Zia's yes or no referendum a shameful chapter of democracy killing: Joy

General Ziaur Rahman, after the tragic murder of Bangabandhu's family, illegally seized state power through a 'yes or no' vote without any prior meetings, processions, or campaigns, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ICT Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy.

"In the name of so-called campaigns, the streets were filled with posters of General Zia in military uniform, forcibly displayed on rickshaws and private vehicles, creating panic," he said in a facebook post today from his verified account along with a video clip.

Joy said, "On election day, even children were forced to cast votes as there were no genuine voters in the polling stations." 

"Eventually, it was announced that General Zia had won 99.4 percent of the votes unanimously! No one cast votes against him! This farcical election and its aftermath remain a shameful and tainted chapter in Bengali history," he wrote.

Later, General Zia formed the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) illegally, bypassing state policies, while holding positions in the army and as president, he added.

The premier's ICT advisor said Zia participated in the so-called presidential election of 1978 from that party and declared himself the winner. 

In this election, various foreign media reported that Zia got 120 percent votes in some areas, he said.