DHAKA:  International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) investigation agency has sought information of general elections in 1970 for mobilizing the ongoing trial of crimes against humanity committed during the war of independence in 1971.
 
Regarding the matter, the probe agency sent a letter to the Election Commission on November 12, said sources concerned.

According to the letter, the tribunal did not seek specific information on any person. When contacted, the investigation agency asked the commission to provide all the information of National Assembly and provincial council elections.

Following the requirement of investigation agency, the Election Commission is facing dilemma as it has no information regarding any election held in 1970. The National Assembly and provincial council elections were held on December 7 and December 17 in that year.
 
EC’s senior assistant secretary Farhad Hossain told banglanews that after receiving letter from the tribunal, the EC has searched all the old documents. But the EC has no documents in this regard.

In these circumstances,   chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad said documents of the two elections may be stored at Parliament Secretariat. Earlier, the CEC served as Secretary to the Bangladesh Parliament.

Meanwhile, EC formed a two-member committee to find out the necessary documents on the 1970 polls at the Parliament Secretariat, asking it to submit report with next 10 working days.

EC also sent a letter to the senior secretary of Parliament Secretariat on December 18, informing about the committee formation and document hunt.

Asked on why EC has no information on the 1970 election, an EC official, whishing anonymity, told banglanews that country’s situation become extremely volatile after the elections; for this reason, the documents could not be recorded well enough.
  
Or, the documents may be preserved, which was later destroyed during the 1971 Liberation War. The then-EC office located in city’s Malibagh area was burnt during the war, the official added.

According to sources concerned, the Election Commission of Pakistan was first formed on 23 March, 1956 with a branch in Dhaka, capital of erstwhile East Pakistan. The four commissions were formed from 1956 to 1971.

After the country became independent in December 16, 1971, Election Commission Bangladesh was formed in 1972.

Runners ran for 300 constituencies in the general election of 1970. Of them, Awami League won 160 seats, Pakistan Peoples Party 81 seats, Jamaat-e-Islami 4 seats, Pakistan Muslim League (Qayyum) 9 seats, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Markazi Jamiat-Ulema-Pakistan and Pakistan Muslim League (Convention) 7 seats each, National Awami Party (Wali) 6 seats, Pakistan Muslim League (Council) 2 seats,  Pakistan Democratic Party 1 seat and independent candidates won 16 seats.

65 percent of 56,941,500 voters cast ballot in the poll, which was the first general election of Pakistan since its birth in 1947. Awami League secured the majority in the poll.

In the provincial election, Awami League also won with majority securing 288 out of 600 seats in both the East and the West Pakistan.

Information on the 1970 polls may be taken as reference to the ongoing trial of the accused of “crimes against humanity” committed during War of Independence in 1971.

BDST: 1055 HRS, DEC 21, 2014