134 Officials Face Punishment Due To Irregularities in Gaibandha-5 By-Polls

The Election Commission (EC) is going to punish 134 people, including Returning Officers, Additional District Commissioners (ADCs), Magistrates and Sub-Inspectors of Police (SIs) for irregularities in the Gaibandha-5 constituency by-elections. Election officials can take action against the accused according to the special law, including dismissal.

The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal gave this information in a press conference organized at the election building on Thursday (December 1).

He said that the appointing authority should inform the EC within one month after implementing the decision against the officials who are in charge of the election from other organizations or departments other than the returning officer.

In the press conference, Kazi Habibul Awal presented the written decision of the commission to the journalists.

1. The list of names of the presiding officers of 125 centers proved to be negligent in the performance of duty, the Secretary, Election Commission Secretariat will forward to their self-regulatory/appointing authorities as per Section 5 of the Election Officers (Special Law) Act, 1991. The controlling/employing authority shall inform the Commission within one month of taking action against them as per employment rules for negligence or misconduct.

2. It has been decided to suspend the Presiding Officer of Center No. 94 Md. Saiful Islam (Lecturer, Udayan Degree College) from service for 2 months as per Section 5(3) of the Election Officers (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. The appropriate authority will implement this decision. The Secretary, Election Commission Secretariat will issue a letter to the appointing authority to take departmental action against him for misconduct and inform the Commission within one month.

3. Likewise Secretary, Election Commission Secretariat Center No. 2 (Tarun Kumar, SI Gobindganj Thana), Center No. 54 (Md. Abdullah Al Mamun, SI Gobindganj Thana), Center No. 59 (Md. Anichur Rahman, SI Gobindganj Thana), Center No. 62 ( Kanak Ranjan Barman, SI Sadulyapur Police Station) and Police Officers of Center No. 105 (Md. Dulal Hossain, ASI, Atwari Police Station, Panchagarh) - Due to negligence in discharge of duty and misconduct, they have been charged under Section 5 of the Election Officers (Special Law) Act, 1991. Letter will be sent to the employing authority to take action as per employment rules against. The authority shall inform the Commission within one month of the action taken against them.

4. According to Section 5 of the Election Officers (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 against Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Sushanta Kumar Saha, the Secretary Election Commission Secretariat has to issue a letter to the Ministry of Public Administration to inform the Election Commission of taking action for misconduct within one month.

5. The Election Commission Secretariat will know the name of the Assistant Commissioner (name not mentioned in the inquiry report) and issue a warning letter to him in future for following the illegal orders of the higher authorities.

6. Secretary, Election Commission Secretariat will take departmental action against Returning Officer Saiful Islam (Regional Election Officer, Rajshahi) for negligence in discharge of duty as per Section 5 of Election Officer (Special Law) Act, 1991.

7. If the authority does not take action and inform the Commission within one month, the Commission will take action against the authority as per Section 6 (2) of the Election Officers (Special Law) Act, 1991.

8. The list of election agents in charge of all the centers is in a bag sealed by the presiding officer, since the election has been closed and there is no court order on the matter, the bags of the centers where the allegations have been proved should be opened and a list of responsible agents should be prepared. District Election Officer, Gaibandha will make this list. Convicted election agents cannot be appointed as agents in subsequent elections.

9. In case of any irregularities in future elections, the strictest action will be taken against those responsible.

The CEC said that those who were involved in irregularities in performing their duties as agents of various candidates, should be identified and action should be taken later.

Incidentally, the Gaibandha-5 seat was declared vacant due to the death of former Deputy Speaker of Jatiya Sangsad Fazle Rabbi Miah last July. There is a constitutional obligation to conclude these by-elections by December 20. Gaibandha-5 Constituency consists of Phulchari and Saghata upazilas.

In the by-election, 952 polling booths were set up in 145 centres, including 88 in Saghata upazila and 57 in Phulchari upazila. There are 3 lakh 39 thousand 743 voters in 17 unions including 10 of Saghata upazila and seven of Phulchhari upazila. Among them, 1 lakh 69 thousand 583 male voters and 1 lakh 70 thousand 160 female voters.