Elections to Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet city corporations will be held on Saturday amid allegations of violation of electoral code of conduct raised by the candidates backed by the two major political alliances.
Voting starts at 8am and continues up to 4pm without any break.
The Election Commission has asked the authorities concerned to hold the elections in a free, fair and neutral manner. It has taken up special measures for preventing all probable pre- and post-polls violence by Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Chhatra Shibir, Hefazat-e-Islam and terrorists.
Meanwhile, the candidates supported by the ruling and opposition alliances have alleged violation of the electoral code of conduct during campaigns. The mayor aspirants backed by the BNP-led 18-party alliance have demanded deployment of army in the four city corporations for the sake of free and fair polls.
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad on Thursday said the EC is committed to hold the city polls in a free, fair and neutral manner. The commission has deployed necessary number of law enforcers of different agencies for maintaining the law and order during the polls. It would take stern action against any kind of violation of electoral laws, he said.
The EC would monitor the city polls from its secretariat in Dhaka, he added.
Victory processions have been prohibited after the results are declared.
Combing operations were run to seize illegal arms and arrest criminals around the four cities, he added.
On the demand for army deployment, the CEC said the situation
in the city corporation areas was under control of the law enforcement agencies, so there was no need to deploy the army. “If necessary, the
Election Commission will consider the matter.”
EC Secretary Mohammad Sadik on Friday said the EC had completed all preparations for holding the elections in a free, fair and neutral manner. He urged the voters not to feel any pressure on election day as the EC had deployed “sufficient number of members of law enforcement agencies, including the Border Guard Bangladesh and the Coast Guard.”
Sadik said those who were reporting allegations of violation of electoral laws to the EC should send it to the returning officers concerned who could take action immediately.
The EC will use webcams at eight polling centres of these four city corporations – two vulnerable centres of each city corporation – for monitoring the polls, EC officials said.
In Rajshahi City Corporation polls, AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, the ruling alliance-backed former mayor, is contesting for a second term against BNP-backed Mosaddak Hossain Bulbul and independent candidate Habibur Rahman.
In Khulna, former mayor and Awami League-backed candidate Talukdar Abdul Khalek, BNP-backed candidate Md Moniruzzaman and Jatiya Party district unit President Shafiqul Islam are vying for mayoralty.
The contestants in Sylhet are former mayor and Awami League-backed candidate Badar Uddin Ahmad Kamran, BNP-backed Ariful Haque Chowdhury and independent candidate Salauddin Rimon.
The 18-party alliance-backed Ahsan Habib Kamal, Awami League-backed Shawkat Hossain Hiron and rebel candidate of the ruling alliance Mahmudul Haque Khan Mamun will contest for the mayoral post in Barisal city corporation polls.
Electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used at one ward of each city corporation – ward 8 in Rajshahi, ward 8 in Khulna, ward 16 in Barisal, and ward 2 in Sylhet.
There are 286,927 voters in 30 wards of Rajshahi City Corporation; 440,647 voters in 31 wards of Khulna City Corporation; 210,530 voters in 30 wards of Barisal City Corporation; and 291,057 voters in 27 wards of Sylhet City Corporation.
Around 20,000 members of different law enforcement agencies have been deployed to maintain law and order in the city corporation areas until June 16.
Twenty-four personnel from police, Armed Police Battalion and Ansar will be deployed at each of the vulnerable polling centres while 22 will be deployed at other polling centres.
According to the EC, there are 137 polling centres in Rajshahi, 288 in Khulna, 100 in Barisal and 127 in Sylhet. The EC has identified 423 out 652 polling centres of these four city corporations.
Sixty teams of Rab, 21 platoons of the BGB, five platoons of the Coast Guard and 64 executive and 27 judicial magistrates have been deployed in Saturday’s city polls.