BNP ground level aspirants fear that Awami League men with political clout will influence local administrations to manipulate results of the fourth phase of upazila parishad elections scheduled to be held on March 23.
In Jhenaidha, the BNP district unit in a press conference alleged the ruling party men were intimidating BNP supporters into taking part in the campaign for Awami League candidate in upazila polls in Harinakundu upazila.
The written allegation was read out yesterday afternoon where former lawmaker and the party’s Central Committee Organising Secretary Mashiur Rahman, among l leaders in the briefing alleged that the ruling party men snatched and damaged their microphones during a rally.
The ruling party men attacked and injured Harinakundu Upazila Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal Vice-President Safiddin and Sariful Islam of Bhabitpur. They also vandalised the business establishments of Dr Fazlur Rahman.
The speakers said they could not stay in their houses as police without any specific case were after them.
In Pirojpur, BNP-backed chairman candidate Aliza Zaman alleged that the ruling party men attacked her motorcade while she was campaigning in her constituency.
Aliza accused Mojibur Rahman, the Awami League-backed candidate, of the attack. When contacted, Mojibur Rahman said it might have been a third party that launched the attack to tarnish his image.
In Hobiganj, independent candidate and incumbent Chairman Ahmudul Haque feared that the ruling party would take control of the polling centres on the polls day.
Addressing a press conference at press club, he said law enforcers were acting like activists of a particular party. “The ruling party men are threatening my supporters not to work as polling agents on the poll day.
Meanwhile, as many as three hundred people of Rolva and Mahmudpur villages of Baraigram Upazila in Natore formed a human chain and held a rally early yesterday demanding restoration of the election sub-centre there.
The speakers said as the sub-centre was withdrawn they have to go three kilometres on foot to cast their votes at Bharatpur government Primary School centre. They urged the government to reinstall the centre soon taking into consideration their problems. They also submitted a memorandum to the assistant returning officer on Tuesday.
When contacted, Assistant Returning Officer Irtiza Hossein said he had already brought the matter into the notice of the returning officer.
Meantime, police arrested two Jamat leaders for their alleged involvement in setting fire to an AL election camp in Madhupur upazila under Tangail district yesterday. The arrestees were identified as Abdul Zabbar and Anisur Rahman – president and joint secretary of Aushnara Union unite of the Jammat respectively.
However, election to Sreepur Upazila of Gazipur was rescheduled to be held March 31. Election in Sreepur was suspended on March 11 in a clash between the Awami league-backed candidate and a rebel aspirant leaving one person dead.