All eyes are on the elections to three city corporations of Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barishal, scheduled to be held tomorrow (Monday). Polling will begin at 8am and continue till 4pm without any break. The Awami League (AL) and the BNP are going all-out to secure victory for their candidates as they think the results will have a strong impact on the parliamentary elections to be held at the end of this year.

Central leaders of both parties have joined the campaign with their respective candidates. The AL-nominated mayoral candidates won in the recently held city corporation elections in Khulna and Gazipur. These two civic elections were marred by allegations of rigging, stuffing of ballot boxes and other irregularities.   

The candidates, including mayoral hopefuls, councillors and even candidates of general and reserved seats for women, were making last-ditch efforts to garner votes yesterday (Saturday) as the deadline for campaigning ends at midnight.

Our correspondents report: Candidates, particularly those for the mayoral posts, along with their supporters, were carrying out door-to-door campaigning to woo voters with promises to build a modern, green and clean city, if elected.

A total of 18 mayoral candidates of different political parties are contesting for the three city corporations. The ruling party's mayoral candidates are confident of victory, while those of the BNP are concerned whether the polls would be free and fair.

Talking to the media, the AL mayoral hopeful, AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, yesterday expressed optimism. “I will win by a huge margin,” he said.

He alleged that the BNP has been spreading lies fearing defeat. The BNP has lodged over hundred complaints with the Election Commission (EC) against them, he added.

Liton, also the AL's central working committee member, said the BNP mayoral candidate, Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul, does not have an adequate number of activists to work as polling agents.

On the other hand, Bulbul alleged that 90 per cent EC officials of Rajshahi are pro-AL and the police have been frequently arresting their activists.

“So, I am concerned whether Monday’s elections will be held in a free, fair and credible manner,” he added. The BNP's Barishal mayoral candidate, Majibor Rahman Sarwar, said people do not want a rigged election, but EC is preparing to hold one on Monday.

He said the police have been harassing BNP leaders and workers from the very beginning of electioneering, thus violating the High Court (HC) order in this regard.

Talking to this correspondent, the AL candidate, Badar Uddin Kamran, hoped that the people of Sylhet city would not vote for any electoral symbol other than “Boat”, as they want development. The Jatiya Party’s (JP’s) mayoral candidate yesterday pledged to support the AL’s Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran in the polls.

Yahya Chowdhury, also a lawmaker of the JP, made the announcement at the conference room of a hotel in Sylhet city. BGB deployed: Forty-four platoons of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed in Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barishal ahead of the lections.

Fifteen platoons each were deployed in Rajshahi and Barishal cities, and 14 in Sylhet since the morning, said a BGB press release.

An additional four platoons have been kept reserved in each of the three cities for emergency. “The BGB is ready to deploy more troops, if needed,” the press release said.

In Rajshahi, 450 BGB men have been deployed at all strategic points since 8:00am, said Shamim Iftekhar Alam, director of the BGB battalion (Rajshahi).

In Barishal, 15 platoons of the BGB were seen patrolling the city, while four platoons have been kept reserved for any emergency situation, said MD Helal Uddin, assistant returning officer in the district.

Fourteen platoons of the BGB have been deployed in different parts of the city to avert any untoward incident, Col Nasir Uddin, Commanding Officer of the BGB Sylhet, said. All members of the law enforcement agencies will remain in the three cities till the election results are published.