DHAKA, Feb 2 (NNN-BSS) – Bangladesh’s largest opposition party, called for a dawn-to-dusk strike for today (Sunday), in the capital Dhaka, rejecting the results of two major city polls.
At a press conference in Dhaka, hours after the city corporation polls, ex-Prime Minister, Khaleda Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, announced the strike Saturday night.
In the country’s first ever EVM (electronic voting machine)-only elections, to Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporations, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), KM Nurul Huda, said, around 30 percent of 5.46 million voters cast their ballots.
Voting started at 2,468 polling centres across the capital city, at 8.00 a.m. local time on Saturday, and continued through 4.00 p.m.
Around 1,000 candidates contested in the elections, in which Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladesh Awami League party’s arch rival, ex-Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia’s largest BNP, fielded their candidates.
Of the aspirants, 13 are mayoral candidates and 980 were vying for ward councillor posts, to the two city corporations.
Official data from the Bangladesh Election Commission showed, candidates of the grand alliance government, led by Prime Minister, Hasina’s Awami League party, are on course to victory in both the mayoral positions.
BNP leaders, alleged that, their polling agents were forced out of hundreds of stations.
Ruling Awami League party leaders, however, ruled out BNP’s allegations, and claimed that the polls were peaceful.– NNN-BSS
