BNP senior leader and Dhaka-8 Member of Parliament-elect Mirza Abbas on Friday said alleged attempts at “vote engineering” by his main rival failed to override the people’s mandate.
“A certain group tried to divert the people’s votes through cunning tactics, but their attempts ultimately failed against the tide of public support,” he said.
He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after visiting his family graveyard in Shahjahanpur following Juma prayers.
He alleged that a large number of ballots cast in his favour were unfairly cancelled.
Expressing surprise at the vote count of his nearest rival NCP candidate Mohammad Nasir Uddin Patwary, he said, “They have no real public support, so how did they get so many votes? This clearly shows the manipulation that took place behind the scenes.”
He claimed the NCP candidate had prepared for such engineering before the election.
“What I kept saying repeatedly was that they would attempt an engineering. They have done it. At first, we did not understand how they did it, but now we do. This is very dangerous for the nation. It is a bad sign. They should not have done it,” he said.
When asked about the possibility of a recount, he said questions remained over the transparency of the election, but any decision on a recount lay entirely with the Election Commission.
“If they consider it necessary, they can take action,” he said.
Despite the allegations, he urged BNP activists to remain calm and patient.
“I am pleased with the party’s decisive victory, and the people are happy too. Citizens voted with joy,” he said.
According to unofficial results of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election, Mirza Abbas secured 59,366 votes, while NCP candidate Mohammad Nasir Uddin Patwary received 54,127 votes.
