Charbhadrasan By-Polls: EC cancels results over ‘irregularities’

The Election Commission yesterday cancelled the results of the by-polls to Faridpur's Charbhadrasan upazila parishad chairman post after its probe body found "irregularities" during the election.

Ruling Awami League candidate M Kawsar was unofficially elected in the by-polls held on October 10. BNP rebel candidate AKM Obaidul Bari had come in second.

"The commission has decided to cancel the results of the by-polls … there were irregularities in the election," an election commissioner told The Daily Star yesterday evening.

"We will send letters to the authorities concerned soon notifying them of the matter," the commissioner said.

An EC circular said a probe committee formed by the commission had found proof of flouting of the electoral code of conduct during the by-polls.

Independent lawmaker of Faridpur-4 Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury, popularly known as Nixon Chowdhury, was backing Kawsar.

After the election, Mujibur publicly threatened the deputy commissioner of Faridpur and the upazila nirbahi officer of Charbhadrasan for deploying an "excessive" number of magistrates for the by-polls.

At different public rallies the day before the election, on election day, and during the victory rally, Mujibur and Kawsar used abusive language and made false and defamatory statements about the DC, the UNO, and the magistrates.

Mujibur, however, refuted the allegations.

After his statements went viral on social media, the EC formed a three-member probe committee.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda on October 13 said Mujibur had violated the electoral code of conduct.

On October 15, the EC filed a case against Mujibur for violating the electoral code of conduct.

The Cabinet Division on October 12 sought punitive action over the violations of the electoral code of conduct. It wrote to the Prime Minister's Office, the Parliament Secretariat, the Election Commission Secretariat and other authorities concerned to that end.