Sylhet city residents are worried the upcoming city corporation polls may not be held in a free, fair and peaceful manner, as party cadres, illegal firearms and black money started circulating in the city ahead of the elections.
The candidates backed by the Awami League (AL) and the opposition BNP, blamed each other for the deteriorating law and order situation.
With just a day left before they go to the polls, local residents said operations for illegal arms recovery haven’t even started yet.
“If illegal arms are not recovered before the election, armed cadres may occupy polling centres,” said Khandakar Shipar Ahmed, a resident of the city’s Fajilchist area.
He said: “If the drive to recover illegal arms does not start soon, questions will be raised about how free and fair the elections will be. We heard the influential mayoral candidates are using black money but the election commission (EC) is yet to take any action against them.”
Rukun Uddin, additional commissioner (AC) of Sylhet metropolitan police however said: “We briefed the media on June 6 regarding the recovery of illegal arms that are being retrieved regularly.”
“The arms recovery drive is a continuous process,” he said.
Sources in the political circles said quite a few Chhatra Dal (BNP’s student wing) and Chhatra League (AL’s student wing) cadres are now actively involved in party politics.
On Tuesday Advocate EU Shahidul Islam, former president of the Sylhet district bar association told the Dhaka Tribune: “In previous years, we saw a showdown of musclemen and arms ahead of elections. The concerned authorities should start the operation to recover illegal arms but they have not done so.”
“Mayoral candidates have started to donate money to various social organisations that will clearly influence polling results,” he said.
The AL-backed candidate Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran accused his opponent Ariful Haque Chowdhury, the BNP-backed candidate of wrongdoing when he said: “Ariful is known as a terrorist godfather in Sylhet. He has black money and we came to know he is using the funds to influence voters.”
Kamran said anyone in possession of illegal arms should be arrested, regardless of which party they belong to.
While Ariful Haque Chowdhury said everyone in the country knows who shelters terrorists.
“People have already seen through the media a listed criminal, Piyush, campaigning for Kamran,” he said.
Ariful referred to a clash between rival factions of Chhatra League at MC College on May 19 when media reports showed Piyush carrying arms, and said: “Just a few days ago there was a showdown between armed cadres in the city, but police have remained silent about it.”
He also said: “We came to know Kamran’s musclemen have taken voter ID cards of non-resident Sylhetis and bribed them to vote for Kamran.”
Rashidul Hasan, assistant returning office of the Sylhet City Corporation polls said they had been informed about black money being used, but were yet to receive a written complaint from any of the mayoral candidates, though written complaints from two candidates for ward commissioner were received.
The official said: “In this regard we will take action after an investigation.”