Five Candidates Boycott Votes Amid Alleged Irregularities

The thirteenth National Parliament elections and associated referenda were conducted peacefully across Bangladesh yesterday. Nevertheless, allegations of electoral irregularities prompted several candidates to boycott the voting process. In total, five candidates, representing both political parties and independent campaigns, formally withdrew their participation, citing various forms of malpractice.

Reported Boycotts by Constituency

Comilla-4 (Debidwar)
Shortly after the conclusion of voting on Thursday, Md. A. Jasim Uddin, the candidate supported by the BNP-backed Gan Adhikar Parishad, went live on Facebook to announce his boycott. He alleged vote rigging, centre takeovers, removal of agents, and distribution of illegal cash at polling stations. Jasim Uddin’s main rival was Abul Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser of the National Citizens Party (NCP) in the southern region.

Initially, the BNP had nominated four-time former MP Manjurul Ahsan Munshi for this seat. However, Munshi’s candidacy was annulled by the court over loan default issues, leading the party to endorse Jasim Uddin instead.

Narayanganj-3
Professor Md. Rezaul Karim, an independent candidate, also withdrew his candidacy, citing widespread irregularities and manipulations. Karim has previously served four terms as the BNP candidate in the same constituency.

Dinajpur-5
Independent candidate Rustam Ali refused to participate in the voting process, alleging misuse of state resources, vote-buying, and non-cooperation by polling agents across several centres.

Kishoreganj-4
Kazi Reha Kabir Sigma, running independently under the football symbol, also boycotted the elections. He raised concerns over electoral malpractice, counterfeit ballots, and one-sided conduct by the administration.

Summary of Vote Boycotts

These boycott announcements highlight ongoing concerns about the fairness and transparency of elections in certain constituencies, despite the overall peaceful conduct reported nationwide. Electoral observers have indicated that such withdrawals may influence the perception of legitimacy in the affected regions and could prompt further scrutiny by both national and international monitoring bodies.