Mayor candidates of Barisal City Corporation election -2013 have
promised to transform Barisal into a child-friendly city.
The candidates were attended in a programme of ‘face to face with
children ‘ held at Ashwini Kumar Hall on Wednesday night.
Shawkat Hossain Hiron, city AL president, outgoing Mayor and 14-party
alliance backed Sammilito Nagorik Committee nominated Mayor Candidate,
and Mahmudul Hoque Khan Mamun, Jubo League leader and Mayor Candidate
attended the programme.
The programme was organized by local monthly children magazine
‘Lal-Sabuj’ in collaboration with different non-government and
children rights organisations.
Monthly Lal-Sabuj executive editor Sohanur Rahman presided over the
programme conducted by Maliha Tabassum Jhara and Foyezuddin of
National Children Task Force.
The participant children placed 8-point demands including deploying a
children affairs officer with office at BCC, creating city children
council and helpline, special budget allocation for children,
preserving children-interests in city development planning , special
programmes for developing creativities, coordinated steps in children
affairs etc.
The demand-list was prepared after the children-journalists visiting
different wards, slums, talking with children and their guardians,
consulting with children organizations, right activists, service
providers
The attended mayor candidates Hiron and Khan Mamun hailing for
arrangement of such programme, answering different questions and
considering the demands of the children, assured to develop Barisal
city as children-friendly if they would be elected.
Hiron ensure that no child will ever sleep under open sky, if he would
be elected.
Khan Mamun said what would be done for children under his mayor-ship,
would be done under advice and leadership of children.
The attended BCC Mayor candidates at the end of the programme jointly
raising hands with children expressed their solidarities with the
demands of the children and ensuring to fulfill those.
Ahsan Habib Kamal, District BNP President and 18-party alliance backed
Jatiyatabadi Nagorik Parishad nominated candidate, said he failed to
attend as busy in other prescheduled programmes and expressed his
solidarity with the demands of the children.
I will make the city not only the children-friendly, but also provide
them healthy cultural, recreational, amusement and sports facilities
and open ward-wise children parks.
Meanwhile, police arrested five activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir,
student front of Jamaat- e- Islami, from Baghia area of the city on
Wednesday during election campaign for 18-party alliance mayor
candidate.
Barisal Airport police station in charge said they detained 8 ICS
activists as accused in torching, ransacking vehicle and attacking
police in previous shutdown programmes of opposition 18-party
alliance.
Later, 3 of them were released as not connected with the crime and 5
B M College students named Al-Amin, Sohel, Hamim, Nazmul Islam and
Abdul Halim were sent jail after the court rejected their bail prayer,
police sources claimed.
Abdullah Al Nahian, city ICS president, said police biased to ruling
14-party alliance candidate arrested the Shibir activists during
engaged in campaign for 18-party alliance Mayor candidate.
Ahsan Habib Kamal, 18-party alliance Mayor candidate , demanding
release of the arrested, alleged police playing biased role in favour
of his rival 14-party alliance candidate, intentionally arresting and
harassing his election workers indicting them in false cases.
In another development, Election Commission on Tuesday informed that
mock voting would be held on June 9 ( Sunday) by using electronic
voting machine in two centers at one of the 30 wards in the third
Barisal City Corporation election scheduled to be held on June 15.
Presiding, assistant presiding and polling officers would also be
trained on June 7 and 8 before mock voting demonstration, informed
returning officer Mujibur Rahman.
Returning officer’s office of third BCC election said EVM would be
used in two vote centers of ward no. 16 consisted with total 4,181
voters.
EC already started propagations with loud speakers, leaflet
distribution, posturing about using EVM in that ward.
The mock voting about using EVM would be held at 6 polling booths for
2,447 male voters in Zila School center and at 5 polling booths for
1,734 female voters of Commercial College center of that ward would be
given training, the BCC election returning officer told.
The centers were chosen on basis of the number of voters, easy
accessibility to the vote centers, educational qualification and
professional status of the voters of those centers, he added.
(Our Correspondent)
