Despite vigilance of the law enforcement agencies, a number of clashes and attacks took place in the last couple of days centring tomorrow’s city corporation elections. However, none of the culprits has been arrested yet.
If necessary steps are not taken, massive clashes may take place during the election, observers say.
Moreover, the police have identified 1,429 out of 1,982 polling centres as vulnerable in the capital while 591 out of 719 in Chittagong.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and a number of BNP-backed councillor candidates were attacked during the election campaigns. A total of four cases, two by the ruling party men and two by the BNP, have been filed with Tejgaon and Ramna police.
But the law enforcers have failed to identify and arrest those responsible for the attacks.
Mansur Hossain Manik, sub-inspector of Tejgaon police, said they were yet to identify the attackers and the troublemakers. He is the investigation officer of the two cases filed over the attack on Khaleda’s motorcade last week. “We are trying our best to nab the attackers,” the official added.
Similar statement came from Md Jewel Miah, sub-inspector of Rampura police, who is dealing with the cases lodged regarding the attack on Khaleda in Banglamotor area.
Latest, some ruling party activists swooped on the campaigners of mayoral candidate Abdullah Al Kafee at Kalyanpur around 4pm yesterday leaving around 30 people injured.
Earlier, some miscreants attacked Bikalpadhara Bangladesh-backed mayoral candidate Mahi B Chowdhury in Tejgaon’s Rasta area around 2am yesterday. Just an hour before the attack, a clash took place between two groups of Jubo League men in the capital’s Jatrabari area centring election campaign that left at least five people injured.
When contacted, Abani Shankar, OC of Jatrabari police, said the intra-party clash had occurred following a misunderstanding among the activists of ward 50 unit Jubo League, youth wing of the Awami League.
In Chittagong, the motorcade of the BNP-backed mayoral candidate M Manjur Alam was attacked yesterday allegedly by the Awami League supporters in the city’s Polytechnic area. BNP Vice-Chairman Abdullah Al Noman was accompanying the mayoral candidate at the time.
Khulshi police OC Sukanta Chakrabarty said he heard about the incident, and added that nobody lodged a complaint regarding the attack.
On Saturday, some unidentified people fired gunshots at a rally of BNP-backed mayoral candidate Mirza Abbas in the capital’s Khilgaon area leaving Khilgaon BNP unit President Arju injured.
The same day, some supporters of Mirza Abbas and word 2 councillor candidate Habiba Sultana brought out a rally in Goran area. A clash ensued when another rally led by Dhaka south Chhatra League President Anisur Rahman came from the opposite direction.
The rally of councillor candidate Anjuman Ara Begum also came under attack around 2pm on Saturday in Paltan area.
However, DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah claimed that no major incident took place after the election activities had begun.
“There were some stray incidents. But we have already taken full-proof security arrangement to ensure peaceful elections,” he added.
Intelligence sources in the DMP say around 40 contract killers and criminals have been active ahead of the city corporation polls. They are threatening or attacking on supporters of rival councillor candidates. Centring the elections, demand and price of illegal arms and bullets have also increased.
According to police records, there are 6,195 legal arms. Among these, 1247 are pistols, 1027 revolvers, 693 rifles, 773 shotguns, 1388 one pipe pistols and 1062 are double barrel pistols.
Another source confirmed that illegal arms are entering the capital from Chapainawabganj, Satkhira, Jessore, Comilla and Kushtia.
Sources say the illegal arms, mostly made in India, are sold Tk20,000-30,000 higher than the regular price.
“We have information that arms traders and some local criminals are trying to create anarchy ahead of the election while some of the councillor candidates are hiring them to launch attack on the rival candidates,” DMP Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam, also chief of Detective Branch of police, told the Dhaka Tribune.
“Drives to arrest the criminals and recover the illegal arms are under way,” he added.
The EC and the Chittagong Metropolitan Police have also taken strict measures to avert clashes centring the election.
The CMP had installed 24-hour check posts at the city’s entry points to stop arms smuggling, black money transportation and outsiders who intend to hinder election activities. CMP Commissioner Abdul Jalil Mandal earlier said they had been monitoring the city’s situation through CCTV cameras.
