The BNP has expressed misgivings about free and fair city corporation elections in Rajshahi, Barishal and Sylhet. BNP leaders said that their leaders and activists were being harassed  by the police. They accused the Election Commission (EC) of being a silent spectator in case of violation of the election code of conduct by ruling partymen. They, however, said that the party would contest the elections in the three cities.

BNP standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain recently told The Independent that he had information that the government, aided by the administration and police, would 'arrange' votes for the AL-nominated candidates for the mayoral posts. “Police will cast votes by depriving people of their rights. The government will use the administration to cast votes for their candidates,” he alleged. He reiterated that no fair election could be held under the Sheikh Hasina-led government. He said the EC had proved itself to be a rubber stamp of the government. “We'll take our next course of action if the government rigs the city polls,” he added.

Briefing reporters, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi yesterday said they would fight till the end in the mayoral elections in Rajshahi, Barishal and Sylhet cities, even though there were no signs of free and fair polls.

He alleged that continuous police harassment had triggered a sense of insecurity in the minds of supporters of the BNP-led 20-Party Alliance.

He also alleged that the EC was showing partiality towards the ruling party. “Opposition leaders and activists are being arrested in the three cities in accordance with the lists made by the ruling party. There is hardly any enthusiasm among voters as panic has gripped them,” he said.

The BNP leader also said the ruling party had devised a new model of rigging by driving out the voters and polling agents of the BNP-nominated candidates in the three cities. The local administration was working openly for the AL-nominated candidates, he added.

Referring to the police raid and arrest of a leader in Sylhet, Rizvi said the police were raiding the houses of BNP leaders and activists to intimidate them and their families to prevent them from going to the polling stations. He said that the government would fail to control the aftermath of the civic polls. “People will no more sit idle,” he added.