‘Hasina to get reply at the next election’

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina will get her fitting reply for vote rigging in Bhola in the next general election said senior BNP leader Moudud Ahmed

He was speaking at a briefing on Bhola-3 by-elections at BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office on Monday.

Moudud made the comment apparently in response to Hasina’s comment on Sunday, saying that voters of Bhola had given a ‘fitting reply’ to BNP.

Also a BNP standing committee member, Moudud, referred to the alleged rigging in the by-elections.

The BNP has already demanded cancellation of the results alleging widespread violence, intimidation and manipulation.

Moudud suggested that Awami League’s time was running out.

“People have started hating Awami League after the farcical polls.”

AL contender Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shaon won the by-elections of Saturday.

The BNP leader said they would launch a series of programmes demanding the resignation of the chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda and the two other commissioners.

The anti-government demonstrations will also continue, he said.

BNP has already declared nationwide demonstrations on Apr 28.

The former law minister also condemned the role of the Election Commission.

“The commission worked as the government’s agent and lost their credibility.”

He said regarding the election commissioners that they did not have the moral right to remain in the constitutional position anymore.

“If they have any self respect they should resign,” Moudud said.

He claimed that the by-elections have been subject to ‘unprecedented rigging’.

“No one except the government and the Election Commission claim that the election was fair. People have rejected the elections.”

Moudud said BNP contender Hafiz Uddin Ahmed was popular in his constituency.

He secured victory in six previous elections.

Moudud said that even during the national elections of Dec 29, 2008 — which he suggested were engineered — he lost to Jashimuddin by just 8,000 votes.

Moudud said that election rigging was evident from the striking contrast between the results of previous elections and the last one.

He put forward some evidence pointing out that 60 percent of the votes were cast between 8-11am which required 11 votes to be cast every minute which is virtually impossible.

“It is impossible even in the digital method.”

The BNP leader alleged that their party agents were driven out from 57 centres.

They also claimed that many of their activists have been injured.

Approximately 450 persons have been injured from the beginning of the campaign.

The press briefing also screened a documentary on the criminal activities and intimidation by ruling party.