Dhaka: As the curtain falls on Sunday midnight on electioneering for the first phase election to 721 Union Councils (UCs), major political parties, except Awami League, doubt whether the Election Commission will be able to ensure fair voting on Tuesday.

Talking to United News of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Nationalist Party vice chairman Abdullah Al Noman, Jatiya Party co-chairman GM Quader and Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) president Mujahidul Islam Selim came up with the apprehension.  

The parties also alleged that their chairman candidates and supporters could not properly carry out election campaign in many UCs due to ‘obstruction’ and ‘intimidation’ as the Commission has failed to ensure a level-playing field.

They further complained that ruling party men are threatening many voters that they will fall in trouble if they do not cast their votes for ‘Boat,’ the election symbol of ruling Awami League.

Awami League joint general secretary Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif, however, hopes the Commission will take all necessary steps to ensure credible polls.

Jatiya Party co-chairman GM Quader alleged that their party candidates could not freely carry out their campaign due to threat and intimidation by Awami League men.

‘We’re receiving complaints every day from different areas that our many candidates are being forced to stay away from polls. Though we’ve strong doubt about fair balloting, we’re working hard to have good results,’ he said.

Quader said they are not getting confidence that the Election Commission will be able to ensure a congenial atmosphere so that voters can cast their votes without fear and intimidation.

CPB president Mujahidul Islam Selim said the UC election is nothing but a farce as ruling party men has established their supremacy in the election areas with the help of police and administration to ensure the victory of their candidates. ‘No candidates, except the ruling party ones, could properly carry out campaign. Our candidates are being threatened to quit race while the activists are being threatened to be sent to jail if they don’t cast their votes for boat,’ he said.

Selim also said he does not think that the UC election will be different from that of the municipal polls as the Election Commission is not willing to do so.

BNP vice chairman Abdullah Al Noman said they do not see any possibility of a fair election as the Awami League ‘cadres’ are flexing their muscles in the election areas as they did during the municipal polls due to inactive role of the EC.

He said their chairman aspirants could not even submit nomination peppers in 130 UCs in the first two phases due to obstruction by the ruling party men.

Awami League leader Hanif said they want the election to be held in a free and fair manner. ‘We’re not giving importance to which party candidates will win or lose as we want a credible and fair election to be held.’

About BNP’s allegation of obstructing its candidates from filing nomination, he said BNP is falsely blaming Awami League to hide its failure to give candidates to those UCs. ‘Our party men did not obstruct and intimidate any one.’

The EC has announced the schedules for the first three phases of UC polls fixing March 22, March 31 and April 23 for balloting in over 2,000 UCs.

According to the EC Secretariat statistics, BNP has no contender in some 200 Ups unlike AL which has no candidate in only two UCs in the first two phases.