Issuing a note of warning, BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed said the government would be held to account if free and fair elections were not held.
Allegations of intimidation and harassment against BNP-backed candidates and their campaign offices in Dhaka North and South were rife on the eve of the city corporation polls.
“Tomorrow is voting day. We have made our preparations in the face of severe obstacles and have appointed agents and volunteers at every polling centre,” Moudud said at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters.
Moudud said his party had lodged 10 complaints concerning Dhaka North and three concerning Dhaka South, but the Election Commission was yet to take action.
The BNP leader said opposition leaders and activists had been arrested and harassed by law enforcement and ruling party men.
BNP-backed campaign offices are a rarity compared with election camps set up by candidates backed by the ruling party, allegedly because of harassment.
After the arrest Wednesday of Ward 30 councillor candidate Abul Hashem in Mohammadpur, police officials from Adabar police station on Friday shut down his campaign office, sources said.
Sub-Inspector (SI) Ismail Majumder of Adabar police station denied that police had closed down any campaign office. “That is a baseless allegation.”
But police admit to shutting down the election campaign office of Ward 28 councillor candidate Jashim Uddin on Friday.
SI Jahid of Shere-e-Banglanagar police station was one of the officials who closed it down.
Asked about it, SI Jahid said it had been closed down based on complaints of illegal activities in the area.
Asked about the harassment of BNP supporters, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police SM Jahangir Alam said the police could visit any house on suspicion of illegal activity or possession of weapons.
“The police are doing their duty to hold peaceful city corporation elections.
“If you have proof of false arrests, then you can file a complaint. We are just doing our duty as per the law,” he said.
Urging the Election Commission to take stern action, the BNP yesterday alleged that its favoured candidates, agents and supporters were being subjected to threats and harassment.
Asaduzzaman Ripon, international affairs secretary of the BNP, said at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters: “Because the Election Commission did not get a green signal from the government, they did not deploy the army for election duty.”
He alleged that ruling party men and law enforcers were raiding BNP leaders’ and activists’ homes and asking them not to be the agents of BNP-backed candidates.
Ripon said an organisation called Mousus had received election observation permission and said his party would not accept this organisation’s election reports.
Denying allegations that BNP-backed candidates were buying votes, Ripon said his party does not believe in corruption.
He said a cell had been opened at the party’s headquarters to monitor the elections.
