The BNP high command has directed the party candidates of Sunday's polls to collect centre-wise results and information on “election anomalies” by today.

The party will compile all the data and submit them to the Election Commission soon, its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told The Daily Star yesterday.

On Monday night, the Jatiya Oikyafront leaders decided to submit a memorandum to the EC on December 3 compiling information on all “polls irregularities”.

Fakhrul will hold a meeting with the candidates at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office tomorrow morning, said Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, senior joint secretary general of the party.

A letter was sent to each of the candidates yesterday asking them to provide eight types of information, including on election anomalies, arrests and killings of BNP men, to the party, he said.

The ruling Awami League secured a landslide victory in Sunday's polls. The Oikyafront, led by the BNP and several other parties, rejected the result and demand a reelection.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda ruled out the demand saying there was no scope for holding any fresh election.

The BNP high command would prepare a summary report and brief foreign diplomats stationed in Dhaka following the compilation of data on the centre-wise results and alleged polls anomalies, said a party source.

The high command was observing the overall situation and the reaction of the international community over the election.

Asked about the party's next course of action, a senior leader said they would not do anything hurriedly. 

“We will take some time as the party leaders and activists are devastated by government repression. We will certainly devise our next course of action once we turn around,” BNP Standing Committee member Moudud Ahmed said.

The BNP high-ups have already decided that MPs elected from the party would not take oath as they have rejected the results alleging various polls irregularities, including ballot-stuffing and driving away of their polling agents.

A senior leader from the Oikyafront wishing anonymity said the main challenge for the BNP was to keep the unity within the combine and the 20-party alliance intact.

The Oikyafront nominated candidates in 299 constituencies, only seven of them won.

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.