Mirza Abbas Questions Election, Says “Yes” Votes Amounts to Dictatorship

Staff Correspondent

Mirza Abbas, a member of the BNP standing committee and a candidate from the Dhaka-8 constituency, has expressed concern about the upcoming national elections. He alleged that the government is pressuring the people to vote ‘yes’ in the elections, which is contrary to the concept of democratic elections.

In an interview with a media outlet, Mirza Abbas said, “The government is trying to convince us that if we don’t vote ‘yes’ in the election, this will happen, that will happen. Then they could have declared the ‘yes’ vote the winner. This is not an election issue, this is dictatorship.”

He said that elections mean the free expression of the people’s opinions. “Those who are happy will vote ‘yes’, those who are not happy will also give their opinions. The people cannot be pressured. The burden of judgment must be left in the hands of the people.”

Expressing dissatisfaction with the election environment, the veteran politician said he was not satisfied with the behavior of the rival candidates.

He claimed that he had complained to the Election Commission several times about this issue but had not received any redress.

In response to a question about how the election is going to be, Mirza Abbas said, “I have participated in many elections in my life. But I don’t understand right now how this election will be. We will understand how the election was held after the voting.”

In the interview, he also expressed concern about the language used in the election campaign of Jamaat-e-Islami-backed candidates. In his words, “The kind of talk they are using is causing impossible things to happen in Bangladesh. It is difficult for me to respond to all this.”

Regarding rival candidates, he said that he does not see anyone as an opponent, but rather as a competitor.

However, questioning the behavior of new politicians, he said, “Many have become leaders quickly. Those who do new politics should follow senior leaders.”

Referring to his own political experience, Mirza Abbas said, “Many have become leaders through the blood of others, and we ourselves have made ourselves through the blood of the streets.”

He further said that the election is supposed to be a festival, but this time it cannot be enjoyed. He also warned that the current behavior could damage the electoral environment at any time.

Regarding the allegations of violation of the election code of conduct, he said, “I have complained to the EC many times. So far, I have not received any redress. There is no tolerable environment for the conversations of the rival candidates.”

Talking about his constituency Dhaka-8, Mirza Abbas said that the locals have not reported any major crisis.

In his words, “People have received a lot from me before they even asked.”

He highlighted various development works including hospitals, cemeteries and playgrounds during his tenure as mayor. However, he mentioned that waterlogging and mosquito problems are still major challenges.

Regarding the control of drugs, terrorism and extortion, he said, “Extortion stopped after August 5th, but now it has started again.”

He also mentioned the closure of casinos in the Motijheel area. He also raised questions about the teenage gang and said, “Where did they go? Let’s find out.”

When asked about the role of the Election Commission, Mirza Abbas said, “Of course, bias is visible.”

He alleged that out of 280,000 voters, almost half of them could not be found, which is suspicious. He demanded that their votes be cancelled if they are not identified. According to him, these voters could pose a risk of manipulating the election.