Dhaka, Jan 15 (.) BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed on Wednesday raised fresh concerns over the integrity of the electoral process, alleging serious irregularities in the preparation, distribution and use of postal ballots.
Speaking to journalists after a meeting with the secretary of the Election Commission at the EC building in Agargaon, Dhaka, Ahmed said the issue had cast doubt on transparency at a critical stage of the election process.
“We have sought a clear explanation,” he said, adding that the meeting focused on legal aspects of the election and compliance with the code of conduct.
Referring to videos and photographs circulating on social media, Ahmed claimed that large numbers of postal ballots had been found in private residences. “In some cases, between 200 and 300 ballots were found in individual houses,” he said.
“In certain areas ballots have been seized, in others there are allegations that voting has already begun. There are also instances where ballots sent in the name of one person are being received by someone else.”
The BNP leader’s remarks come as Bangladesh continues grappling with heightened political scrutiny of election preparations, with opposition parties repeatedly warning that any flaws in the voting process could compromise the credibility of the polls.
He said unresolved questions remained about how postal ballots were dispatched to expatriate voters, how those votes would be cast, where ballots would be scanned, and who would be held accountable if significant numbers of ballots were discovered in a single location.
“The Election Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must provide clear explanations on these issues,” Ahmed said, warning that a lack of clarity could further undermine confidence in the process.
According to the BNP leader, the Election Commission assured him during the meeting that it would review the allegations and provide explanations if required, possibly later the same day.
Ahmed also said the party had placed a specific proposal before the commission to simplify and safeguard the postal voting process.
Under the proposal, the same ballot paper used in a constituency — containing the names and symbols of all contesting candidates — should also be used as the postal ballot for voters from that constituency.
“This would remove the need to print separate symbol-specific ballots for different constituencies and significantly reduce complexity,” he said.
. . PRP