The newly formed Basail Municipality under the district of Tangail is due to hold its first ever municipal poll today.
The Basail upazila was converted to a municipality on November 9, 2011. Basail, Mayzkhara, Balina, Brammonbari, Kumarjani and Borni Kishori areas have been demarked under the municipality area.
Six mayoral candidates, 43 candidates for nine councillor posts and another 10 candidates for the reserved seats are to be contested in the poll.
Among the mayoral candidates, former Basail Sadar upazilla chairman Mujibur Rahman as an independent candidate, Basail Sadar upazilla unit BNP secretary Enamul Karim Atal, Basail upazilla unit Awami League joint secretary and Basail Women College Principal Moshiur Rahman Apel, Rebel BNP candidate Juba Dal leader Ohidul Islam Mostaque, Rahat Hasan Tipu of Krisak Sramik Janata League, and Rebel Awami League candidate Sanowar Hossain Khan, all are confident of their victories in the poll.
Sources said a total of 14,329 eligible voters, comprising 6,851 males and 7,478 females, are expected to cast their votes in the poll.
Both candidates and voters have expressed concerns regarding the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), with many alleging that the election commission took no initiative to make the people familiar with EVM and how it works.
BNP backed mayoral candidate Enamul Karim Atal and BNP rebel candidate Ohidhul Islam alleged that most of the voters were not fully aware of the new system and were not happy with the introduction of EVMs in the poll.
Harun Miah, a businessperson of Basail town and a voter of Uttor Para area of the municipality, said: “We have no idea about the process. Even, the election office did not inform us about the system.”
Mamun Miah, another voter of the municipality, said: “Maximum voters are confused to cast their votes in new system of EVM. We have no practical knowledge and confidence in EVM system.”
Meanwhile, Basail upazila election officer Habiba Akter denied the allegations saying that all the candidates were informed about the use of the EVMs during nomination paper submission, adding that the election office has taken steps to make the public aware of the EVMs.
Returning officer and Basail upazila Nirbahi Officer Shahinara Begum specified that the election office spent three days on informing the public about the system, ending on May 15. There was mock voting at all the centres from morning to evening. Loudspeakers and documentary footage was also used in the election areas for the purpose, she said.
In fact, the three-day programme mentioned by the returning officer only ran for one day. As a result, most of the voters of the municipality remained unaware of and unfamiliar with the EVMs.
On May 11, the election authority arranged a publicity programme of the EVMs on the Basail Girls’ High School premises, which was spoiled after local Chhatra League cadres created a chaos in the area.
