Lakhsmipur by-polls: Ex-BCL leader, who allegedly stamped 43 ballots under 1 minute, sent to jail
Azad was earlier shown arrested under section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure which allows police to arrest a person under suspicion of suspicion cognizable offence without an order from a magistrate and a warrant.
Former Bangladesh Chhatra League leader Azad Hossain, who allegedly stamped 43 ballots in under one minute during the recent Lakhsmipur-3 by-election, has been sent to jail.
The Lakhsmipur Chief Judicial Magistrate Court sent him to jail on Saturday noon (11 November), the court's GRO Md Sharifullah confirmed to The Business Standard.
Azad was earlier shown arrested under section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure which allows police to arrest a person under suspicion of suspicion cognizable offence without an order from a magistrate and a warrant.
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In a video, widely circulated on Facebook during the Lakhsmipur-3 by-election on 5 November, Azad was seen stamping the 'boat' symbol on ballot papers in the open.
According to several media reports, he stamped a total of 43 ballots within 57 seconds.
The viral video raised questions from netizens, politicians and civil society over the credibility of the election.
Azad, who was a polling agent of the candidate of boat symbol at the Khaguria Primary School centre in Lakshmipur Sadar upazila. He has been in hiding since the election and was allegedly picked up by plainclothed members of the law enforcement. He was later shown to be in the custody of Chandraganj police station
In the face of alleged irregularities, the Election Commission postponed publishing the gazette notification of the results of the Brahmanbaria-2 and Lakshmipur-3 by-elections and launched an inquiry into the allegations of irregularities in polling.
The commission also launched an immediate investigation into the public stamping of the boat symbol.
On Saturday afternoon, the returning officer of the by-election and Comilla regional election officer Farhad Hossain submitted the investigation report.
"I have submitted the investigation report to the Election Commission. After reviewing the investigation report, the Election Commission will take the next decision. The investigations of the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police have also been completed. Their report is also scheduled to be submitted to the EC today," he told The Business Standard.
