As violence continued with each phase of the Union Parishad polls gone by, the Election Commission has asked the home ministry to ensure a congenial atmosphere for the next phases.

“Maintaining law and order as well as ensuring voters' security, especially minorities', are the prime pre-requisites for free, fair, impartial and peaceful elections,” said the EC in a letter to the home secretary on Sunday.

“The letter has been sent to remind them [ministry officials] of their duties during elections. Their cooperation is very crucial for fair polls,” said EC Secretary Sirazul Islam.

The EC wrote the letter against the backdrop of violence and irregularities that took place centering on the four phases of UP elections between March 22 and May 7. 

Arresting criminals, recovering arms, curbing violence, increasing police patrol and ensuring voters' security are necessary for ensuring a congenial atmosphere for the next phases, it said.

At least 71 people were killed and some 6,000 injured in violence over UP polls until May 4, according to Shushashoner Jannoy Nagorik (Shujan), a citizens' platform for good governance.

Thirteen others were killed in violence as of yesterday from last Thursday, according to The Daily Star findings.

Referring to media reports and field-level findings, the EC in the letter stated that violence had increased with time. Some have been killed and some injured; arson attacks, vandalism and looting took place. In some cases, minorities have come under attacks.

Allegations have been raised against supporters of some candidates of preventing their rivals from submitting nomination papers and intimidating rival candidates. There are even accusations against some law enforcers and other “responsible” field-level officials of favouring particular candidates or remaining inactive when irregularities took place.

Many think that violence has increased because listed criminals are at large and no stern action has been taken against arms-bearers, the EC said in the letter signed by its Deputy Secretary Farhad Ahmad Khan.

The EC asked the home ministry to “intensively” monitor activities of law enforcers and to issue directives to law enforcement agencies and field-level officials to ensure peaceful polls.

Violence has continued since the schedule of the first phase was announced in February. 

Following widespread violence in the first and second phase polls, the EC on April 13 held an emergency meeting with top-level officials of law enforcement agencies and paramilitary forces to discuss the law and order situation.

But that hardly brought any change in the third and fourth phases.

During the latest polls on May 8, the EC suspended voting at 51 polling stations for irregularities.

At Jugirhat Hossenia Hafezia Madrasa polling centre in Munshirhat UP, it suspended the voting because of illegal stuffing of ballot boxes.

On Sunday, the commission asked the returning officer (RO) of the UP under Chauddagram upazila of Comilla to file a case against a presiding officer and an assistant presiding officer for their involvement in stuffing ballot boxes.

It also asked the RO to take necessary measures for suspending a police officer for his “negligence in duties” when criminals were carrying out the illegal act.

Meanwhile, civil society organisations, including Governance Advocacy Forum and Shujan questioned the UP polls due to widespread violence and irregularities.

A deputy secretary of the EC said that in many cases field-level officials temporarily appointed for election duties had not properly informed the EC of the irregularities that took place.

Elections to 725 UPs were held on March 22 in the first phase, 639 UPs on March 31 in the second phase, 615 UPs on April 23 in the third phase and 703 UPs on May 7 in the fourth phase.

Polls to 733 UPs are scheduled for May 28 in the fifth phase and 724 on June 4 in the sixth phase.

Special medical teams have been formed at all government-run hospitals to tackle any emergency case on the election day, director general of the Directorate General of Health Services, said today.

“Special medical teams have already been formed at all district and upazila level government hospitals to tackle any emergency case,” said Prof Abul Kalam Azad, director general of the Directorate General of Health Services.

The Election Commission (EC) has directed all state-run hospitals throughout the country to provide emergency medical services on the election day slated for Sunday, EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed said.

The decision was taken over worry that incidents of violence may take place centering the election.

The EC secretary said, “In case of any violence on polls day, the health ministry has been directed to provide emergency facilities to the injured people”.

A case has been filed against Chittagong-16 constituency ruling Awami League lawmaker Mustafizur Rahman Chowdhury and his two aides for allegedly assaulting an upazila election officer.

The victim, Zahidul Islam, has been shown as the complainant of the case that was filed on Thursday night, said Mohammad Alamgir, officer-in-charge of Banshkhali Police Station.

Besides Mustafizur, two others accused in the case are his Personal Secretary Tajul Islam, also the AL chairman candidate in Baharchhara union, and Maulana Akhter, president of Banshkhali upazila unit Olama League, said the police official.

On June 1, Mustafizur "beat" and "verbally" abused Banshkhali Upazila Election Officer Zahidul at the office of Upazila Nirbahi Officer, who was not present during the incident, for not appointing the MP's men as polling officials in the upazila parishad polls there.

Following the incident, the victim lodged a complaint with the Election Commission. A day later, the EC sent a letter to the OC of Banshkhali Police Station, asking him to file a case against the lawmaker and his aides.   

“Accordingly, I recorded the case on Thursday night. As Zahidul Islam lodged the complaint with the commission, he has automatically been made complainant in the case,” the OC told The Daily Star.

However, MP Mustafizur denied the allegation of Zahidul, terming it "bogus".

Talking to The Daily Star, the lawmaker rather brought an allegation against Zahidul that he was working in collaboration with the BNP-Jamaat men.

Over the incident, the EC suspended elections to all 14 UPs of Banshkhali that were scheduled to be held today.

Meanwhile, BNP leaders in Chittagong demanded arrest of Mustafizur for his misdeeds.

Leaders of minority communities today urged the government and law enforcement agencies to ensure security of the minority people during the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The leaders also urged the political parties not to nominate such leaders who work against interests of minorities.

While briefing reporters at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity, Rana Dasgupta, general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikya Parishad, said, “Those who are involved in the activities against the interests of the minority people should not be made candidates for the upcoming 11th parliamentary elections".

A committee, convened by Rana, was also formed with 17 organisations to push for their demands.

They will march towards the prime minister office in Dhaka from the Jatiya Press Club on September 14 to press home their demands.

Social instability and rigid stances of union parishad polls candidates were responsible for the election violence, claimed Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad yesterday.

“Unrest is witnessed at every layer of our society and this is one of the major causes for the poll violence … we have to bring a change in our social concept,” Rakibuddin said at a post-polls press conference at the EC Secretariat when asked who was responsible for the deaths of over 100 people during the union parishad polls.

The CEC came up with the response hours after ruling Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif made a statement with a similar tune. He had blamed social conflict and instability for violence in the UP polls.

After a meeting at the AL chief's Dhanmondi office around 11:30am, Hanif said no government wants violence as it tarnishes the image of the government.

"All the political parties along with the ruling party should come forward to face such sort of unrest," he added.

The BNP, meanwhile, alleged that both the government and the Election Commission (EC) were responsible for the irregularities and violence during the UP elections.

CEC Rakibuddin said the situation has "definitely improved" in the last phase of the polls as they had been able to stop the election-eve ballot box stuffing. 

“The value of life is coming down while the cost of everything is going up. We are witnessing minors being killed over silly social feuds,” he said.

Referring to media reports on election violence, he said apart from some stray incidents, voting in yesterday's polls was fair and peaceful.   

He said the EC does not want to see any deaths but it some times has to take appropriate measures to protect voting centres, the voters, electoral officials and assets of the states.

He said the union parishad polls were more competitive than others and it was one of the reasons for the deaths.

The CEC also blamed the rigid attitudes of candidates. He said some candidates had tried to win the race at any cost disregarding what the voters thought of him or her.

BNP'S REACTION

BNP Vice-Chairman Selima Rahman, after a meeting with the CEC at his office, yesterday alleged that the government and the EC were responsible for the irregularities and violence during all phases of the UP polls.

She alleged that in every election they filed complaints with the CEC and every time he told them that he was taking measures but the situation remained unchanged. 

She said the EC was not working fairly as it was working under the Awami League-led government.