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Last-minute bid to woo voters

Campaign for Ctg polls ends tonight

RAFIQ HASAN and SHAMEEM MAHMUD, Ctg
A month-long campaigning for the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) elections draws to a close at midnight today with the two main mayoral candidates making last-minute bids to woo voters for Monday's polling.
The Election Commission (EC) has meanwhile completed all preparations to hold the polls in a free and fair atmosphere that included the tightest ever security measures for any local body polls.
Over 18,000 security personnel from the army, paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles, Armed Police Battalion, Ansars and Coastguards will be deployed from this afternoon to maintain law and order during the polling.
"We have made all preparations under the rules and regulations of the Election Commission to ensure free and fair polls," said Golam Quddus, returning officer for the
CCC election.
Army personnel will not be stationed at the polling centres but they will patrol the city streets and rush to any centre on call from its presiding officer.
Asked if there is any pressure from government high-ups or other quarters to manipulate the election, Quddus replied, "I didn't have any allegation of pressure."
According to EC sources, 80 teams comprising 800 army personnel will patrol the city streets during the voting hours. Seventy magistrates will accompany them to take on-the-spot action against troublemakers.
Six hundred BDR personnel in 60 teams will guard important points in the city and patrol polling centre areas. Sixty magistrates will accompany them.
About 8,000 police and similar number of Ansars will guard the 577 polling centres.
A magistrate will look after each polling centre.
Moreover, 14 mobile courts will operate to check election offences during the voting hours, 8:00am to 4:00pm.
The EC already set up a control room at the city Gymnasium, adjacent to MA Aziz Stadium, to compile election results and disseminate information to the EC Secretariat in Dhaka and to the press. It has also completed orientation of 10,500 polling officials.
Asked if any special security measures were taken in the minority-concentrated areas, Quddus said, "There is no need for special security arrangements for any section of people as we have taken the tightest possible security measures for the polls."
LAST MOMENT CAMPAIGN:
The BNP-led ruling alliance stages a big showdown at Laldighi Maidan this afternoon in support of its mayoral candidate Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin.
BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman will address the rally.
The alliance rally follows a similar one at the same venue on Thursday in support of Mir Nasir's main rival Awami League-backed Nagorik Committee mayoral candidate ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury.
Tarique joined polls campaign for Mir Nasir yesterday evening addressing a number of street rallies. He also met local alliance leaders and discussed election strategy.
Mir Nasir held a meeting exchanging views with the fishermen community on the NSL Bhaban premises and conducted mass contact at Mohora and the Police Line area in the morning.
After offering juma prayers at Anderkilla Mosque, Mir Nasir, sought blessing for victory in the election.
Mohiuddin Chowdhury also carried out election campaign in different areas of the city.
The incumbent mayor conducted door-to-door mass contact at Enayet Bazar and exchanged views with the CCC voters hailing from Chouddagram of Comilla at the JM Sen Hall in the morning. He also addressed two rallies at Shantinagar and Balirhat under Panchlaish and Bakolia wards.
Mohiuddin offered his juma prayers at Sheikh Farid Mosque adjoining to his city residence at Chashma Hill and offered fateha at his father's grave there. He sought blessing of the almighty and support of the voters to win the CCC polls.
Sports organisers and sportsmen of both local and national levels brought out a huge procession on trucks campaigning for Mohiuddin in the afternoon.
Mohiuddin inaugurated the procession at the CJKS Gymnasium where AL JointSecretary and former sports minister Obayedul Quader, AL Organizing Secretary and former Bangladesh Cricket Board president Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Colonel (retd) Md Faruq Khan and former Bangladesh Football Federation general secretary Haurnur Rashid were also present.
The procession paraded different city streets before ending at the Nagorik Committee office at Anderkilla.
In the morning, a huge procession of around one thousand rickshaws paraded different city streets expressing support for Mohiuddin Chowdhury.
Meanwhile, campaigners for both the main candidates yesterday started distributing voter slips in different areas.
POLL OBSERVERS:
A number of local and foreign poll observer bodies will monitor the election.
The RO said 14 local observer bodies will watch voting. He could not however give the number of foreign bodies.
Recalling their past experiences, some observers said it is time for buying votes. "Vote buying usually takes place at the last hours," said chief of the Janipop Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah.
ALL HOTELS BOOKED:
Most of the quality hotels, rest houses and guesthouses here have already been reserved for lawmakers of the ruling alliance and the opposition, and journalists who have already come here or will come before the polls.
The port city is going to witness the largest ever gathering of ministers, lawmakers, top political leaders and journalists this time, said an elderly citizen.