Opposition MPs hammer govt citing alleged irregularities in by-elections

Opposition lawmakers on Thursday came down heavily on the ruling party stating allegations of widespread irregularities marred the by-elections in Bogura-6 and Sherpur-3 constituencies.

The opposition leaders accused the ruling party administration of vote rigging and violent intimidation.

The parliamentary session on Thursday evening turned heated as members of the treasury and opposition benches traded barbs over the conduct of the polls.

Opposition NCP MP elected from Noakhali-6 Abdul Hannan Masud launched the scathing attack on the election process, alleging that opposition polling agents were forcibly removed from centers and physically assaulted.

He further claimed that minors were seen standing in lines to cast votes, a move he described as a deliberate attempt to plunge the country into a fresh political crisis.

"The leaders on the treasury bench have repeatedly tried to stifle democracy," Masud said, drawing parallels to the controversial 1994 Magura by-election during BNP regime.

"They have failed in the past and will not succeed this time either."

In response, Mir Shahe Alam dismissed the allegations of rigging as a "predictable excuse" for those facing defeat. He pointed out that the opposition only announced their boycott after 4:00 pm, once the trend of the results became clear.

"You realized your defeat was certain, and only then did you call a press conference to reject the vote," Alam stated, amid loud protests from opposition lawmakers. He urged them to move away from the "old tradition" of boycotting elections for the sake of maintaining a democratic process.

However, Rashedul Islam of Jamaat-e-Islami elected from Sherpur-1 contested the timing of the boycott, asserting that the candidate in Sherpur had officially declared a boycott before 2:00 pm.

He noted that while the formal media statement took time to coordinate, the decision was made early due to deteriorating conditions.

Islam painted a grim picture of the situation in Sherpur, describing it as a throwback to "fascist eras."

He reported that the violence resulted in the death of an individual named Sirajul Islam, whose head was reportedly severed during the clashes.

He added that several local leaders, including the secretary of Sreebardi Upazila Jamaat, sustained serious injuries.

"The horror of today's attacks gives us a terrifying glimpse of what is to come," Islam warned.

He alleged that polling stations were subject to ballot stuffing and that the administration remained unresponsive.

"Whenever we called the authorities, they said they were coming, but the damage was done before they arrived. Agents were driven out after repeated attacks."

The opposition leaders warned that such environments would lead to a total loss of public confidence in the country's electoral system like the fascist Awami League regime.