All eyes are fixed on four city corporations — Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet — that go to polls on Saturday as the results will determine the course of politics of both the ruling and opposition camps ahead of the national election due in January next.The ruling Awami League-led 14-party-backed mayoral candidates are confident about their reelection as they think people will gracefully evaluate ‘huge development’ activities they carried out in the last five years in their respective cities.
The BNP-led 18-party-supported mayoral runners, on the other hand, are very much confident of a better show as they think people will air out their genuine grievances against the current regime through the ballot.
However, the opposition contenders are in serious apprehension of manipulation of the results.
Talking to UNB, the four opposition mayoral candidates — Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul (Rajshahi City Corporation), M Moniruzzaman Moni (Khulna City Corporation), Ahsan Habib Kamal (Barisal City Corporation) and Ariful Haque Chowdhury (Sylhet City Corporation) — demanded that the Election Commission deployed army for ensuring the fair balloting.
Bringing allegations that the local administrations were harassing their supporters and trying to influence the polls in favour of the ruling alliance-supported candidates, they said if the government tries to manipulate the polls they will create a strong resistance together with people.
On the other hand, 14-party-supported mayoral candidates ruled out the allegations of their rival contestants. Besides, they accused them of distributing black money to woo voters.
The four candidates — Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran (Sylhet City Corporation), Talukder Abdul Khaleque (Khulna City Corporation), Shawkat Hossain Hiron (Barisal City Corporation) and AHM Khairuzzaman Liton (Rajshahi City Corporation) – told UNB they would accept the people’s verdict whatever it would be should the polls are held in a free and fair manner.
Many think the crackdown on Hefajat-e-Islam men at Motijheel in the capital on the night of May 5, torture, repression and arrest of Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefajat activists, failures of the ruling party-backed mayors’ failures to fulfill all the polls pledges will act as determining factors in the poll.The Election Commission is giving finishing touches preparations for the City Corporation elections in Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet and Barisal tomorrow. Election Commission have already started equipping the 642 polling stations with ballot boxes and other requisite election materials.As per official rules campaigning in the poll-bound cities ended on Thursday midnight.
More than 1.2 million voters are expected to vote from 8:00am to 4:00pm on Saturday.
This time, electronic voting machine (EVM) will be used in one Ward in every city.
Despatching of polling materials started from Rajshahi Government High School field in Laxmipur area around 10:00am, bdnews24.com Correspondent reported from Rajshahi.
The regional office of district Returning Officer is located right beside this school.
Returning Officer Subhash Chandra Sarkar said each Presiding Officer has been given one car to carry materials to respective polling station. “He will be accompanied by one policeman.”
There are 104 ‘risky’ centres among the 137 polling stations in Rajshahi, he said. “24 law enforcers will be deployed in those stations. In others, 22 will be deployed.”
Some 30 Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) mobile teams and eight police teams will be patrolling the streets, he said. APBS, APBn and five platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have also been deployed.
In Khulna, poll equipments are being distributed from Zilla school field, bdnews24.com Correspondent reported from Khulna.
Returning Officer Ruhul Amin Mallik told bdnews24.com that distribution started from 11:00am and will continue till 4:00pm. Ballot boxes, ballot papers, pads, permanent inks, EVM machines and other materials are being handed over to the Presiding Officers.
This time, 6, 237 voters will vote through EVMs in five centres of Ward no-8 in Khulna.
In Sylhet, materials were being distributed from Alampur divisional office of the Election Commission, bdnews24.com Correspondent reported from the city.
Assistant Returning Officer Monir Hossain said distribution began from 12:00 noon. “The two hour delay was because of rain.”
There are 128 polling stations in Sylhet city where 291,046 voters will be casting votes.
Barisal City Corporation Returning Officer Mohammad Mujibur Rahman said distribution began from 12:30pm at regional Election Commission office in Technical Training Centre on C&B road.
On Saturday, 211,257 voters will elect city’s Mayor.
In each City Corporation, three candidates are competing for the post of Mayor.
Election Commission said they have taken adequate measures to ensure free and fair elections. Significantly, the corporations are taking place some six months ahead of the national elections.
Rajshahi
Some 286,917 are expected to exercise their franchise in 137 centres of 30 wards to elect the city father, 30 general councillors and women councillors. Voters of Ward-8 will cast their votes through electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Khulna
A total of 440,568 voters — 224,506 males and 216,062 females — are likely to cast ballots at 428 polling booths in 288 centres. Polling in five centres of Ward-8 will be held using the EVMs.
Barisal
Voting will be held in 103 centres when some 210,849 voters — 107,625 males and 103,224 females — are expected to cast their votes.
Sixty of the centres have been identified as important and risky ones and 24 police and Ansar personnel would be deployed at each of those.
Border Guards Bangladesh and Coast Guard members have already been deployed.
Thirty teams of police while 20 of Rapid Action Battalion and five of BGB would perform duties on the election day.
Sylhet
There are some 291,046 registered voters – 157,181 males and 133,865 females — in Sylhet City Corporation and they are expected to exercise their franchise in 128 centres. The election office has identified 62 centres as vulnerable.
Six platoons of BGB, 1,800 Ansar men along with Rapid Action Battalion personnel and 3,000 police will be deployed in the election area during the polls. (Source: UNB)
