Anti-corruption group Transparency International said on Tuesday it found “irregularities” in 47 of 50 constituencies it surveyed during last month’s general election in Bangladesh, which was marred by allegations of vote rigging. The poll that gave Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a third straight term was undermined by ballot stuffing, voter intimidation and the occupation of polling booths among other malpractices, the group’s Bangladesh chapter said. The government rejected the report, saying the group had “lost its neutrality” and should be investigated for any “secret link” to the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). In its report, Transparency International said the BNP-led opposition could not effectively campaign for votes, opposition workers were threatened by government agencies, and the Election Commission could not ensure a level-playing field for all parties.
The ruling Awami League-led coalition won 46 of the 50 constituency races surveyed by the organisation.
There are 300 elected seats in parliament, and another 50 members are nominated.
“The Election Commission did not perform its role properly,” Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International’s Bangladesh chapter, told reporters in Dhaka.
Full Article: Bangladesh Government Rejects Report Claiming “Irregularities” In Polls.
