City corporation election in three cities – Sylhet, Rajshahi and Barishal – is taking place today amidst complaints of intimidation, police arrest of BNP workers and other violation of election code of conduct mainly by Awami League mayoral candidates and their campaign workers.
Allegations galore from the three cities that outsiders have gathered in the cities and joined the last minute campaign of AL mayoral candidates defying ban on their presence from Friday midnight. On the other hand most BNP workers are on the run or have left the cities fearing police arrest and attack by ruling party men in the streets. Ruling party men have established almost absolute control over the situation leaving no space for the opposition to move freely.
The silence of the election officials has come as a big shock to the people watching the development before the polls. Their remark that actions against people breaking the election code will be taken if parties make written complaints is seen by many as avoiding the responsibility to give a level playing field to the opposition.
The Election Commission (EC) is virtually keeping mum because; although it has the power but it lacks the authority to exercise the power at the field level. The election machinery at the field level is under the control of the government where ruling party workers are enjoying all impunity and police and local administration are working for the ruling party mayoral candidates to win the election for them.
Many wonder the three city elections will not be different from Khulna and Gazipur elections; which were marred with widespread rigging and intimidation to keep opposition voters and workers from the polling centers. The three city polls may thus be an ominous sign of how the parliament election will be held. Elections are now used as illegally grabbing the power justifying it by holding a name shake poll.
In Sylhet despite ban on campaign from Friday midnight Jatiya Party lawmaker Yahya Chowdhury, General Secretary of Bangladesh Chatra League SM Jakir Hossain campaigned for AL Mayoral Candidate Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran on Saturday in the city and held press conference seeking vote for him. Police sued 66 BNP-JCD leaders Friday for a cocktail blast in front of AL mayoral candidate election camp blaming them for the blast.
BNP alleged AL is using miscreants to carry out blast to force its leaders and workers to go into hiding before election. Many BNP workers are already in jail picked up from election campaign. Police also arrested the member secretary of Ariful Haque Chowdhury’s election committee Friday citing several previous cases.
In Barishal AL Mayor Candidate Sadiq Abdullah held a grand rally on Saturday evening defying the ban. BNP Mayoral Candidate Mujibur Rahman Sarwar alleged that at least 35 campaign workers were arrested on Friday and Saturday forcing many others to go into hiding. A female councillor who was declared elected unopposed on BNP ticket joined AL on Friday as pressure mounted on her to switch side.
Sadar Upazila Chairman Saidur Rahman Rintu campaigned for Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah. Gournadi Mayor Haris Chowdhury and upazila Chairmen Khalid Hossain Swapan of Babuganj and Shamsul Alam Chunnu of Bakerganj also campaigned in the city for Abdullah.
In Rajshahi BNP Mayoral Candidate Mosaddeq Hossain Bubul is not appearing before public for the last three days abandoning campaign following intimidation. Besides his main election office, almost all 32 election offices of BNP backed councilors candidates also remained closed for the last several days as AL men had reportedly warned BNP workers not to stay in the city. Police are also haunting them to keep away from election.
Chapainawabganj district AL President and Zila Parishad Chairman Moinuddin Mondol campaigned for AHM Khairuzzaman Liton ignoring ban on suchcampaign. As usual, election officials in all three cities said the election atmosphere is good and they have instructed police to remain vigilant.
The most important thing is that the elections of the city corporations have lost the character of people’s election. These elections have all the dangers of a life and death fight of the gladiators. The cities are in siege in the hands of armed forces of all kinds. What does it prove? The people are frightened to cast their votes amidst threats by anti-people election thieves.
