Chittagong: BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Qader Chowdhury MP Wednesday alleged that the Election Commission has prepared a list of 55,000 voters without photograph in Chittagong for the forthcoming city corporation elections.

“The list has been prepared in a planned way to let Awami League activists cast fake votes in the City Corporation Election,” he said.

“BNP was provided with a voter list without photograph so they could not be challenged if they cast false votes,” he added.

Addressing a press conference held at SQ Chowdhury’s Good Hills residence in the morning, the outspoken BNP leader demanded that the EC not allow anyone to cast vote without national ID card.

“A chaotic situation might be created in the polling centers for those voters having no photograph,” he forewarned.

Deploring that the countrymen had been deprived of exercising their right to franchise for two years “in the name of” National ID card with photograph, SQ said raised the question why the voter list was prepared now without photo.

Terming the initiative to hold the CCC election before date-expired DCC election ill motivated, the BNP leader said, “Sheikh Hasina assumed the Chittagonians to be fool. But, after getting the election results, she can understand how much conscious they are.”

Regarding the EC’s declaration for the “outsiders” to leave Chittagong by June 14, he said people from different places across the country come here for their livelihood, so through the announcement the EC is creating an “issue” for vitiating the political environment and stability in the region.

BNP leader Md. Ershad Ullah, Chittagong Unnayan Andolan member-secretary Advocate SUM Nurul Islam and BNP (north) Joint Secretary Fazlul Karim were present at the press meet.

BDST 1340 hrs June 9, 2010
HS/RS/LY/MUA