Govt out to manipulate UZ polls again: BNP

BNP Saturday aired an apprehension that there would be widespread violence and irregularities in the fourth phase of the upazila polls today (Sunday) as what it said the government is conspiring to rig votes in collusion with the Election Commission (EC) and the administration, reports UNB.
"Violence is growing alarmingly. Presiding officers are being employed as per choice of the ruling party while police superintendents are being transferred with an evil motive. The government is doing all these things to rig votes in connivance with the EC and administration," said BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
He was addressing a press briefing at BNP's Nayapaltan central office.
The BNP leader alleged that the ruling party-backed candidates and their supporters are randomly violating the election code of conduct by flexing muscle amid the EC's silence.
"We want to equivocally tell the Election Commission, "We won't forget your shameless role in favour of the ruling party. You changed SPs just a day before the polls with an evil motive," he added.
Ninety-one upazila polls are going to polls in 43 districts in the fourth phase of the local body elections on Sunday.
Meanwhile, elections to 294 upazilas were held in the first three phases on February 19 and 27 and March 15 respectively.
Addressing the briefing, Rizvi alleged that the ruling party 'cadres' and the law enforcers are making various plots to capture polling stations, snatch ballot papers and manipulate the election results as they did in the last three phases.