S M Mizanur Rahman :The Election Commission (EC) allowed the intending mayor and councillor candidates of Dhaka North, Dhaka South and Chittagong City Corporations to launch electoral campaign in limited scale from today (Tuesday). “Maintaining code of conduct the probable mayor and councillor candidates could launch electoral campaign in limited scale from today (Tuesday). But the candidates are not allowed to hold public meeting,” EC Secretary Sirajul Islam told The New Nation on Monday.He said after distribution of electoral symbols among the candidates on April 10, the intending mayor and councillor aspirants would be able to launch extensive poll campaign. The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, will hold exchange of view meetings with the mayor and councillor candidates of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) on April 11, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) on April 12 and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) on April 13, the EC Secretary said. “The CEC will also hold exchange of view meeting with members of different law enforcing agencies. The concerned Returning Officers will also present in the meeting,” he said.Although the EC had asked the intending mayor and councillor candidates of DNCC, DSCC and CCC elections to remove their posters, stickers, billboards and banners from different parts of the city, they did not pay any heed to the directives. “If anybody violates the directive, it’ll be considered as crime and the offender will be sentenced up to six months’ jail or fined Tk 50,000 or both. Even the EC may cancel candidature for that kind of crime under the rules 10 of the code of conduct,” the EC Secretary said. According to the directives, the people concerned will have to remove their electioneering posters, stickers, billboards and banners hanged in DNCC, DSCC and CCC areas within the midnight of April 11 at their own initiatives and costs. The EC issued the directives as part of the election code of conduct. Some leaders of the ruling Awami League-led grand alliance and several non-partisan hopefuls have already geared up their campaigns for the polls. They have been spending money on printing posters and digital banners, and pasting and hanging those on the walls and streets.Meanwhile, posters and billboards of possible candidates have covered Dhaka and Chittagong cities ahead of the polls.A law was passed in 2012 to prevent pasting posters and paint graffiti. The law says candidates will be able to paste posters and paint graffiti on certain conditions after getting permission from local government authorities. But they will have to remove the posters and graffiti within 15 days of the polls.The EC officials, however, said the Commission is helpless when candidates conduct campaigns in advance.
