Rasheduzzaman Rashed: The country is getting sick due to political illness, the people of the society are getting sick.  People are being forced to bow down to unscrupulous politics.  In the fifth phase, 10 people lost their lives in the election violence.  Among them, 4 people including a woman were killed in a clash with BGB in Bogra.  On the other hand, a new system has been introduced in the country to win various elections without voting.  The people have witnessed the victory of MP, Mayor without a vote.  In the recent Union Parishad elections, there has been a rush to win without a vote.  In the first phase 61 people were elected unopposed as chairman, in the second phase 6 people and in the third phase 100 people were elected unopposed.  In the fourth phase, 295 people`s representatives including 48 chairmen have won.  Among them are 112 reserved members and 135 general members.  193 candidates won uncontested in the fifth stage.  In other words, the total number of those who have been elected as chairman and members without voting has exceeded one thousand.  As for those who were elected without voting, all of them are candidates of the ruling party Awami League. This trend of winning before the election is just as sad news for democracy as the whole electoral system is in question!  Apart from the violence surrounding the UP elections across the country, the media has also reported on the sealing of ballot papers, beating of Awami League rebel candidates, occupation of polling booths and clashes.  As a result, the countrymen are worried about the clashes and clashes all over the country centering on the election.  Panic is working inside the people, will the election be fair at all?

 In the fourth phase, elections have been held in 638 Union Parishads (UPs) of 116 upazilas of 58 districts of the country.  Among them, 6 union council elections have been held in Dimla upazila of Nilphamari district.  In the meanwhile election of 2nd Balapara Union Parishad has been held.  The number of voters in Balapara Union is 24 thousand.  From the very beginning of the election, there was an election mood among the people.  Candidates have got the opportunity to go to people`s houses and ask for votes for their own symbol.  On the day of the election, 70-year-old Shri Pattari Rani came to the polling station trembling, ignoring the winter.  There was a look of joy on his face.  Seeing a fair election at the polling station, the people are hopeful that the candidate of their choice will win.  As a result, the voice of the people started coming from the center saying, "I will give my vote, I will protect my vote. Dangarhat is the central big market of Balapara Union.  Suddenly people gathered in a procession at Muktijoddha Chattar in Balapara Dangarhat and barricaded. Fair voting was going on all day but at night there was a hint of violence. Why?  I want fair results. "The votes of 2324 voters have been counted in Subhanganj, Ward 1 of Balapara Union. Out of these, 1224 votes have been cast by independent candidates.  The administration assured that the number of votes in the polling booths and the possibility of a fair result are possible, but there is no end to the worries in the minds of the people!  They came together and immediately decided that the people should make the movement to protect the vote.  As a result, a movement was started in Rajth towards Dimla upazila.  Let`s go Dimla.  Protect the people`s vote.  With this slogan, thousands of people walked 8 kilometers to reach the Upazila ground with slogans and waited for the result of the election when the Upazila Nirbahi Officer will announce the result.  But allegations of negligence, malpractice, procrastination and arbitrariness in preparing the results of the center-based polls against the Dimla Upazila Election Officer have been published in the media.  Even five days after the election, the final results of the Center-based people`s representatives

 The election official could not show.  There is a wide range of similarities between the results.  Upazila Election Officer, why delay?  Where is his interest?  No media personnel were allowed to enter the control room to announce the results on Election Day.  At around 12 o`clock in the night, the results of 14 polling stations were not declared and the results of 10 centers were declared.  Naturally, the question arises among the people, why it will be 12 o`clock at night to know the result of the union council election?  The answer to the people`s question should be given to the election official.  There is a rural proverb that fish cannot be covered with vegetables.  As a result, no matter how much the election official delays, it will be made public.  According to a letter signed by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Zahidul Islam Chowdhury got 7439 votes for the pineapple symbol in Balapara Union No. 2 and won the election.  His nearest rival Afraim Al Misri (Bablu) got 3570 votes for the spectacle symbol and Zahurul Islam Bhuiyan got 2654 votes for the boat symbol.  But adding the results of 14 centers, it is seen that Zahidul Islam got 6975 votes, Afraim Al Misri got 556 votes, Zahurul Islam Bhuiyan got 5322 votes.  Does the election officer of Dimla upazila have to teach new addition to mathematics?  Those who combine numbers do not qualify to be Upazila Election Officer.

The people have voted for the newly elected Pineapple symbol of Balapara Union No. 2, Chairman Zahidul Islam Chowdhury and have also started a movement to save votes for him.  As a result, his sense of responsibility towards the people has also increased.  Therefore, in order to build a model union council, the establishment of equality, human dignity and social justice is absolutely necessary.  The policy of `Zero Tolerance` should be adopted against job creation, poverty alleviation and reduction of inequality, bribery, corruption and looting.  WiFi zones need to be created at the union level.  Addressing the challenges of climate change, setting up `Environmental Courts` to bring environmentalists to justice, and encouraging young people to avoid drug addiction, terrorism and militancy. Violence against women, sexual harassment, dowry oppression and child marriage must be prevented.  In order to control the price of commodities, permanent ration system for the poor, government buffer stock and test relief for essential commodities should be introduced and efficient and strong mass distribution system should be set up across the country.

Author: Rasheduzzaman Rashed is an essayist and columnist. He can be reached at rashedssf12@gmail.com