Dhaka: Accusing the ruling party activists of resorting to widespread ‘vote rigging’ and capturing of polling stations in Wednesday’s by-polls to Nagarkanda municipality in Faridpur, BNP said it has again proved that no free and fair election is possible under the current government.

In a statement, BNP spokesman Asaduzzaman Ripon said BNP-backed candidate Asaduzzaman Asad was forced to boycott Nagarkanda municipality by-polls as the local ruling party men engaged in vote fraud and irregularities in favour of Awami League-supported contestant.

“The terrorist activities and the vote rigging carried out in the Nagarkanda municipality by-polls are a great threat to local government system. The country’s people are frustrated and worried over such incidents,” Ripon observed.

He further said, “Nagarkanda municipality by-polls have once again demonstrated that no election can be free, fair and impartial under the current regime.”

Ripon said the government’s evil design to remove BNP-backed mayoral and councillor candidates by implicating them in false cases and ensure the victory of the ruling party-supported candidates through vote rigging in the local body polls has put the country’s democratic system at stake.