People ashamed seeing UP polls

Former Dhaka University vice chancellor Emajuddin Ahmed yesterday said Bangladeshis have become ashamed observing the ongoing union parishad (UP) polls, which have become infamous for vote rigging.

"I feel ashamed when I observe the polls...the country's people have lost their voting rights and the aspirants have lost their rights to meet the voters. But after seeing all of these the Election Commission is silent," he said.

Addressing a book unveiling programme organised by pro-BNP Bangladesh Youth Forum in the capital's Jatiya Press Club, he termed an inadequate solution the resignation of the Bangladesh Bank governor following the cyber heist netting around $101 million of the central bank.

He said people wanted to know who were involved and how much money was looted.

BNP leader Osman Faruk said, "Many expressed concern saying that there is no democracy in the country but I observed that democracy has been killed."

"As a democratic party, BNP has participated in the local government polls and decided to stay in the polls even after the ruling party men carried out vote rigging," added the BNP chairperson's adviser.