Dhaka, July 3 (Just News): The prime minister’s son and ICT affairs adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy has come down hard on the American ambassador in Dhaka for her comments on recently held elections.
Joy said in a Facebook post on Monday that the US embassy in Dhaka “has become a mouthpiece for the BNP”. He said as usual, the Embassy officials have been spending too much time with their BNP friends.
“They are parroting BNP claims about the recent election in Gazipur and emphasising irregularities, while making absolutely no comment on the BNP's attempt to cause violence in that election,” Joy wrote.
In a meeting with diplomatic correspondents in Dhaka on Jun 28, Ambassador Marcia Bernicat linked free, fair and credible elections in Bangladesh with the stability of the Indo-Pacific region for which the new American administration has adopted a strategy.
She highlighted Bangladesh’s democratic process and elections in Khulna and Gazipur, and indicated that stability comes through holding free, fair and credible elections.
“While we commend the Khulna and Gazipur city corporation elections, the US remains concerned by reports of irregularities, including ballot box stuffing and intimidation of political players and polling agents both before and on the day of the vote,” Bernicat said.
Awami League (AL) spokesperson Obaidul Quader on Friday (29 June) warned foreign diplomats against making any remarks that might hurt their relations with Bangladesh.
Apparently reacting to US ambassador’s comments on Bangladesh election, road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader also asked the foreign diplomats to avoid making such remarks.
“We’ve the election commission for holding free and fair elections… there’s no need of any adviser,” he said.
GCC, KCC polls held in a “controlled” manner
Civil society platform Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) said that the elections to Gazipur and Khulna city corporations were held in a “controlled” manner.
“The controlled elections give rise to a controlled democracy which is not democracy at all,” Badiul Alam Mojumder, secretary of the civil society platform, came up with the remarks while addressing a view-exchanging meeting in Sylhet.
Shujan also stressed the need for raising voices of the civil society members to put pressure on the Election Commission (EC) for holding the upcoming elections to Rajshahi, Barisal and Sylhet city corporations in a free, fair and impartial manner.
Almost half of the polling centres saw irregularities during the Gazipur City Corporation election held last Tuesday, Election Working Group said.
Speaking at a press briefing held on the election that saw ruling Awami League’s candidate win by a landslide margin ahead of the national election, the election monitoring group said it found irregularities at 46.5 per cent of the polling centres in the city.
The irregularities they found include ballot stuffing, campaigning within 400 yards of polling centres, presence of unauthorised persons in the polling booths, incidents of violence, biased position of the law enforcers, and bar on voters to cast votes.
(Justnews/ys/1500hr)
