: "That's their affair."
He said deployment of the law enforcers was six times higher for the by-elections. Some 240 RAB members were on duty.
In a reaction, the opposition BNP rejected the by-election alleging massive rigging and forcible eviction of its polling agents and demanded a schedule for fresh election.
"This was a fraud election," BNP standing committee member and ex-Minister Mirza Abbas told a hurriedly called press briefing at the party's central office at Naya Paltan within hours of closing the vote.
He said the election was one-sided and rejected its results, and called for rescheduling of the by-election.
Abbas also demand resignation of CEC Dr ATM Shamsul Huda and two other Election Commissioners.
However, bdnews24.com adds: The ruling Awami League lauded the just concluded by-elections in Bhola as a free, fair and peaceful one.
Awami League joint general secretary Mahabub-ul-Alam Hanif said at a press conference in Dhaka, just after the voting ended, that the results should be accepted, whatever the results are.
Hanif also urged the opposition BNP to accept the results regardless of who won.
Regarding the BNP candidate's demand to cancel the polls, he said, "It is completely out of the question."
Hafiz claimed that the BNP supporters could not caste their votes due to intimidation by the AL activists.
"It is unfortunate that one demands cancellation of the elections whenever one loses. It has turned into a culture."