Renowned photographer and human rights activist Shahidul Alam has expressed frustration over the Election Commission’s role in preventing irregularities surrounding Thursday’s national election.
In a Facebook post in the early hours of Thursday, he wrote that the posts he had been sharing might not be representative, as they were based solely on information sent to him.
“I have no way of knowing how much rigging is going on or who is doing the most rigging. But it is clear that the situation is rampant, and that the EC is largely ineffective,” he wrote.
He said that while during the Awami League’s tenure there was “only one party,” it now appears to be “a free for all.”
“Given what I am already seeing, I see no way in which this election can be described as being ‘free, fair and inclusive’,” he added.
Shahidul said the interim government had achieved mixed success. “While we may forgive its failures in some areas, the inability to hold a proper election will ruin its entire credibility,” he wrote.
He warned that unless immediate and effective steps are taken to curb irregularities and bring violators to justice, the situation would become a “permanent stain” on the administration.
“Too many have shed too much blood for our country to be reduced to this,” he added.
However, upon trawling through his social media handles, only one post related to alleged vote rigging was found.