Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) today demanded judicial probe over the reported violations during the 11th parliamentary election.

The anti-graft watchdog also voiced concern as the election was "questionable and debatable" due to allegations of violations of code of conduct, use of force, and death of 19 people.

In a statement issued today, its Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said: "The set of violence and multifaceted violations of election code that has raised doubts over the election and its results must be investigated impartially.”

He said: "We demanded that level playing grounds be created for all stakeholders from the beginning. However, news of attacks, repression and lawsuits intended to harass the candidates and their supporters of a contending alliance as reported by the national and international media is an ominous sign for democracy."

"Such harassment allegedly continued even the night before and day of elections. The most worrying fact is that people might lose their confidence on the system of democracy."

He goes on saying: "The way the chief election commissioner tried to shrug off the allegations that the polling agents of an alliance is embarrassing and the concern has deepened whether the commission could effectively carry out its constitutional duty."

“Ensuring justice through a judicial probe of the allegations will be of immense value for the credibility, self-confidence and public trust of a government that is being formed in the wake of an unprecedented outcome of an unprecedented election,” he added.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and extended his heartfelt congratulations to her on securing her party’s absolute majority in the 11th parliamentary elections.

“The Indian premier called Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at about 10:30am and congratulated her, the Awami League and the people of Bangladesh on securing her party’s absolute majority in the national elections held on Sunday,” PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told BSS.

 “The victory of the Awami League in the polls is a reflection of stunning development that Bangladesh attained under your dynamic leadership,” Modi said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee also congratulated Sheikh Hasina on her win in a Twitter post. 

The Indian prime minister assured that his country will continue to support Bangladesh’s development efforts like the past, the press secretary said.

Sheikh Hasina also greeted Narendra Modi and the people of his country. She thanked the Indian premier for making phone and said he is the first head of state or government who congratulated her after her party’s landslide victory in Sunday’s parliamentary elections

Hasina is set to become Prime Minister of Bangladesh for a third term. 

The foreign ministry has described the joint statement of ANFREL-affiliated organisations, issued on Saturday, as "premature" and criticised it for comments based on "misinformation and premeditated assumptions".

In a statement around noon yesterday, the ministry said the 11th national election was being held in a free, fair, festive and peaceful manner in full exercise of the people's voting rights despite "biased speculations" by many quarters, including Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL).

“Odhikar”, an NGO of Bangladesh, is the founding member of the ANFREL.

Earlier, the ministry said, "Odhikar is widely known for its disproportionate bias and prejudice against Bangladesh, in particular the government of the Awami League, which is evident in its various reports, including the recent ones published in October and December 2018."

A total of 174 foreign observers and 65 foreign journalists from various countries and organisations observed yesterday's election, said the ministry.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has voiced strong doubt about credible polls on Sunday and said it is not easy to revive the “dead democracy as people have lost their confidence in the country’s election system”. 

He also said they could not carry out the electioneering properly due to continued arrest of their leaders and activists and obstructions by their opponents while the candidacies of their many candidates were annulled as part of a “conspiracy”.

In an interview with UNB’s Thakurgaon correspondent at his residence on Thursday, Fakhrul also talked about their election preparations, Oikyafront’s expectations over the December-30 election, his future role, his observation about the future of democracy in Bangladesh and some other issues.

“Now we’ve no expectation over the election. This election has become a complete mockery as what we’re watching every day in controlled news media. The state, the government and the Election Commission are working together to turn it into a mockery,” he said.

Fakhrul said Oikyafront has joined the election taking adequate preparations and fielded candidates in 300 seats. “Among them, the candidatures of 30-35 candidates were cancelled as part of a conspiracy. General voters have got scared in every constituency due to violence, state-sponsored terrorism and Awami terrorism.”

Asked whether organisational weakness is the reason behind Oikyafront’s poor election campaign, he said, “I get hurt when you (journalists) ask me such a question as you always want to see the weakness of opposition parties. We don’t see you raise any question when the government has blocked all the democratic paths and annihilated democracy. You also don’t raise any question about the regular arrest of opposition leaders and activists in false and fictitious cases for making the election field empty.”

The Oikyafront spokesman said they had tried to hold a pre-election rally in capital Dhaka on December 27, but they did not get permission for it from the police. “A reign of terror has been established in most constituencies of Dhaka. No civilised person can face such terror acts.”

Responding to a question who may be the Prime Minister if Oikyafront wins the election, Fakhrul said their alliance will take the decision about it through discussions.

Asked about his possible role if their alliance comes to power, he said, “I do politics and will work for people if our alliance wins.”

Replying to another question about their party’s plan if it gets defeated in the election, the BNP leader said, “There’s no question of win or defeat since it is not an election at all. A particular party is trying to snatch election victory by force and using the state machinery.”

About the country’s election system, he said people have no confidence in the election system. “The Election Commission together with the government has made election a mockery.”

Responding to another question, he said, “Democracy is now totally dead in the country. It's not easy to revive it.”

Fakhrul, however, said he wants Bangladesh to turn into a democratic one in the coming years.

Most of the lawmakers-elect of the Jatiya Party yesterday said the party should join the Awami League-led new government.

The opinion came at a joint meeting of JP presidium members and MPs-elect at the party chief's Banani office, JP Co-chairman GM Quader told reporters after the meeting.

The party's parliamentary body will decide its role in the 11th parliament.

“Our newly elected MPs will join the parliamentary party meeting tomorrow [today] after taking the oath,” Quader added.

Meanwhile, the oath-taking ceremony of MPs-elect will be held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban today, said a parliament secretariat press release yesterday. 

At 11:00am, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury will administer the oath.

At the briefing, Quader said, “The parliamentary party meeting will decide what will be the Jatiya Party's role in parliament, considering the interest of the country and the grand alliance."

He added that they would talk about the issue with the alliance after the meeting.

“We are in the grand alliance and contested the election with the alliance partners with identical goals. So, we'll finalise all the decisions through discussions."

The JP co-chairman, who presided over yesterday's meeting, said they discussed the country's political situation at the joint meeting.

Party Secretary General Moshiur Rahman Ranga said they would take some organisational steps to strengthen the party.

He added that parliamentary party members would sit with the AL-led grand alliance to determine the party's role in parliament.

JP Chairman HM Ershad and Senior Co-chairman Raushan Ershad were not present at the meeting.

On Tuesday, Moshiur said they would decide yesterday whether they would remain as the opposition or part of government in the House.

OFFICIAL POLLS RESULTS

In another development, the Election Commission yesterday in its official results said the AL bagged 257 seats and the JP 22 seats in Sunday's national election.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda at a post-election press conference on Monday and EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed at the end of announcement of unofficial results of the polls said the AL won in 259 constituencies and the JP in 20.

EC officials said they made the mistake while preparing the list of all winning candidates hurriedly.

The commission yesterday published a gazette notification of all 298 winning candidates.

According to the official results of the December 30 polls, the AL-led grand alliance bagged 288 seats while the BNP-led Jatiya Oikyafront got seven.

Voting was suspended at three polling stations in Brahmanbaria-2 over violence. Voting in those centres will be held on January 9.

Election in Gaibandha-3 was rescheduled for January 27 after Oikyafront candidate TIM Fazley Rabbi died on December 20.