The dawn-to-dusk blockade program enforced by the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) protesting against vote rigging of Rangamati pourasabha election and demanding for implementation of CHT Accord observed in Rangamati district successfully and peacefully on 3 Janauray 2016.
PCJSS extended sincere thanks and good wishes to all the Jumma and Bengali people of all strata including the associations of road and waterway transportations, drivers associations, law & order forces, administrative authorities concerned and journalists for smooth and successful completion of dawn-to-dusk blockade program in Rangamati district called by PCJSS in protest against wide range of vote rigging and ultimate irregularities by the workers and supporters of the ruling party candidate and partiality role played by the administration in the Rangamati municipality election held on 30 December 2015 and also as part of the on-going non-cooperation movement of the Jumma peoples in demand of implementation of CHT Accord.
With exception to threatening to the PCJSS members and ill-attempts to break the dawn-to-dusk road & waterway blockade program acted by Jagannathchara BGB camp commander Subedar Akram in Barkal upazila and some ruling party members at Raikhali of Kaptai upazila, the program has ended properly and successfully. During the program, no vehicular movement including means of transportation of roads and waterways was seen anywhere in the district and no news of untoward incidents was received.
It is to be mentioned that Rangamati Municipality Election-2015 has ended through irregularities, capturing of polling centers, widespread ballot stuffing, snatching of ballot papers and intimidation by the workers and supporters of the mayor candidate of ruling Awami League, carrying out attacks upon the contestant candidates and their workers, misuse of administrative powers, partiality on part of the administration and law & order authorities.
Though commitment for holding the election under free, fair, peaceful and festive environment in 234 municipalities assured by the Government and Election Commission, as it happened to any other municipality in the country, even a speck of such sign was not to be seen in case with the Rangamati Municipality Election-2015. At least 11 polling centers became spots of grand festivity of attacks, violence, capturing of voting centers and ballot stuffing committed by the workers and supporters of the candidate belonging to the ruling party, let alone being the environment full of peace and rejoicing. Under pretention of counting the votes, results were declared as per whims and wishes in absence of the agents belonging to the contestant candidates. Although the District Administration notified the non-voters of Rangamati Municipality to leave Rangamati Municipality area, yet the ruling party Awami League, as per its blue-print brought in hired people from various Upazilas (sub-districts) and kept them gathered in various hotels and rest houses in Rangamati town. Despite gathering those people at different places under its nose-tip, no proper measure was stepped up on part of the administration.
The Rangamati Municipality Election-2015 has ended through translating the much-talked-about rumor saying ‘pre-plan of the ruling party Awami League to return the party candidates by capturing polling stations and ballot stuffing’ into reality. No proper remedial measures were made available despite repeated submission of written and oral allegations to the District Administration, Returning Officers and District Election Commission on the incidents in which including the mayor candidate Dr. Ganga Manik Chakma, the polling agents capturing the centers followed by ballot stuffing in front of the polling officers and the law & order forces on duty, perpetrated by the workers and supporters of the ruling party candidate. As per the said plan, the ruling party candidate has been made victorious by way of canturing the polling centers and ballot stuffing under patronization of the administration. It may be said that the Rangamati Municipality Election-2015 has turned into a great farce as per the blue print of the ruling party proving the apprehension of PCJSS and inhabitants of Rangamati Municipality to have been true.
The PCJSS rejected the farcical and stage-managed election of Rangamati Municipality. In protest against fraudulence, ultimate irregularities and the partiality of administration in the Rangamati Municipality election and also as a part of the on-going non-cooperation movement in demand of implementation of the CHT Accord, the PCJSS declared dawn-to-dusk road and waterways blockade program on Sunday, 3 January 2016.