Ballot photo spreads on Facebook before IEB Chattogram vote, WhatsApp message seeking ballot photos alleged

A series of irregularity allegations has surfaced around the election of the Chattogram centre of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB), even before voting began.

On the day before the vote, a photograph of the ballot paper spread on social media. Separately, the Yellow Panel faces an allegation that WhatsApp messages were sent asking voters to vote for a specific panel and to send a photograph of their ballot as proof of voting.

Rival candidates and voters have raised questions over the transparency of the election, the secrecy of the vote and the role of the election commission in these incidents.

Voting at the IEB Chattogram centre is scheduled for Thursday (12 November) from 9am to 5pm.

Three panels are mainly contesting the election. They are the BNP-backed Association of Engineers Bangladesh (AEB), the Jamaat-backed Engineers Forum, and another BNP-backed part, the United Engineers Panel.

At the IEB Chattogram centre, one chairman, two vice-chairmen, one honorary secretary, four central councillors and 30 local councillors will be elected.

From the AEB panel, former CDA chairman Engineer Md Nurul Karim is contesting for chairman and Engineer Rashed Alam for honorary secretary. From the United Engineers Panel, former WASA Chattogram chief engineer Yakub Siraj Uddoula is running for chairman and CUFL deputy chief engineer Muntasir Mamun Munna for honorary secretary. From the Jamaat-backed panel, Engineer Manzare Khorshed Alam and Engineer Mejbauddin Khaled are contesting for chairman and honorary secretary respectively.

The first allegation around the election came through the ballot paper photograph spreading on social media. Candidates and voters expressed anger that a photo of this election document became public on Facebook before voting.

Several rival candidates said the spread of the ballot photo just before the vote has put the whole election process into question. They said it needs to be examined whether there was a lapse in the supervision of those responsible for protecting the secrecy of election documents. They demanded that the source of the spread be identified and that the election commission give a formal explanation.

Amid this, a WhatsApp message sent to voters has created fresh controversy. The message, sent to several voters on Wednesday night, requested votes for the Yellow Panel. It is learnt that the message especially asked members of the Engineers Association of Bangladesh (AEB), former Chhatra Dal members of various universities and engineers working in government institutions to vote for the Yellow Panel.

Not only a request to vote, the message also mentioned sending a photograph of the ballot paper, after voting, to the mobile number of AEB member secretary Engineer Shoye Bashari Hablu to confirm support. The allegation surfaced on the basis of screenshots of the message received from several voters.

Several rival candidates said that if such an instruction is true, it runs against the secrecy of the vote and the voter's right to decide freely. Especially if engineers working in government institutions are asked to send ballot photographs, there is a risk of institutional or organisational pressure being created on them. In their words, ensuring that a voter can vote secretly for the candidate of their choice is one of the fundamental conditions of an election.

Meanwhile, when the IEB Chattogram centre's chief election commissioner, Engineer Md Nurul Alam, was phoned about the ballot photograph spreading, he became angry on hearing the question. He also said he would speak on the matter after 9am tomorrow.