Religious issues have become crucial in city corporation polls, both for the voters and contenders, as some Islamist parties and organisations are campaigning against the government, terming it “anti-Islamic,” giving electioneering a new twist.
Although formal campaigning ended on Thursday midnight, a section of people started using the religious sentiments of the people to gain political advantage by distributing leaflets among city dwellers of Sylhet and Khulna, raising concern among voters.
The leaflets, which were distributed among the people of Khulna City, contain picture of police action against Hefazat men in the Motijheel area of the capital on May 5.
In the leaflets, Gagroto Khulna Basi criticised the Shahbagh movement and urged all pro-Islamic people to be united to counter the government’s anti-Islamic activities through KCC polls.
About the leaflets, Khaleque said conspiracies were being hatched against him, and this is a part of that conspiracy.
He said: “We have enough allegation against the BNP backed candidate regarding violations of code of conduct, but we did not lodge any complaints for the sake of free and fair elections.”
Returning officer Mostafa Faruk declined to make any comments in this regard.
Meanwhile in Sylhet, a section of people under the banner “Amra Sylheter Socheton Babsayebrindo” (We the Conscious Businessmen of Sylhet) have distributed leaflets in various city areas.
The leaflets said that the killers of Aleems (religious experts) are jalim (ferocious).
“The only crime of the Aleemsis that they cannot accept the defamatory comments made by Shabaghi atheists about Allah. When the ugly faces of the Gonojagoron Moncho are exposed to the nation, Aleems were compelled to take to the streets. The government wants power, and does not want to share that power. Hefezat men staged peaceful demonstrations for their 13-point demands. Thousands of Islamic devotees have been killed and many bodies were not found. That’s why it is our question to all of you: ‘Do you think, are they not jalim who killed Aleems on May 5, 2013 night?’” the leaflet read.
It also said: “Come and say no to the forces of atheists through the electoral ballot.”
