Election Commission officials, with the help of law enforcers, take ballot paper boxes to polling booths on the eve of the Narayanganj City Corporation polls scheduled for today. — Indrajit Ghosh The newly formed Narayanganj City Corporation goes to polls for the first time today amidst fear and panic as the government did not make army deployment, which the Election Commission, major candidates and voters had demanded.
The Election Commission made all the preparations
to hold the polls with the deployment of additional Rapid Action Battalion personnel.
A total of 4,041,89 voters of the city corporation area will cast their vote in 163 polling stations, of which 127 are considered risky, between 8:00am and 4:00pm, to elect their representatives.
Six candidates are contesting the elections for the mayoral position, 252 for 27 positions of councillors for 27 wards and 56 women for nine positions of councils in reserved seats.
The ruling Bangladesh Awami League-backed Shamim Osman, with the symbol of wall clock, Awami League leader Selina Hayat Ivy with the symbol of pen and inkpot, the BNP-backed Taimur Alam Khandakar with the symbol of pineapple, Islami Andolan leader Atikur Rahman Nannu Munsi with the symbol of bullock cart and independent candidates Sharif Mohammad with the symbol of duck and Atikul Islam Jibon with the symbol of padlockare contesting the elections.
The government’s non-compliance with the Election Commission’s requisition for army deployment to keep law and order during the polls has made most of the city dwellers doubtful and worried about the polls being held in a free and fair manner.
Many of them though that the government had not deployed the army in compliance with the Election Commission’s requisition only to pave the way for the win of Shamim.
Shamim’s repeated claims that there would be militant attacks on the city before the polls have multiplied the worries of voters.
The voters, however, said that they would go to the polling stations setting aside all fears.
Selina Hayat Ivy and Taimur Alam Khandoker called on the voters to go to the polling stations braving all odds to resist all ‘conspiracies to snatch way the polls result.’
‘People have started saying that the vote has already been cast,’ Sukumar Ghosh, a shopkeeper on Bangabandhu Road, expressed his worries before New Age on Saturday.
Many people were seen expressing such an apprehension as the polling was nearing.
Asked whether he was feeling free to go the polling stations on the polling day, Niaz Rahman, who works with a private organisation, at Chashara said, ‘It would have been better if the army had been deployed.’
‘Panic has gripped many of the voters as to what will happen on the polling day,’ he said.
The Election Commission and the Rapid Action Battalion, however, dispelled voter’s fears about security and fairness of the elections after the non-deployment of the army and advised voters to cast their vote without fear.
The returning officer, Biswas Lutfor Rahman, at a press conference at the Shaheed Zia Hall on Saturday called on the voters to go to the voters without any fear.
‘There is no reason to be panicked about casting vote for your candidate as stringent measures have been taken to keep law and order,’ he said.
‘Please do not get panicked. Go to the polling centres without any fear and return home after casting your vote,’ Lieutenant Colonel Mostafa, commanding officer of RAB 11, said at a press briefing at Narayanganj Central Shaheed Minar on Saturday.
He told reporters that 1,000 battalion personnel had already been deployed in Narayanganj, adding that 400 more personnel would join them before the voting would begin on Sunday morning.
Battalion personnel in plain clothes will also be on duty, the officer said.
The Election Commission completed all its measures to ensure the holding of the elections in a free and fair manner. Electronic voting machines, ballot papers and other necessary documents and equipment have already bent sent to Narayanganj.
Apart from some 1,000 personnel of regular forces of Narayanganj, some 7,000 more personnel of different law enforcement agencies, including Rapid Action Battalion, the police and Ansars would be deployed.
Although it was earlier decided that some 5,000 more law enforcers would be deployed, the commission, following its failure to deploy the army, decided to increase the number of law enforcers.
Some 4,000 policemen, 2,500 Ansar-VDP personnel, 100 coast guards and a dog squad and a bomb disposal squad will be on duty to keep law and order.
The Election Commission has termed ‘important’ the 131 polling stations, not saying risky, and decided to deploy 26 law enforcers at each of them while 22 law enforcers at other polling stations.
Rejecting the requests of the two out of three heavyweight candidates, the commission is using electronic voting machines in 57 polling stations in nine out of the 27 wards of the city corporation for which it will need 450 devices.
A total of 1,48,629 voters of Ward 7, 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23 and 24 will cast their vote in 450 polling booths by using EVMs.
An election official said that the commission had already set up closed-circuit television cameras at 20 polling centres to monitor possible irregularities during polling.
Apart from 1,217 polling booths, there is one temporary polling centre with 50 booths.
The candidates ended their electioneering at midnight past Friday by only holding indoor meetings, roadside rallies and door-to-door campaigns to seek vote as no procession or rally was allowed during electioneering.
The Election Commission imposed a ban on the movement of outsiders in the election area from October 28, except for those who would have urgent tasks there.
A team of 27 executive magistrates and three judicial magistrates would keep watch on the polling as the 36 mobile court will be on patrol on the polling day.
Apart from 163 presiding officers, 1,217 assistant presiding officers and 2,434 polling officers will be engaged in holding the polls.
Nobody will be allowed to use mobiles in and around the polling stations. All banks, educational institutions and business establishment will remain closed for the day.
The Election Commission has estimated that Tk 6 crore will be spent on holding the elections.
A huge number of reporters would cover the event. Two hundred and thirty-seven election observers of 26 local and international bodies will observe the polling.
Narayanganj, the country’s seventh city corporation, was set up on May 5 by merging Narayanganj, Kadam Rasul and Siddhirganj municipalities.
Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1
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