Very recently in the by-election of Dhaka-10 constituency the city dwellers had an opportunity to watch "immaculate" performance of an unusually articulate candidate launching his election campaign long before he was formally nominated by his party. He did indeed display a 'great' ability to organise huge 'meet the people' rally moving from door to door. Initially, in all such preliminary stock-taking of the man the direct involvement of the party stalwarts was not observed. Nevertheless the ground work went on well and undisputed till his formal nomination was in place. In abhorring haste the man mobilised all his resources and a huge number of workers to 'defend his fort' from the 'intruders' the principal one being another powerful contestant and former party colleague and sitting number of Parliament from the same constituency.

When the Munshiganj seat was eventually lost to the party in power, precisely BNP, it could be very much palpable that the high command would hate to lose the Dhaka-10 seat. It turned out to be a very big challenge to get the party nominee elected by 'hook or by crook.' Like the Munshiganj seat, Ramna-Tejgaon seat too has been known to be a BNP-stronghold for long. Maj (retd) Mannan, an industrial tycoon was elected in the past from this constituency as BNP candidate.

This time the 4-party/BNP nominee Al-haj Mosaddek Ali Falu had no other choice but to make an all out effort to win the support of the voters. His campaign soon gained rapid momentum with the 'ghastly' enthusiasm of his workers who appeared to have been 'tutored' by their affluent benefactor to use any conceivable device to intercept the other formidable candidate and his workers at every point of the polling area. As a result, there had been free physical assaults on Major Mannan's boys and even on him and Mahi B Chowdhury. On one occasion the last two had to take shelter in the police commissioner's office for life.

In order to contain such ugly hostilities Major (retd) Mannan and Mahi B Chowdhury took to "sweetmeat diplomacy" carrying huge quantity of sweetmeat to the election camps of their adversary. They pleaded for friendly gestures till the end of the polling on 1st July 2004. But their offer was not reciprocated. It was rather returned with bitter pills. Between the period Major (retd) Mannan had to move with the High/Supreme Court for his election symbol 'Kula' and for deployment of Army at every polling centre. On both counts he emerged victorious which, incidentally could provide him an additional fillip or impetus to resume his campaign with more zeal and enthusiasm. Pitiably for him his relentless endeavour at straightening things with legal support from the highest level proved exercizes in futility. His rival was absolutely unmoved. His campaign boys and reportedly a huge number of musclemen and armed hoodlums showed no sign of retreat from their aggressive acts. The 'Bikalpa Dhara' nominee made frantic efforts to meet the people but he was brutally repulsed. His roadside camps were ransacked at many places said to be under the nose of the policemen. Roughly, this was the ominous prelude to a yet more unnerving interlude and to a most despicable conclusion of the whole game.

The most abominable episode enacted on the election day rocked the conscience of the whole nation. The newspapers, particularly The Daily Star and the vernacular daily 'Prathom Alo' very loudly condemned. In its editorial the latter said, inter alia, that 'if the government administration and those in the power centre influence the result of the election that result never gets acceptability of the common man.' It also held the election commission responsible for not intervening the illegal occupiers of the polling booths, casting forged votes, blocking by force genuine voters coming to cast their vote. The scanty presence of female voters in the polling centres was attributed to the open threats from the thug's alleged to be 4-party activists.

A number of independent organisations like Fema, Broti, Bamasop, Janipop etc deputed their workers to almost all the 103 centres to physically observe vote casting. On 2nd July, 2004, the last two bodies sat in a press conference to give out their findings. They said: 'in the by-election of Dhaka-10 there had been large scale false voting and rigging. Due to proofs available on such a high rate of forged votes the election cannot be claimed to have been free and fair. They also spoke on a number of irregularities such as, scarce presence of genuine voters, publicity campaign within the polling centres in favour of 4-party (BNP) nominee and free access of their workers all around and within, offering temptation to the voters, cash transaction, intimidation of voters. Besides, they observed blatant flouting of the High Court order in respect of army deployment at each polling centre. This enabled bus loads of fake voters brought from Lalbag, Kamrangichar, Narayanganj and other distant places. They were given absolute freedom to cast false votes where too, according to one observer group, hasty action by the polling agents, polling officers, administration and police was preponderant. To expedite things voting (fake voting) reportedly commenced at some centres from 7 am instead of the officially declared timing of 8 am. A rickshawpuller caught by police for impersonation revealed that he was hired for Tk 20.00 only!

Major (retd) Mannan announced his boycott of the farcical election at mid-day and went again to the High Court. The court ordered personal attendance of four senior government officials for their failure to carry out court's order on army deployment at every centre. The election commission has also been asked to give its report on the alleged malpractices and fake voting vis-a-vis their failure to ensure fair election. Meantime the four senior officials have filed petition with supreme court for staying the order on their personal attendance. The hearing is awaited.

The climax of a viciously hasty manoeuvre on the part of the winner in obtaining gazette notification in 36 hours and taking oath within the next 48 hours had been unprecedented and dubious.

Meantime the statement given by the European Union was made public within 24 hours after the order of the High Court. It contained references to numerous observational reports of both local and foreign agencies portraying large scale awe-inspiring picture of mass rigging in favour of Falu Miah. It made a serious note of warning that unless the complaints are properly investigated into, the democratic image of Bangladesh will be at jeopardy globally. The aggrieved party has waged a legal battle against the alleged mass rigging seeking ultimate quashing of the results and to arrange a fresh election. We have got to wait till the High Court/Supreme Court gives its judgement.

All eyes are now set to Gazipur-Tongi by-election in consequence of the tragic assassination of Ahsanullah Master. The Awami League has nominated the late leader's son Rusell while BNP or for that matter the 4-party alliance candidate is Prof Abdul Mannan. Their campaign goes on in full swing. Here too, the teacher-cum-politician launched his publicity campaign ahead of his main rival and son of Ahsanullah Master. Mr Mannan, watched on television, was found to be very confident to win. In his words, his main contestant didn't have the experience to work for the development of the constituency, at least the latter's age wouldn't allow him to do justice. An undertone of threat could be distantly felt. Repetition or replication of Dhaka-10 episode is yet to surface. Hopefully the mass condemnation of mischiefs there plus the possibility of the High Court and/or the Supreme Court taking a very strong and firm decision in favour of the aggrieved party, Gazipur-2 will be deterred from re-enacting the self-same ugliest episode. Here prudence and good sense will be hopefully the decisive factor. Let us no more slap our own faces.

Kazi Alauddin Ahmed is an industrial consultant.