Islami Andolan, Ganatantra Mancha demand cancellation of polls results, re-election under caretaker govt

The national polls should be cancelled and held again under a caretaker government, the Islami Andolan Bangladesh and the Ganatantra Mancha said today.

While speaking at a party meeting at the Baitul Mukarram North Gate this afternoon, the party's Secretary General Maulana Yunus Ahmad said, "The government should announce re-elections under a caretaker system by cancelling the results of this dummy elections in order to save the country from a terrible civil war."

"The people of the country have given a strong signal to the Awami League by boycotting the one-sided farce, dummy election held on 7 January. It was not an election. It was a drama in the name of election," he added.

He alleged that the government hired foreign observers to legitimise the "dummy" elections.

The party's Joint Secretary General Maulana Gazi Ataur Rahman, among others, also addressed the gathering.

Later, the party men led a protest march circling the capital's Paltan area.

Ganatantra Mancha rejects election, demands fresh polls

Ganatantra Mancha, a platform of several opposition parties, turned down Sunday's 'one-sided' election and announced to go for a greater movement with the demand for a fresh and 'participatory' election, reports the UNB.

At a press conference at Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU), the leaders of the platform also said the Election Commission deceived the country's people by holding a farcical election and showing an inflated percent of voter turnout.

"The people and we rejected the election. People will continue their movement against it and they will go for a greater movement based on their legitimised demand for a participatory election," said Zonayed Saki, the chief coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolon,

He claimed that people refrained from casting votes on January 7 supporting the opposition's ongoing movement and relying on their leadership.

"The statement of the Ganatantra Mancha is clear... What happened on the 7th was not an election. It's another attempt to snatch the voting rights of the people of Bangladesh in the name of an election... it's a terrible joke with the people," Saki observed.

He slammed the Election Commission for assisting the ruling party to hold a unilateral election. "It even didn't raise any question about how Awami League fielded candidates violating its own party constitution.

Saki said the Election Commission also showed over 40 percent voter turnout without any justification and thus cheated people.

He said there are hundreds of video footage on social media of how ballot stuffing and stamping were done "It is a travesty to show the inflated number of votes…the Commission has become a major partner in fraudulence and farce with the people of Bangladesh."

Nagarik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna said the 12th parliamentary election was not accepted by the people of Bangladesh and the democratic countries.

"We want to continue the simultaneous movement and we'll expand it if possible. We think we have achieved victory in the way we have been moving so far," he said.

Manna said most of the countries, including the USA, have said it was a fake election. "The democratic world, including America, has said they'll stand with the democratic movement of the people of Bangladesh."

Saiful Haque, general secretary of Bangladesh-er Biplobi Workers Party, said it was unfortunate that India, China and Russia congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after a farcical election in Bangladesh.

He said the people of the entire country, Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader, independent candidates and even the defeated candidates of Awami League affirmed that this was not an election and people's rights were snatched in the name of an election.

"Even after that, India, Russia, and China extended their support to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government," Saiful said.

He said the opposition parties expected that India would not be an accomplice of a fascist government unlike in 2014 or 2018.

"We hoped that our international partners, including India, would take their stand for the democratic aspirations of the people of this country, their rights and credible elections. Unfortunately, they could not take that position," Saiful said.