Reza Mahmud and Noman Mosharef :
Amid allegations and counter allegations about violation of election code of conducts by both Awami League and the BNP, residents of the three city corporations — Rajshahi, Barishal and Sylhet — are going to exercise franchise today (Monday).
After 20 days of hectic campaigns the residents are hopeful to have new city fathers.
The ruling Awami League expressed the hope that elections would be held in a free, fair and acceptable manner in the three cities, while its arch rival BNP fears widespread vote rigging and irregularities in the polls.
In the last days of campaigning, the BNP leaders alleged that police were conducting mass arrest of their party men in the three cities. They also claimed that police were creating panic among the voters belonging the party by raiding their houses. The police were also threatening the BNP leaders and activists to stay away from their city homes.
On the other hand, the Awami League denied all allegations of the BNP, saying the party is making falls accusation after understand their possible defeat in the polls.
“The elections of Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barishal will be held peacefully. The Election Commission and the government is promised to conduct the polls in a free and fair manner,” said ruling Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader while talking to the journalists at his secretariat office on Sunday.
Obaidul Quader, also Road Transport and Bridges Minister, expressed hope to win the polls in the three city corporations.
“I am optimistic of winning in the three city polls. The people of the three cities have shown their huge support to our party nominated mayor candidates,” he said.
Prime Minister’s Information and Communication Technology Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy on Sunday expected Awami League candidates’ success in three city polls.
He said on his Facebook post referring to three separate survey reports that those survey findings show the firm possibilities of AL’s victory in the three city corporation polls.
When contacted, BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas on Sunday told The New Nation, “Our party nominated candidates in the three polls conducted campaigns till the last date with a hope to win. We have observed the role of the Election Commission and police in the three cities in recent days. We think there is little possibility to hold the polls in Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barishal in a free and fair manner.”
We fear that the Monday’s polls in three cities will be worst than Khulna and Gazipur city elections, he added.
Apart from these, BNP Senior Joint-Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a press briefing has alleged that the ruling party muscle men and police have created panic among the voters along with leaders and activists of the BNP-led 20-party alliance by conducting mass arrest, giving threats and filing false cases in recent days.
Rizvi said police on Saturday night arrested BNP’s Sylhet City Corporation’s poll campaign committee member secretary Abdur Razzak, whi is also the party’s central assistant micro credit affairs secretary.
Rizvi alleged that the supporters of AL mayor candidate in Sylhet in a planned way exploded crude bomb to implicate BNP leaders and activists by filing false case.
Meanwhile, the EC announced their all-out preparations are complete to hold the three city polls.
“We took all preparations for free and fair elections in the three cities. We have ensured security so that voters can exercise their franchise without fear,” EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed told The New Nation on Sunday.
He said they would monitor surveillance footage of some vote centres from the EC Secretariat. “The presiding officials and assistant presiding officials will be in touch with us during the votes. We will instruct them from Dhaka and they will take necessary actions.”
A total of 250 security teams comprising RAB, BGB, Police, APBn and Ansar have been deployed as mobile or striking forces in Rajshahi, Barishal and Sylhet to maintain security.
Besides, an executive magistrate has been deployed in each of 87 general wards and a judicial magistrate in each of 29 reserved wards in the three cities to take action against violation of the election code of conduct till August 1.
Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury, told the media that adequate law enforcement personnel and magistrates have been deployed in the three cities to hold the polls free and fair manner.
The security teams, 117 mobile or striking teams comprising police, APBn and Ansar, 87 RAB teams and 48 platoons of BGB, will remain deployed for four days to ensure election-friendly atmosphere in the city corporation areas. In addition, a security team of 22-24 members will provide security to each polling station during the elections.
Shahadat Hossain said more than 200 teams of police, APBn and Ansar and RAB have been deployed as striking force or mobile force in the election areas. 48 platoons of BGB, 19 platoons in Rajshahi, 15 platoons in Barishal and 14 platoons in Sylhet have also been deployed for ensuring security in the polling areas. The EC has appointed 8,601 election officers to conduct the polls. Among them, 395 are presiding officers, 2,702 assistant presiding officers and 5,404 polling officers.
In Rajshahi, 138 presiding, 1,026 assistant presiding and 2,052 polling officers will conduct the election. In Barisal, 123 presiding, 750 assistant presiding and 1,500 polling officers will be on duty. In Sylhet, 134 presiding, 926 assistant presiding and 1,852 polling officer have been deployed.
The Election Commission has decided to use 15 electronic voting machines in the three cities.
Two EVMs each will be used in Rajshahi and Shylhet. In Barisal, 11 EVMs will be in use during the polls.
Earlier, the EC used an EVM in the Rangpur election, two in Khulna, and six in Gazipur elections.
Observers say, the contest will be mainly between candidates of the ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP. Both parties are treating the city elections as a test of popularity ahead of the national polls scheduled for December.
In Rajshahi, the ruling Awami League has picked AHM KhairuzzamanLiton, while BNP has chosen Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul, as their candidates.
Others vying for the mayoral post are IslamiAndolan Bangladesh’s Md Shafiqur Rahman, Bangldesh Jatiya Party’s Md Habibur Rahman, and independent candidate Md Murad Murshed. The candidates in the Barisal polls are Awami League’s Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, BNP’s Mujibur Rahman Sarwar, Jaitya Party’s Md Iqbal Hossain Tapos, BaSaD’s Dr. Manisha Chakrabarty, Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Obaidur Rahman Mahbub, Bangladesh Communist Party’s Abul Kalam Azad. Candidates vying for Sylhet mayor’s office are Awami League’s Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran, BNP’s Ariful Haque Chowdhury, Bangladesh Somajtantrik Dal’s Md Abu Jafar, Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s MdMoazzem Hossain, and independent candidates Ehsanul Mahbub Jubayer, Md Ehsanul Haq Taher.
Rajshahi has 3,18,138 voters, while Barisal 2,42,466 and Sylhet 3,21,732. Rajshahi and Barisal have 30 general and 10 reserved wards each. Sylhet has 27 general and nine reserved wards.
The number of vote centres is 395, EC sources said.
