Joynal Abedin Khan :Candidates and voters have expressed frustration over the relaxed security steps of the Election Commission (EC) ahead of Fourth phase of polls of 709 Union Parishads in different districts today (Saturday). Elections will take place without any break from 8:00am to 4:00pm. The EC has not taken any extra security measures, though over 71 people have been killed and around 6,000 injured during polls violence in last three phases. According to EC officials, 3,245 Chairman candidates from different political parties, including ruling AL, and independent aspirants will contest in 709 UPs. The Commission has already postponed polls in 16 UPs in Rajshahi’s Bagmara Upazila.Of them, Awami League has fielded its candidates in 691 Unions, BNP in 619, JSD in 42 and Islami Andolon Bangladesh in 154, they said. Already, the EC has sent necessary materials, including 5 crore ballot papers, to different district’s election offices, they added. Over 100,000 election officials and around 150,000 members of different law enforcing agencies will be on duty on elections day, they said. Campaigns for all chairmen, general and reserved seat candidates ended at midnight on Thursday.The government has declared public holiday in the election areas on the day of polling. Ban on traffic movement excluding the vehicles having stickers of the Election Commission (EC) has been imposed in the areas.Members of law enforcement agencies, including Police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) are working in the field. All election materials, including ballot papers and boxes, have reached the polling centers, said the officials.Besides, the judicial and executive magistrates will do their duties to help ensure fair polls. Amid criticisms, the EC has urged the law enforcing agencies to take effective steps against violence.Meanwhile, the EC has ordered Sherpur-1 Awami League MP and a Whip in Parliament Md Atiur Rahman Atik to leave the constituency for reportedly breaching the UP electoral code of conduct.He will have to stay out of district until the election ends, says the EC, which had also ordered the withdrawal of the Sherpur Sadar Police OC on Thursday.EC Deputy Secretary Farhad Ahmed Khan said Atik was ordered to leave in the interest of fair polls on Saturday.”The letter in this regard has already been sent to the Returning Officer concerned and the MP,” he said.Sherpur election officer Md Mokhlesur Rahman said that ruling party lawmaker Atik, on May 3, had sought votes from the locals for Awami League chairman candidate Awladul Islam at Gazirkhamar Union in violation of the Code Of Conduct.The EC on Thursday suspended voting in 16 Unions in Rajshahi’s Bagmara Upazila following allegations that Rajshahi-4 Awami League MP Enamul Haque was trying to influence the voters. In most areas, the Awami League-backed candidates and rebel contenders of the same party are now face-to-face centering the polls, which has already deteriorated law and order situation in several localities. At least 150 AL candidates were made chairmen in last three phases and 33 ruling party men nominated candidates have won in the fourth phase without any contest, EC sources said.According to sources, over 700 polling centres in different unions, including all 106 centres of 11 unions under Sadullapur upazila in Gaibandha district, have been declared ‘risky’ by the local administration. The situation in Gaibandha is so deteriorating that, out of 106 ‘risky’ centres, 90 centres have been marked ‘highly risky’.In Dinajpur district, about 48 centres out of 75 under Parbatipur upazila have been declared ‘risky’. The law enforcement agencies were paying extra attention to Belaichandi, Chandipur, Monmothpur, Mominpur, Mostafapur and Harirampur Unions apprehending possible violence.”Seventy-five centres in eight unions are very important. We have marked 48 centres of six unions highly risky,” Mahmudul Alam, Officer-in-Charge of Parbatipur Model Police Station, said yesterday.Expressing disappointment, Upazila Nirbahi Officer [UNO] of Parbatipur Upazila Tarafdar Mahmudur Rahman said, “We have urged the EC to appoint 10 executive magistrates to conduct the polls smoothly. The EC ensured only four magistrates. “The criminals stabbed and injured rebel candidate of Awami League Rabiul Islam at Palashbaria union under Mohammadpur upazila in Magura district on Wednesday. In another incident, the criminals hacked to death one Abul Kalam, a supporter of independent chairman candidate Assaduzzaman Jamal Mollah at Sahebrampur Union Parishad Kalkini upazila in Madaripur district on Wednesday. “Some unidentified persons hacked him to death when Kalam came out of his house. He was rushed to Kalkini Upazila Health Complex where on duty doctor declared him dead,” Officer-in-Charge of Kalkini police station Kripa Sindhu Bala said. At least 10 people, including police officials, were injured when supporters of two chairmen candidates in Jamalpur’s Bakshiganj upazila were locked in a fierce clash on Tuesday night.The EC has a plan to arrange elections to 4,275 UPs out of the country’s 4,546 ones in six phases being held along political party lines for the first time. The fifth phase will start on May 28 in 714 UPs, and the sixth phase on June 4 in 660 UPs. Earlier, polls to 2119 UPs were held in three phases on March 22, 31 and April 23. All the three phases witnessed widespread violence and irregularities that left at least 71 people dead and more than 6,000 injured.Contacted, EC Secretariat Deputy Director Shamsul Alam told The New Nation, “The law enforcers are active in the field since two days before the polls. They have been directed to maintain the highest caution to prevent violence.”The EC has directed the outsiders to leave the poll areas to avert any untoward situation during the election, he said.
