Chhabed Sathee, Back from Boston: Khoka-Saju-Rajib Parishad mentioned that expatriates were deprived of their voting rights by a gang of through pre-planned vote robbery in the biennial elections of Bangladesh Association of New England (BANE) in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Since the beginning of the election process, we have been complaining about various irregularities and corruption including arbitrariness, nepotism and corruption of the current and outgoing Executive Committee and the Election Commission responsible for the election, but they did not give any importance to our complaints. Khoka-Saju-Rajib Parishad made these allegations in a press conference on Monday evening (November 20) local time. In addition to the members of Khoka-Saju-Rajib Parishad, the Bangladeshi community of Boston from various professions were present in the press conference.
Mahbub-e-Khoda (Khoka), President candidate of Khoka-Saju-Rajib Parishad, reads the written statement at the press conference.
At the beginning of the conference, Khoka-Saju-Rajib Parishad president candidate Mahbub-e-Khoda (Khoka) mentioned in his written speech that the biennial elections of Bangladesh Association of New England (BANE) will be held on November 10 and 11 (Friday and Saturday) of this month. Here are some pictures of the irregularities and corruption that have been caught by our panel workers and expatriates.
He said, we will remember with respect for the rest of our lives the way Bangladeshi people living in Boston ignored the very cold weather and appeared in person on November 10 and 11 to rule against injustice. The current and outgoing Executive Committee, Election Commission and rival Tanvir-Taj-Shanta Parishad members have severely undermined the 52-year history, tradition and pride of the Bangladesh Association of New England (BANE).
Dignitaries including the former president of Bane attended the press conference
Khoka said that irregularities, corruption and revenge activities started from the last day of submission of voter list to Bane’s Executive Committee on 15th September 2023. The present committee declared 6 thousand voters in the 2023 Bane election as per their own without maintaining transparency and did not disclose any detailed information. They did not give any information about depositing membership money to anyone. We protested and they ignored it. The present Executive Committee disqualified the Chief Election Commissioner for implementing their black and blue design plan without following the instructions of the constitution. We protested but they ignored it. Ignoring the instructions of the constitution with two assistants of election commission. We protested that too.
Members of Khoka-Saju-Rajib Parishad sitting on the stage at the press conference
A respected Assistant Election Commissioner resigned in conscience after seeing the irregularities and corruption. The current executive committee and the corrupt Election Commission completely concealed the matter and did not inform anyone of the community. We also protested on these issues. We found out because I was personally emailed by the person who resigned. Ignoring the instructions of the Constitution, the Election Commission sent me a wrong, incomplete and fake voter list by email on October 8. A voter list signed by the current executive committee president and general secretary was handed over to me when I asked for a print copy. Which had no match with the emailed voter list and print copy. We filed written complaint and protest. Sad but true, Chief Election Commissioner Salauddin Khan Saikat sent me the final voter list 26 minutes before polling on Friday, November 10th.
Khoka also said that the election commission declared the mail-in-vote by acting outside the constitution. We filed written complaint and protest. We didn’t hear anything. Later we were able to stop that irregularity through the court order. Before resorting to court, respected veterans of our community took initiative to find a good solution after the announcement. Abul Khan Shaheen, a member of the New Hampshire State House of Representatives and a member of the Republican Party, played a very strong role in this regard. Despite his best efforts, he could not bring them to a compromise. It is a sad fact that the Election Commissioner Salahuddin Khan Saikat did not keep any request of him and the prominent people of the community.
Dignitaries including the former president of Bane attended the press conference
Disregarding court orders, this corrupt Election Commission, the current Executive Council and our rival panel members have brought Bane to the last level of disgrace in the name of taking absentee ballots under a new name. Everyone have seen on social media how election commissioner Abdul Jalil and members of the rival party voted in Dorchester area in the dark of night without informing our panel members and the community. We protested but nothing was done. They did not give any importance to our complaints. You also saw that in the New Bedford area they faced resistance when they voted on the same plan. Which has already been circulated on social media.
Sheikh Bahauddin Suman speaking on behalf of Khoka-Saju-Rajib Parishad in the press conference
This time I am coming with the information about the first disenfranchisement and vote robbery of respected members of the community in Bane’s 52-year history. The spontaneous participation of the honorable members in spite of the severe cold from last Friday evening till 10 pm on November 10 is truly admirable and incredible. I and my panel are very grateful to you.
Due to the bad intentions and non-cooperation of the Election Commission and the current Executive Committee, the honorable voters were forced to return home without casting their votes on Friday night. We protested against the aggressive role of the Election Commission and the current committee in the polling booths of the team consisting of all family members. Didn’t take any of our words into consideration. No permission was given to anyone except 4 people from our panel whereas 15/20 people from the other panel stayed inside the center.
Bane’s former president Kazi Nuruzzaman is speaking at the press conference
After Assistant Election Commissioner Jalil admitted to our agents that a small number of votes were taken in the name of absentee voting, Chief Election Commissioner Salahuddin Khan Saikat, after seeing the presence of voters on our side, brought up another scandalous incident. On Saturday, November 11th, after the honorable voters cast their votes despite many difficulties, suddenly at 3/4 in the afternoon, Election Commissioner Saikat started counting the votes in spite of the objections of our agents and respected observers. In the last part of the counting of votes, when he saw that our panel was leading by a large number of votes, ignoring the objections and obstacles of all, he brought two black truss bag-wrapped ballot boxes inside the polling center under police guard like miscreants.
Aboul Khan Shaheen, member of the House of Representatives of the State of New Hampshire speaking on behalf of the Khoka-Saju-Rajib Parishad at the press conference
Despite opposition from observers and our agents and even the rival panel’s campaign manager Mohiuddin, Commissioner Saikat declared the results by linking the 694 votes of the dark night in the black bag (already published on social media) to the 10th and 11th ballots.
Ban’es former president Shaheen Khan is speaking at the press conference
We Bangladesh community are shocked by the story of reaching the last level of moral degradation. No one knows how and by what process these voting ballots arrived. We condemn Chief Election Commissioner Salahuddin Khan Saikat and current and outgoing executive committee members for questioning the entire election process and disrespecting respected people of Bangladesh community.
We continue to work together with respected members of the community to fight against such perceived crimes and arbitrariness. There is no way such a crime can happen in our civilized society. We boycotted the results of this election on the night of 11th November.
Finally, I would like to appeal to our honorable members of the challenge panel to question their conscience without sacrificing ethics and see how people from all walks of life are standing up against this injustice. Once you ask conscience which community you want to work for?
Let us save this entire honorable community from stigma and shame. We stand by the community in bonds of respect, love and affection. Just remember that you will not be accepted in the society with the complacency of winning through injustice, irregularities, fraud, rigging.
Political personality Osman Gani speaking on behalf of Khoka-Saju-Rajib Parishad in the press conference
In the press conference, the winning vice-presidential candidate from Khoka-Saju-Rajib Parishad Sajjadur Rahman Saju and general secretary candidate Rajibur Rahman Rajib said in response to a question from reporters, “If the expatriates of New England did not accept the election of fraud and farce, what will we do with this victory?” With the love of expatriate Bangladeshis in Boston, we want to form a united society with all of our parishads and provide comprehensive services to expatriates. We can never go with those elected by stealing votes. We reject our alleged victory along with the falsified election results.
Businessman Humayun Morshed speaking on behalf of Khoka-Saju-Rajib Parishad at the press conference
At that time, the leaders of Khoka-Saju-Rajib Parishad and former president of Bane Shahidul Islam Prince, Shaheen Khan, Member of New Hampshire State House of Representatives and Republican Party member Abul Khan Shaheen, political figures Osman Gani, Sheikh Bahauddin Suman and Humayun Morshed answered various questions of journalists.
Khoka-Saju-Rajib Parishad president candidate Mahbub-e-Khoda (Khoka), vice president candidate Sajjadur Rahman Saju, general secretary candidate Rajibur Rahman Rajib, joint general secretary candidate Ashikur Rahman, treasurer candidate Moniruzzaman Khan, among others spoke at the press conference. Cultural Secretary Candidate Rehana Parvin Iti, Sports Secretary Candidate Ekramul Pijan, Social Welfare Secretary Candidate BM Raihanuzzaman, Executive Member Candidates SM Saifur Islam, Pankaj Das, and Moushumi Rahman, Former President of Bane respectively-Quazi Nuruzzaman, Shahidul Islam Prince, Shaheen Khan, Abul Khan Shaheen, a member of the House of Representatives of New Hampshire and a member of the Republican Party, political figures Osman Gani, Sheikh Bahauddin Sumon, Humayun Morshed, Shobhan Chowdhury, MD Kashem (Nayon), Golam Azam (Dorchester) and Swapan Khan (Fall River).
Golam Azam (Dorchester) describes how votes were taken in the dark of night at a press conference.
In addition, Bane’s former president Mohammad Belal, former general secretary and journalist Nahid Sitara, Dr. Dulal Khan, Hasanuzzaman Sohel, Politicians Tipu Chowdhury, Md. Hanif, Mahbubul Haque Duke, Khatuna Jannat Arju, Mehrun Islam Happy, Mahmuda Siddika, Morsheda Khatun Marry, Joy Nehal, Ohayedi Sheikh, Mosharraf Hussain Haque, Shaheen, Zahid and Kakan was present at this time.
BP/SM
