The Election Commission (EC) has cancelled the candidacy of Mustafizur Rahman, an Awami League candidate contesting from Chattogram-16 constituency, for violating the electoral code of conduct.
His candidacy was scrapped minutes before the voting of the 12th national election ended on Sunday late afternoon as he threatened the law enforcement security men. The EC took the decision at 3:45 pm on the polling day.
For the first time in the country’s history, the EC has cancelled the candidacy of a candidate for the violation of the electoral code of conduct.
Secretary of EC Secretariat Md Jahangir made the announcement on the decision of the cancellation of the candidacy at a press briefing yesterday at the Nirbachan Bhaban at Agargaon in the capital. Md
Jahangir said, “Mustafizur Rahman violated the election code of conduct and gave threats to the law enforcers. He also breached the code earlier. As a result, the commission has cancelled his candidacy.”
Mustafizur Rahman has been charged with electoral crimes under the Representation of the People Order (RPO), 1972, according to a notice from the EC.
At around 2:30 pm during voting on Sunday, a vehicle carrying Mustafizur Rahman reached the polling station at Banshkhali Upazila in Chattogram which came under attack and left him injured.
His personal assistant claimed that supporters of the candidate, contesting with ‘Eagle’ symbol, attacked the car carrying Mustafizur and hit him on the head.
Earlier on the day, a man named Abdul Gafur was arrested over obstructing the polls by casting fake votes at one of the stations at around 11:30 am, said Tofayel Ahmed, officer-in-charge (OC) of Banshkhali Police Station.
Soon after Mustafizur Rahman went to the nearest police station and threatened the on duty police saying he would ‘chop off their hands if they arrested his followers’.
A video later went viral on social media where the MP was seen threatening the OC at the police station.
Mustafizur Rahman and his supporters were engaged in a heated altercation with journalists while submitting his nomination form on November 30.
The Election Commission later filed a case against Mustafizur, accusing him of violating the election code of conduct by entering the office of the local returning officer while accompanied by too many people. He secured bail after surrendering to the court four days before the vote.
Mujibur Rahman, an Awami League leader running as an independent, was a rival of Mustafizur Rahman in the constituency consisting of Banshkhali Upazila.
Both sides filed cases after the supporters of the two candidates clashed on December 19, a day after the campaign began.
Mustafizur Rahman threatened the officer-in-charge (OC) of Banshkhali Police Station Tofayel Ahmed for registering the case by Mujibur’s followers. Police recorded a general diary and filed a complaint with the returning officer over the threat.
