Reporrt in The Daily Star, June 23, 2018
The BNP mayoral candidate in Gazipur city polls yesterday alleged that the ruling Awami League men were taking an advantage in the election campaign by using the local administration and black money.
He expressed concern over holding the June 26 polls in a fair manner.
The AL nominee, however, said his rival was making false allegations sensing defeat. He claimed people already rejected the BNP as its incumbent Gazipur mayor didn’t do any development in the city in last five years.
BNP’s Hasan Uddin Sarker and Jahangir Alam of AL made the comments during campaigning in the city.
Hasan campaigned in Gazipur Sadar, Konabari and Chowrasta areas. He offered Juma prayers in the city’s T&T mosque, exchanged greetings with voters and sought votes.
Jahangir offered Juma prayers at Gazipur Central Jame Mashjid and called upon the voters to elect him as mayor.
The BNP candidate urged the police not to arrest and harass his party men and election coordinators as the city polls would not bring about a change in government. He blamed the AL cadres and law enforcers for harassing the opposition leaders and activists.
“Our leaders and activists are being harassed. I am at the last stage of my life. I have nothing to lose now. I will take every steps to stop vote-rigging.”
Calling upon the Election Commission to take steps to hold the city election in a free and fair manner, the BNP candidate said, “Don’t spoil the level-playing field. Create a festive mood so that people can cast their votes without fear.”
Meanwhile, Returning Officer Rakib Uddin Mondal yesterday expressed satisfaction over the election atmosphere in the city, saying there was no report of any violation of the electoral code of conduct.
He was talking to reporters at his office in the city.
‘ALLEGATIONS BASELESS’
Terming Hasan’s allegations baseless, AL nominee Jahangir said his rival was making such complaints fearing defeat.
“They [BNP] have realised that people are not with them anymore. The incumbent mayor [MA Mannan of BNP] didn’t do any development work in last five year. So why should people cast vote for them?”
He urged the BNP candidate not to spoil the peaceful election atmosphere in Gazipur by conducting a propaganda campaign.
Except for the AL and BNP candidates, five more are running in the Gazipur mayoral election. They are Md Ruhul Amin of Communist Party of Bangladesh, Md Jalal Uddin of Bangladesh Islami Front, Fazlul Haque Minar of Islami Oikya Jote, Md Nasir Uddin of Islami Andolan Bangladesh and independent candidate Farid Ahmed.
The ward councillor hopefuls also conducted campaigns yesterday. There are over 11 lakh voters in Gazipur city which will go to polls on Tuesday to elect 57 general ward councillors and 19 women councillors in reserved seats.
According to BNP leaders, eight election coordinators of Hasan Uddin Sarker were arrested by police on Wednesday. They alleged that Gazipur BNP men were facing harassment ahead of the city polls. The party wrote to the EC demanding steps to stop the harassment.
PRESS CONFERENCE
The BNP yesterday alleged that the government was trying to hold a voterless election in Gazipur city like the one held in Khulna last month with the help of law enforcers.
“The government is trying to drive away the supporters of ‘sheaf of paddy’ from the electoral area by using police to hold a Khulna-style election in Gazipur city without voters,” BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said.
Speaking at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office in the capital, he said the EC was sitting idle as the AL was preparing to ensure its victory in the Gazipur city polls by resorting to vote fraud, terrorism and capturing of polling stations. https://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/bnp-concerned-al-terms-it-false-alarm-1593973
Comments are closed.