People shunned stage-managed election: BNP
BNP Standing Committee Member Abdul Moyeen Khan yesterday claimed the party's call for boycotting the 12th parliamentary election was "successful".
"People have refrained from casting their votes," he said, adding that even the Awami League supporters did not exercise their franchise.
The senior BNP leader made the claims while talking to reporters at his Gulshan home.
The BNP is set to officially make its reaction regarding the national polls today. Besides, the party would also announce fresh programmes.
In his remarks, Moyeen congratulated the people for "responding to the BNP's call" and said, "Today, it has been proved that the people of Bangladesh do not compromise when democracy is at stake.
"The people have boycotted this election. I salute them on behalf of the BNP and all 62 political parties that boycotted the polls," he added.
Commenting on turnout, he said the world has seen what kind of election was held. The turnout was destined to be low even if the BNP had not enforced hartal yesterday, he observed.
On his claim that even AL supporters did not vote, he said they knew their candidates would win anyway.
"Why would they go to the polls? That is why turnout was almost zero or minimal," he continued.
He said people want their voting rights back and that BNP has been waging a movement to that end.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has congratulated the voters for "boycotting the election" saying they have given an "unprecedented verdict against the government's stage-managed election".
During a virtual press conference, Rizvi also claimed that the turnout was not more than two percent.
"Our call for boycotting the election is a success," he said, adding, people have rejected the government's "dummy election".
Rizvi also said several of the independent candidates belonging to AL have boycotted the election and came up with allegations that those who contested with "boat" symbol had thrown them away from polling centres.
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