DHAKA-10 BY-ELECTION :
A STAGE REHEARSAL OF THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION

The by-election of Dhaka-10 constituency on 1 July, 2004 is a classic example of farce election in the history of Bangladesh. It reminds the people of the malpractices, techniques, styles and methodologies adopted in rigging the last parliamentary elections of October, 2001. The newly innovated amazing and tricky techniques adopted in casting fake votes by hired people brought from outside the constituent area makes this election a unique one. This is also an alarming signal to the nation that the same methods & techniques would be followed in the forthcoming general election too. The Dhaka-10 by-election seems to be a test case or a stage rehearsal in the broader perspective of election.

Open and naked shrewdness took place in the Dhaka-10 by-election. The process started from fielding dummy candidates and occurrences of a series of malpractices and misdeeds in allocation of election symbol. The main contesting candidate Major (Retired) M. A. Mannan had to take the shelter of the Honorable High court to secure his party symbol platter (kula). Major Mannan again had to go to the High Court Division for an order on the Govt. to deploy armed military forces in each and every polling stations. He did this with the good intention to ensure holding of free & fair election by maintaining peace and tranquilities in the polling stations. Accordingly, the High Court Division passed an order. But, what the people, the Independent Election Observers and the Acting Chief Election Commissioner witnessed. No army in any polling stations.

So, again at the move of Major (Rtd.) Mannan, contempt proceedings has been drawn against the officials concerned. Therefore, the above mentioned consecutive orders and rulings of the High Court Division proves that prima-facie case has been made out for committing irregularities and shrewdness etc in this election.

Outwardly, calm, quiet and peaceful environments were created in and around all the polling stations. In doing so, the Police and BDR in collaboration with the armed activists of BNP raided the houses of the active workers of Major Mannan during 3 Preceding days of the polling day. By conducting such raids, they were either arrested or asked to be away from the area during election time. On the poll day, the few activists of Major Mannan who appeared before the polling stations in the early morning were driven away by show of force. The law enforcing authorities and the local civil Administration were in connivance with the armed terrorists of BNP-Jamat in committing these criminal acts.

As a results of the above illegal and unlawful activities, almost all the polling stations became free from any activists and supporters of Major Mannan. So. he did not even find any worker to act as his polling agent. In this way, the BNP-Jamat terrorists had completely seized all the polling stations. As such everything came under absolute control of the BNP candidate Mr. Falu & his followers. The situation thus created was maintained and protected by the Police & BDR deployed in the polling stations and the army on petrol in the main streets. On the otherhand, under the disguise of such peaceful environment, another set of people were awaiting inside the polling stations to conduct the main operation. They were the Presiding Officers and the Polling Officers appointed by the partisan Returning Officer.

When everything was set according to the plan, the actual operation of casting fake votes started. But the ordinary voters, the Independent Observers and the Journalists were surprised to see flood of people in the Polling stations brought in buses from outside the constituent area. These people were brought in thousands by hiring from slump areas like Kamrangir-char, Bhashantech, Shyampur, Postagola and Keranigonj. For helping of speedy casting of votes by them, the polling booths were opened at 7-00 A. M. instead of the scheduled time 8-00 A. M. During interview by the Journalists, these people even could not tell the name of the candidate for whom they were going to cast votes. On the other hand, in some of the polling stations, a group of young people were seen continuously stamping ballot papers without any interruption or resistance. They were found conducting this operation openly outside the Polling booths and even infront of the polling personnel. In line with this, some fake polling agents for Major Mannan were set who even do not know the name of their candidate. This was done to deceive the Election Commission, the Journalists and the Independent Election Observers. But a close look into the arrangements revealed a horrific scene of invisible malpractices.

Everything was arranged, managed and conducted so nicely & skillfully that anybody visiting the polling stations may have the first hand impression that voting is going on smoothly and peacefully. No protest, no objection, no challenge, no chaos & confusions and no resistance was there. It was an one-sided game in a grave like situation. The game was stamping of ballot papers very quietly and peacefully. Peaceful like cold fire„owhich does not flare, but burns. Under the situation finding no hope of free & fair election, Major Mannan and his people left the election field in the early hours of the polling day. From that stage the election became completely one-sided. Since, there was no objection, no protest, no challenge, indiscriminate casting of fake votes continued till closure of voting. As a result, Mr. Mossadek Ali Falu has been quickly declared as winner of the election. The result also was published in the of official Gazette within unbelievably shortest time followed by more quick oath taking.

But all these mishappenings and misdeeds could not escape the eyes of the Journalists and the Independent Election Observers. These acts and facts appeared both in the electronic and the print media immediately after the election with concrete proof of pictures and footages. All the media termed this election as a farce election and a drama in the name of democracy. So, everything surfaced out the nature & extent of malpractices and irregularities in this election was so serious that all the Independent Election Observers have jointly demanded fresh election in this constituency by cancelling voting's of 1st July, 2004.

But it was wondering that inspite of all these misdeads, irregularities and malpractices, intimidations etc the Acting Chief Election Commissioner did not find any reasons during his visits to some of the polling stations to stop the polls as per clause (a) of Article 91 of the Representation of the People Order, 1972. Such irresponsible remarks of the Acting Chief Election Commissioner made him a laughing stuff and the Commission a rubber stamp. Similarly, none of the Presiding Officers of 103 polling stations could notice any interruption or irregularities to stop the poll of his polling station in accordance with clause 1 (a) of Article 25 of the above order.

However, witnessing the mishappening of the Dhaka-10 by-election, made those people to believe the happenings of October, 2001 general election who earlier casted shadow of doubts. Now, they could clearly understand the complaints of Awami League how their confirmed victory was snatched away. How the people were cheated and the democratic process was manipulated. Election system is one of the pillars of democracy. The process of election gives the people the opportunity to exercise their fundamental right-freedom of choice. It is the right of the people to cast their votes in favour of anybody they like. It was a very popular slogan during the anti-Ershad movement that "I will cast my vote myself and in favour of anybody I like." In the process of this realisation of the people, the farce elections without voters held in 1988 by the Govt. of General Ershad and in 15 February, 1996 by the then BNP Govt. respectively were declared "null and void" by the people. The people demanded for a trust-worthy election under the Care-Taker Govt. So, both the Govt. had to bow down to the will of the people. They had to resign and call for fresh elections under the Care-Taker Govt. This concept of Care-Taker Govt. was the brain child of Awami League. It worked well during 1991 and 1996 (12th June) general elections. In these 2 elections, both the Govt. of Ershad and Khaleda Zia were defeated. But, unfortunately in October, 2001 election, BNP-Jamat Alliance in collaboration with Justice Shahabuddin, Justice Latifur Rahman, Mr. Abu Syeed and a few civil and military bureaucrats destroyed the system of holding free, fair and impartial election under the Care-Taker Govt. They in connivance with each other manipulated the entire administrative machinery and the election system through a deep rooted conspiracy at national and international level. Failing to sense about these conspiracies, Bangladesh Awami League participated in this election. As this pro-people party does not believe in conspiracy and never indulge in any conspiracy.

In October, 2001 general election, people's right to vote was badly denied and Bangladesh Awami League was shamelessly cheated. So, the outcome of the election was a nightmare for the party and the people. The nation got a Government shared with anti-liberation forces like Jamat. The natural consequences are misrule, mis-governance, tyranny, deterioration of law and order situation, killings, extortions, rape, corruption, mass-scale dismissal and forced-retirement of civil servants, politicization of the administration, and above all rise of terrorism and fundamentalism.
Under the above grave situation of the country, the Govt. of Alliance is subjected to bitter criticism at home and abroad. So, it was thought that they would come to their sense-the right will prevail and the evils will perish. But, to the utter surprise of the people, the Govt. has awarded the nation with the unique Dhaka-10 by-election which is worst than the Magura by-election. The newly evolved and unprecedented methods and techniques adopted in this election has totally frustrated the people. They are considering the Dhaka-10 by-election as a Test-case or rehearsal of the next general election. So, the demand for reforming the entire election system has become strong and stronger.

Newsletter _______________________
Vol. 3. No. 13, 26 July 2004
Bangladesh Awami League Publication

Home | Contact Us

Best viewed using IE, Netscape at 800 x 600 pixels.
Bangladesh Awami League • Concept and design by www.albd.org