BNP besieges DC office in Pabna demanding vote recount in 2 seats

BNP leaders and activists have besieged the office of the Deputy Commissioner and District Returning Officer in Pabna, rejecting the results of the Pabna-3 (Chatmohar-Bhangura-Faridpur) and Pabna-4 (Ishwardi-Atgharia) constituencies and demanding a vote recount. They have been protesting since Friday afternoon in front of the Pabna DC office.

According to sources at the District Returning Officer's office, eight candidates contested in the Pabna-3 constituency. In unofficial results, Jamaat-nominated candidate Muhammad Ali Asghar won with 1,47,475 votes. His nearest rival, BNP's Hasan Jafir, received 1,44,206 votes.

In Pabna-4, Jamaat candidate Md Abu Taleb Mandal received 1,37,675 votes. BNP candidate Habibur Rahman received 1,33,875 votes.

BNP leaders and activists have been expressing anger since the results were announced. After Jumu'ah prayers on Friday, they marched from the two constituencies towards the DC office. By 4 pm, several thousand leaders and activists had gathered there, began protesting and shouted slogans demanding a vote recount.

The army, RAB, BGB and police have been deployed at the DC office to keep the situation under control.

Assistant Commissioner Abdul Alim of the district administration said the DC held meetings with the candidates of both constituencies and assured them that their demand would be forwarded to the Election Commission. The protesters left the office around 7 pm.

Protesting BNP leaders and activists alleged discrepancies in vote counting, an abnormal number of rejected votes, polling agents being forced to sign result sheets, and inconsistencies in centre-wise vote tallies. They warned of stricter programmes if their demand is not met.

Habibur Rahman, BNP candidate for Pabna-4, said, "The entire vote counting has been fraudulent. We do not accept these results. We are demanding a vote recount."

Efforts to reach DC and District Returning Officer Shahed Mostafa for comment were unsuccessful.