Gazipur under spotlight
City goes to polls today; AL confidant, BNP concerned
HARUN UR RASHID, ABU JAKIR and HAZINUR RAHMAN SHAHIN
The voters of Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) are going to elect their mayor today amid apprehensions that the two arch rivalsthe ruling Awami League (AL) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)would try and battle it out among themselves. Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) said it was ready to hold the GCC polls amid tight security, while ensuring the safety of the voters and voting centres. The EC said it has deployed a huge number of law enforcement personnel in the field and will exercise zero tolerance for any kind of irregularities.
The EC, the field-level election office and the local administration have already made all necessary and strategic preparations to hold free, fair and smooth elections so that voters can cast their ballots without intimidation.
Meanwhile, the presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers of the 425 centres received all election-related materials early on Monday amid tight security.
The returning officer of the polls, Rakib Uddin Mondol, said, All types of election materials have already been sent to the centres from five venues, including Bangataz auditorium of Gazipur town, DUET, Konabari Degree College, Bangladesh Open University and Tongi Government College.
The overall preparations for the elections are very good. Voting officials have been trained. Some 1213,000 law enforcement personnel have been deployed as well as judicial magistrates and executive magistrates. The commission has appointed 57 observers in the 57 wards. I think the elections will be free, fair and peaceful, he said.
We have assured the voters that they can cast votes without intimidation and can return home safely, he added.
A total of seven candidates will fight for the mayoral post, 254 candidates will vie for 57 general seats and 84 women candidates will contest for 19 reserved seats.
As the GCC elections will be held under the party banner for the first time, voters of the city expect a keen contest between the boat and the sheaf of paddy, the electoral symbols of the AL and BNP respectively.
The ruling ALs mayoral candidate, Jahangir Alam, said he hopes the polls will be held peacefully and impartially, and is optimistic that people will vote for him for the citys development.
The AL-nominated candidate also said he
will secure victory in the polls as the party has already supported him and worked for him in the electioneering. Besides, the Gazipur unit of the AL is already united and working for the party symbol the boat, which will help him gain victory, he added.
According to AL insiders, the Sheikh Hasina government does not intend to interfere in todays elections as it thinks that any kind of irregularities would strongly impact the next parliamentary elections, to be held in the year-end.
However, the ruling AL yesterday alleged that the BNP was trying to make the EC and todays polls controversial by spreading falsehoods.
After holding a meeting with the EC, PM Sheikh Hasinas political adviser HT Imam told the reporters that Tuesdays elections will be held in a free, fair and credible manner, and the EC is doing whatever is necessary for holding a fair poll. He also claimed that a wonderful environment is prevailing in Gazipur ahead of the polls and that there is no fear.
On the other hand, the ALs arch rival BNP has expressed deep concern as to whether the polls will be held in a free and fair manner. BNP candidate Hasanuddin Sarker alleged that the EC has still failed to ensure a level playing field in Gazipur.
At a press conference at the partys Nayapaltan office, BNPs senior joint secretary-general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi yesterday alleged that partisan police personnel have been deployed in Gazipur ahead of the city polls there, in a bid to help the ruling party candidate secure victory.
He also criticised the EC for its silent role and said the EC has so far not taken any action against the AL leaders and activists who have frequently violated the electoral code of conduct.
BNP chief election agent and senior joint secretary of Gazipur district BNP, Sohrab Uddin, submitted two complaints to the returning officer yesterday. Police and RAB have arrested 18 people who were working for elections on Sunday night. There is no case against any of the arrestees, he said.
Quoting the family members of the arrested activists, chief co-coordinator of the BNPs media cell, Dr Mazharul Alam, said police arrested the activists after breaking the gates and doors of the houses on Sunday night. There was no arrest warrant against the arrestees, he claimed.
Meanwhile, the EC on Sunday instructed the superintendent of police (SP) of Gazipur not to arrest or harass anyone without any warrant till the end of the election.
EC sources said 29 platoons of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed for security. Besides, some 1213,000 members of BGB, RAB, police, APBn, Ansar and other law enforcement agencies will be in the field.
Each ward will have a single executive magistrate before and after the election and 19 judicial magistrates will work for each of the three wards. They will continue their tasks till June 27.
Meanwhile, the High Court (HC) yesterday issued a rule not to arrest the leaders, workers, supporters and agents of the BNP mayoral candidate by the police and law enforcement agencies without following the guidelines of the Appellate Division.
The HC asked why a directive should not be issued to the police and law enforcement agencies to follow the guidelines of the Appellate Division regarding the arrest of the leaders, workers, supporters and agents of the BNP mayoral candidate.
The court has given two weeks time to the home secretary, EC, the inspector-general of police, commissioner and SP of Gazipur to reply.
In the last Gazipur city polls, held on July 6, 2013, Gazipur city unit AL president Azmat Ullah Khan was the AL candidate, who was defeated by BNP candidate MA Mannan, while Jahangir Alam contested the polls as a rebel candidate.
