Staff Reporter :
All eyes are fixed on the Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) that goes to polls tomorrow (Thursday) amid tight security, as the election is a prestige issue for both the ruling Awami League (AL)
and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
The Election Commission (EC) has completed all necessary preparations to hold the polls in a free, fair and credible manner, EC sources said.
For the first time, the NCC elections are going to be held under the party symbols. Though seven candidates are contesting the polls, AL-backed Selina Hayat Ivy and BNP-backed Shakhawat Hossain Khan are in the limelight of the election race.
Meanwhile, all election campaigns, possessions and meetings have been banned from Tuesday midnight.
Movement of all types of vehicles will be restricted from today (Wednesday) midnight. But the vehicles of the candidates, agents and election observers can move after getting permission from the Returning Officer.
Besides, all outsiders have been asked to leave the NCC area within Tuesday midnight. The NCC authority also prohibited to carry any legal weapons in the area from Monday to December 25, According to the Returning Officer.
Voting will begin at 8:00am and continue till 4:00pm without any break.
The NCC polls will be held to elect a Mayor, 27 ward councillors for general and nine other reserved seats. Seven candidates are contesting for Mayor post while 156 for general Councillors and 38 other for reserved Councillor posts.
Dhaka Range DIG of Police Mahfuzul Hoque Nuruzzaman on Tuesday said orders to open fire have been given to the law enforcers if anyone tries to create chaos in the polling centres.
The senior police official made the remark while answering queries of journalists after briefing members of police who were deployed to maintain law and order in the NCC polls. The briefing was organised at Masdair Police Line in the city on Tuesday noon.
Nuruzzaman said the law is in place to open fire in protecting lives and properties of the people.
“The law enforcers will open fire if any body tries to capture polling centres and snatch ballot boxes. If members of police do not open fire, actions would be taken against the concerned police member,” he said.
The DIG said about 9,500 members of law enforcing agencies have been deployed in the NCC polls.
Citing an intelligence report, Returning Officer Md Nuruzzaman Talukdar said 137 polling centres out of 174 are risky. The report alerts local musclemen can try to use their muscle power in these centres.
AL-backed mayor candidate Selina Hayat Ivy is confident about her reelection as she thinks people will gracefully evaluate ‘huge development’ activities she carried out in the last five years in the city.
On the other hand, BNP-supported mayor contestant Shakhawat Hossain Khan is very much confident of a better show as he thinks people will air their genuine grievances against the current regime through ballot.
However, the BNP contender is in serious apprehension of manipulation of the results.
Meanwhile, candidates were busy conducting campaigns yesterday, with voting due on the day after tomorrow.
Selina Hayat Ivy and Shakhawat Hossain Khan were among the Mayoral and councillor hopefuls who campaigned in full-swing in the city.
They were accompanied by volunteers and supporters who chanted slogans using loudspeakers to woo voters, reports our Narayanganj Correspondent.
Over 4.79 lakh voters are expected to cast their ballots to elect a City Mayor, 27 Ward Councillors and nine women Councillors (reserved seats). The first election to the NCC was held on October 30, 2011, when Ivy won, defeating the ruling AL-backed candidate, Shamim Osman.
As all eyes are on NCC polls, the Mayoral aspirants were busy with non-stop campaigns for the last few days. Central leaders of both AL and BNP are still on the field to assist their candidate of choice. The central leaders traveled to Narayanganj everyday to carry out mass contact programme.
Jatiya Party on Monday formally extended its support for AL-nominated mayor candidate Selina Hayat Ivy in the NCC polls.
Meanwhile, the authorities on Monday deployed the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to maintain law and order in Narayanganj during election to help ensure free and fair polls.
The paramilitary force was deployed three days ahead of the polls.
A total of 22 platoons of BGB will be on duty as the striking force for the NCC polls,” said Returning Officer Nuruzzaman Talukdar
He said of the 22 platoons, seven platoons would be on duty in Siddirganj, five platoons in Bandar and the rest of the BGB members would be on duty in Sadar.
AL general secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said the election will be fair.
“Our Prime Minister has ordered holding fair election so that the residents of Narayanganj can elect the candidate of their choice,” said Obaidul Quader while briefing reporters at the Secretariat.
He also observed that the AL-backed candidate and incumbent mayor Ivy Rahman will win if a free and fair election is ensured.
“There’s political dispute, but Shamim Osman is assisting Ivy in his political campaign,” he added.
BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan on Tuesday urged the EC to take all necessary measures to ensure a free, fair and credible election.
“We told the Election Commission to create a congenial atmosphere in Narayanganj City Corporation area so that people can cast their votes in a peaceful manner,” he told journalists after meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed.
He again demanded army deployment during the voting day.
Earlier in the day, BNP leaders met the CEC and placed the demand before him at the EC Secretariat at Agargaon in Dhaka.
All eyes are fixed on the Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) that goes to polls tomorrow (Thursday) amid tight security, as the election is a prestige issue for both the ruling Awami League (AL)
and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
The Election Commission (EC) has completed all necessary preparations to hold the polls in a free, fair and credible manner, EC sources said.
For the first time, the NCC elections are going to be held under the party symbols. Though seven candidates are contesting the polls, AL-backed Selina Hayat Ivy and BNP-backed Shakhawat Hossain Khan are in the limelight of the election race.
Meanwhile, all election campaigns, possessions and meetings have been banned from Tuesday midnight.
Movement of all types of vehicles will be restricted from today (Wednesday) midnight. But the vehicles of the candidates, agents and election observers can move after getting permission from the Returning Officer.
Besides, all outsiders have been asked to leave the NCC area within Tuesday midnight. The NCC authority also prohibited to carry any legal weapons in the area from Monday to December 25, According to the Returning Officer.
Voting will begin at 8:00am and continue till 4:00pm without any break.
The NCC polls will be held to elect a Mayor, 27 ward councillors for general and nine other reserved seats. Seven candidates are contesting for Mayor post while 156 for general Councillors and 38 other for reserved Councillor posts.
Dhaka Range DIG of Police Mahfuzul Hoque Nuruzzaman on Tuesday said orders to open fire have been given to the law enforcers if anyone tries to create chaos in the polling centres.
The senior police official made the remark while answering queries of journalists after briefing members of police who were deployed to maintain law and order in the NCC polls. The briefing was organised at Masdair Police Line in the city on Tuesday noon.
Nuruzzaman said the law is in place to open fire in protecting lives and properties of the people.
“The law enforcers will open fire if any body tries to capture polling centres and snatch ballot boxes. If members of police do not open fire, actions would be taken against the concerned police member,” he said.
The DIG said about 9,500 members of law enforcing agencies have been deployed in the NCC polls.
Citing an intelligence report, Returning Officer Md Nuruzzaman Talukdar said 137 polling centres out of 174 are risky. The report alerts local musclemen can try to use their muscle power in these centres.
AL-backed mayor candidate Selina Hayat Ivy is confident about her reelection as she thinks people will gracefully evaluate ‘huge development’ activities she carried out in the last five years in the city.
On the other hand, BNP-supported mayor contestant Shakhawat Hossain Khan is very much confident of a better show as he thinks people will air their genuine grievances against the current regime through ballot.
However, the BNP contender is in serious apprehension of manipulation of the results.
Meanwhile, candidates were busy conducting campaigns yesterday, with voting due on the day after tomorrow.
Selina Hayat Ivy and Shakhawat Hossain Khan were among the Mayoral and councillor hopefuls who campaigned in full-swing in the city.
They were accompanied by volunteers and supporters who chanted slogans using loudspeakers to woo voters, reports our Narayanganj Correspondent.
Over 4.79 lakh voters are expected to cast their ballots to elect a City Mayor, 27 Ward Councillors and nine women Councillors (reserved seats). The first election to the NCC was held on October 30, 2011, when Ivy won, defeating the ruling AL-backed candidate, Shamim Osman.
As all eyes are on NCC polls, the Mayoral aspirants were busy with non-stop campaigns for the last few days. Central leaders of both AL and BNP are still on the field to assist their candidate of choice. The central leaders traveled to Narayanganj everyday to carry out mass contact programme.
Jatiya Party on Monday formally extended its support for AL-nominated mayor candidate Selina Hayat Ivy in the NCC polls.
Meanwhile, the authorities on Monday deployed the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to maintain law and order in Narayanganj during election to help ensure free and fair polls.
The paramilitary force was deployed three days ahead of the polls.
A total of 22 platoons of BGB will be on duty as the striking force for the NCC polls,” said Returning Officer Nuruzzaman Talukdar
He said of the 22 platoons, seven platoons would be on duty in Siddirganj, five platoons in Bandar and the rest of the BGB members would be on duty in Sadar.
AL general secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said the election will be fair.
“Our Prime Minister has ordered holding fair election so that the residents of Narayanganj can elect the candidate of their choice,” said Obaidul Quader while briefing reporters at the Secretariat.
He also observed that the AL-backed candidate and incumbent mayor Ivy Rahman will win if a free and fair election is ensured.
“There’s political dispute, but Shamim Osman is assisting Ivy in his political campaign,” he added.
BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan on Tuesday urged the EC to take all necessary measures to ensure a free, fair and credible election.
“We told the Election Commission to create a congenial atmosphere in Narayanganj City Corporation area so that people can cast their votes in a peaceful manner,” he told journalists after meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed.
He again demanded army deployment during the voting day.
Earlier in the day, BNP leaders met the CEC and placed the demand before him at the EC Secretariat at Agargaon in Dhaka.
