CEC gives directions to investigate Hero Alom’s claims on Bogura-4 by-polls

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has directed the persons concerned to look into allegations brought by Ashraful Hossen Alom alias Hero Alam about manipulating the results of Bogura-4 by-polls that took place on Wednesday.

On Thursday, CEC Habibul Awal gave this order to Bogura District Senior Election Officer and Assistant Returning Officer Mahmud Hasan.

Mahmud Hasan said, "The CEC asked me to look into the matter after he saw the press briefing of Hero Alom on Wednesday where he claimed that the results were rigged and plagued by irregularities."

After receiving that instruction, the results obtained by the EVM machines in all the polling stations of Nandigram Upazila have been re-verified, added Mahmud Hasan. The tally of votes casted in the EVM machines correspond 100% with the declared results.

"We have also sent Hero Alam copies of the center wise results," said the assistant returning officer.

Hero Alom lost the Bogura-4 by-poll by a margin of only 834 votes.

Grand Alliance-backed candidate AKM Rezaul Karim Tansen won the Bogura-4 (Nandigram-Kahalu) by-election by obtaining 20,405 votes in this seat.

Meanwhile, Hero Alom got 19,571 votes.

Hero Alam held a press briefing at his home in Erulia union parishad under Sadar upazila around 10:30pm on Wednesday where he said, "The election environment was fair. But the results were rigged and changed."

He said, the election officials announced the results of 39 centers of Nandigram upazila. Afterwards, the results of the total 49 voting centres was announced without announcing the results of rest of the 10 centres.

"I was not told how many votes I got in these centers," he said.

"There are also complaints about Bogura Sadar's vote. My agents were barred from entering the polling centre in laheri neighborhood. Tansen's followers were nowhere to be found during the voting but he has won somehow!"

"Everyone was telling me that I won in the polls. The people voted for me. But where did all my vote go? Awami League men were saying that their candidate won even before the results were announced.

"Even ruling party supporters voted for me. I reject the results of the polls and will go to court for justice."