Rigging leaves Ctg voters flabbergasted

Chittagong city's voters will remember the day they were dumbfounded experiencing firsthand vote rigging all around, something they have only heard of since the Chittagong City Corporation elections began in 1994.

The past four bore a festive atmosphere with the leading Awami League (AL) and BNP backed candidates battling it out to entice the city's residents in their favour.

But the way ballot boxes were stuffed in favour of the ruling party backed mayor candidate yesterday prompted many to even compare it to the way the “one-sided” January 5 national elections was held.

A majority of the ruling AL men found nothing wrong.

“Had the government said the city polls would be similar to that of the January 5 parliamentary elections, then we would not have taken part in it,” said Abul Kalam Azad, an independent mayoral aspirant.

“We have not yet seen such a city corporation election in Chittagong,” he added.

Mohammad Rafiq, a voter in TNT Colony Govt Primary School in Agrabad under ward 24, said he voted in the last three city polls but never saw such irregularities.

“I along with other people came to vote in Barik Meah High School, but I could not vote. Outsiders gave votes randomly,” said Mohammad Yusuf, a cable operator of Gosaildanga in the port area.

His colleague Abdus Samad, a voter of ward 36, said, “There was competition too between Mohiuddin Chowdhury and Manjur Alam in the last election. But there was a festive election atmosphere then. But we never saw election rigging in such a carefree manner in the past.”

Abdul Karim, an elderly voter of ward 23, said he had to go back home. Someone else had cast his vote. “Why this kind of elections had to be held we cannot imagine,” he said angrily.

Tanmoy Bhowmik who came to vote in Chittagong Teacher's Training College under ward 17 with much enthusiasm said, “I did not get any election mood, it seems to be a one-sided election like the one of January 5.”

Mohammad Alam, a betel leaf seller at Cheragi Hill Intersection area under ward 21, said he never saw an election concluding by 11:00am.

Even several BCL leaders expressed their frustration. Some said had the AL backed former mayor Mohiuddin Chowdhury, Chittagong would not have had to witness such an election.