Sagar Biswas :
Amid fears of violence in different districts, the first phase of election is going to be held on Tuesday [tomorrow] in 722 Union Parishads [UPs] where aspirants for the chairpersons’ posts will contest the race with party electoral symbols for the first time.
In most areas, the ruling party-backed leaders and activists were found involved in the poll violence. And in most cases, the Awami League followers were locked in clashes with the supporters of party’s rebel candidates or the activists of BNP.
There is widespread allegation that police and local administration usually take side in favour of ruling party men, instead of giving legal shelter to the candidates of BNP and other political parties. On the other hand, the EC did not take any visible action against the law breakers till the date.
“We’re giving highest priority to resist the incidents of violence. We don’t expect that innocent people will be killed in the electoral hostility. The EC has already sent letters to concerned SPs, UNOs and OCs issuing necessary directives. The EC is also going to appoint one judicial and two executive magistrates in each union to take action against violent activities,” EC Secretary Md Sirajul Islam said.
Pointing the reason behind the electoral violence, the EC Secretary further said, “The candidates and their supporters haven’t the mentality to accept others’ political beliefs.”
Admitting the fact, a senior law enforcement official said that the issue of violence had also been a major concern during the two previous Union Parishad elections. At least 35 people had lost lives in electoral violence in 2011, while the number was 70 in 2003.
This time, the most violence-prone area is Barisal Range where five persons were killed and more than 500 received injuries in its six districts – Barisal, Jhalakati, Bhola, Patuakhali, Porojpur and Borguna. Of the six districts, highest number of incidents has been reported from Patuakhali and Pirojpur
districts, police headquarters sources said. According to Police Headquarters, about eight persons were killed in 210 incidents of violence centering the election campaign. Of which, around 102 were reported alone from Barisal.
In the latest incident, one person was shot dead in a clash between followers of two chairman candidates at Dhalarchar Union in Bera Upazila of Pabna on Saturday night, Zakir Hossain, Superintendent of Police in Pabna, told The New Nation.
At the same time, the incidents of violence have also reported from some other districts, including Munshiganj, Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Comilla, Satkhira and Jessore, leaving more people injured, the sources added.
Meanwhile, the authority is going to deploy around 1.8 lakh members of different law enforcement agencies, including Police, Armed Police Battalion [APBn], Battalion Ansars, Rapid Action Battalion [RAB], Coast Guard and Border Guard Bangladesh [BGB], to ensure security of polling centres.
The law enforcers will work as the members of striking force and mobile teams for four days, from Sunday to Wednesday. Besides, about five lakh government employees will remain involved with different jobs during the elections.
“Security will be provided from the day ahead of the elections till the following day. Around 1.8 lalh law enforcers will provide security in three phases during the UP elections,” Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque said on Sunday.
“Of the total, 40,000 will be Police officials, RAB and BGB will provide 9,000 each while the rest will be supported by Ansar and VDP,” the IGP also said while addressing a press conference at the Police Headquarters two days ahead of the polls.
Out of the total 40 political parties, only 15 parties have registered with the EC to nominate their chairman candidates for the first phase of UP polls. The contests for the posts of members will, however, remain without affiliation of any party, according to the EC.
As per electoral code, the campaign of the contestants must be stopped from Sunday midnight [12:00pm], 32 hours before the voting begins.
Amid fears of violence in different districts, the first phase of election is going to be held on Tuesday [tomorrow] in 722 Union Parishads [UPs] where aspirants for the chairpersons’ posts will contest the race with party electoral symbols for the first time.
In most areas, the ruling party-backed leaders and activists were found involved in the poll violence. And in most cases, the Awami League followers were locked in clashes with the supporters of party’s rebel candidates or the activists of BNP.
There is widespread allegation that police and local administration usually take side in favour of ruling party men, instead of giving legal shelter to the candidates of BNP and other political parties. On the other hand, the EC did not take any visible action against the law breakers till the date.
“We’re giving highest priority to resist the incidents of violence. We don’t expect that innocent people will be killed in the electoral hostility. The EC has already sent letters to concerned SPs, UNOs and OCs issuing necessary directives. The EC is also going to appoint one judicial and two executive magistrates in each union to take action against violent activities,” EC Secretary Md Sirajul Islam said.
Pointing the reason behind the electoral violence, the EC Secretary further said, “The candidates and their supporters haven’t the mentality to accept others’ political beliefs.”
Admitting the fact, a senior law enforcement official said that the issue of violence had also been a major concern during the two previous Union Parishad elections. At least 35 people had lost lives in electoral violence in 2011, while the number was 70 in 2003.
This time, the most violence-prone area is Barisal Range where five persons were killed and more than 500 received injuries in its six districts – Barisal, Jhalakati, Bhola, Patuakhali, Porojpur and Borguna. Of the six districts, highest number of incidents has been reported from Patuakhali and Pirojpur
districts, police headquarters sources said. According to Police Headquarters, about eight persons were killed in 210 incidents of violence centering the election campaign. Of which, around 102 were reported alone from Barisal.
In the latest incident, one person was shot dead in a clash between followers of two chairman candidates at Dhalarchar Union in Bera Upazila of Pabna on Saturday night, Zakir Hossain, Superintendent of Police in Pabna, told The New Nation.
At the same time, the incidents of violence have also reported from some other districts, including Munshiganj, Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Comilla, Satkhira and Jessore, leaving more people injured, the sources added.
Meanwhile, the authority is going to deploy around 1.8 lakh members of different law enforcement agencies, including Police, Armed Police Battalion [APBn], Battalion Ansars, Rapid Action Battalion [RAB], Coast Guard and Border Guard Bangladesh [BGB], to ensure security of polling centres.
The law enforcers will work as the members of striking force and mobile teams for four days, from Sunday to Wednesday. Besides, about five lakh government employees will remain involved with different jobs during the elections.
“Security will be provided from the day ahead of the elections till the following day. Around 1.8 lalh law enforcers will provide security in three phases during the UP elections,” Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque said on Sunday.
“Of the total, 40,000 will be Police officials, RAB and BGB will provide 9,000 each while the rest will be supported by Ansar and VDP,” the IGP also said while addressing a press conference at the Police Headquarters two days ahead of the polls.
Out of the total 40 political parties, only 15 parties have registered with the EC to nominate their chairman candidates for the first phase of UP polls. The contests for the posts of members will, however, remain without affiliation of any party, according to the EC.
As per electoral code, the campaign of the contestants must be stopped from Sunday midnight [12:00pm], 32 hours before the voting begins.
