Fresh controversy has erupted over the results of Bangladesh's general elections. Leaders of an 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami claim irregularities on several seats. These allegations have heated the political climate and cast doubt on the transparency of the election process. In regards to one seat, the Jamaat leader declared that a 'cat-and-mouse' game is unfolding.
The chairman of the election operations committee for the National Citizen Party (NCP), Asif Mahmood Sajib Bhuiyan, addressed a press conference stating, 'Attempts to manipulate results are evident in some places. We see clear indications on the seats our alliance contested.'
NCP Coordinator Nahid Islam urged people to support student and public voting rights via social media.
Jamaat candidates cited Dhaka-13 as an example, noting a 20-22 thousand vote margin suddenly claimed by an opposing candidate. This raised suspicions. Allegations of irregularities were also made in Dhaka-16 and 17, with calls for thorough evaluation before results announcement.
Meanwhile, Jamaat-supported candidate and Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis Amir, Maulana Mamunul Haque, questioned the vote-counting in Dhaka-13. He suggested that the ballot paper design caused confusion, resulting in thousands of invalidated votes. Haque reported that nearly 1,200 votes in about 50 polling centers and an estimated total of 3,000 votes were declared void. A formal complaint has been lodged with the Election Commission.
Local media reports indicate BNP-supported candidate Bobby Hazzaj won Dhaka-13 by 90,601 votes. Mamunul argued that a similar ballot structure was used in Dhaka-8, where other candidates' votes were validated.
Controversy over Dhaka-8 escalated when Jamaat coalition’s NCP coordinator Nahid Islam called for public action via social media to protect voting rights. Dhaka-8's candidate, Nasiruddin Patwari, also accused winning BNP candidate Mirza Abbas of result manipulation. Before the official declaration of results, a Jamaat statement referenced a 'cat-and-mouse game' concerning Dhaka-8.
