Four commissioners of the Election Commission (EC) will supervise the upcoming polls of Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet city corporations, scheduled for June 15.
“From now on, we the four election commissioners will monitor the activities of the returning officers and candidates of the four city corporations,” Commissioner Md Shah Newaz told reporters at the EC Secretariat on Tuesday.
He also said those violating the electoral codes in these polls would face stern action.
He said the EC would hold a meeting with the chiefs of law enforcement agencies on Wednesday (today) for conducting the elections in a free, fair and impartial manner.
Asked, the commissioner said the EC had already asked the returning officer of Sylhet to take necessary action regarding the allegation that ruling Awami League-backed candidate Badar Uddin Ahmad Kamran used government car in his election campaign.
Shah Newaz said the Petrobangla chairman replied to the show-cause notice sent to him by the returning officer of Rajshahi for inaugurating pipeline gas connections in Rajshahi ahead of the polls.
“The EC is now examining the speech of the Petrobangla chairman whether he inaugurated the gas connections on routine basis or due to any other reason,” he said adding that the returning officer would have to discuss with the EC for taking action in this regard.
“We have asked the returning officers to take action if there is any specific allegation against anyone.”
He, however, mentioned that the EC was taking time since the number of allegations it received was huge.
The commissioner said the EC took immediate action only over a few allegations, but it would act accordingly over all the complaints after completing the polls.
