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NCC Election

N'ganj under security blanket

Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee mi Mohammad Al-Masum Molla
With the Narayanganj city polls only a day away, the whole electoral area is under tight security to ensure peaceful atmosphere.
The Dhaka Range police chief yesterday said a directive was sent to law enforcers to open fire if there was a chaotic situation over the polls. Action would be taken against any police official for failing to comply with the directive, he added.
"There is a legal provision that allows law enforcers to open fire to ensure security of people's lives and properties and also to act in self-defence. Law enforcers would open fire if anyone tries to capture any polling station and snatch ballot boxes," Mahfuzul Huq Nuruzzaman, DIG of police's Dhaka Range, told a press conference in Narayanganj.
Around 9,500 BGB, Rab, police and Ansar members have been deployed in the city. Besides, teams of law enforcers have been patrolling the city corporation area.
Nearly five lakh voters in the city's 27 wards will exercise their franchise tomorrow. A total of seven candidates are running for mayor.
Mayor and councillor aspirants wrapped up their two-week electioneeringyesterday. Unlike most elections in Bangladesh, the polls campaign in Narayanganj was free from violence this year.
Voters are pleased that the Awami League and BNP picked mayoral candidates -- Selina Hayat Ivy and Shakhawat Hossain Khan - with clean image and no criminal records.
For the first time in many years, an election is going to be held in Narayanganj with no contestant from the influential Osman family that dominated the local Awami League's politics for decades.
Salim Osman and his younger brother Shamim Osman are lawmakers from Jatiya Party and the AL.
The ruling party, which drew criticism from different quarters over the recent local government polls, said a free and fair election would be held in Narayanganj.
The BNP, which boycotted several elections and withdrew halfway through polling days in some others in recent times, showed a keen interest in the NCC polls.
According to an EC circular, ban on plying of motorcycles in the electoral area came into force at 12:01am today and would remain in force until 12:01am Friday. Besides, motorised vehicles will be barred from plying the city streets from 12:01am tomorrow to 12:01am Friday.
On the last day of electioneering yesterday, Ivy and Shakhawat campaigned in the city with local party leaders as the central leaders were barred from staying in the electoral area as per electoral rules.
Ivy demanded the Election Commission ensure a congenial atmosphere in the city to make sure that voters can cast their votes without intimidation.
"Security measures should be taken so that the voters can go to polling centres and cast their votes in a festive mood," she told journalists.
Shakhawat, however, expressed concern over the election atmosphere as the EC did not deploy army in the
city.
"People are worried about the election atmosphere. The government is hatching a conspiracy sensing defeat of Awami League candidate. Even then I want the election be held in a free and fair manner," he said.
Meanwhile, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday said Ivy would win the mayoral polls for three reasons - her popularity, the government's development activities and the AL's organisational strength.
Quader hoped that the EC would hold free, fair and credible polls in Narayanganj. The government would extend its full support to this end, he told reporters at his Secretariat office.
A BNP delegation, led by party standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, yesterday met Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad and once again demanded deployment of army in Narayanganj city.
He urged the CEC to take measures so that voters can cast their votes without intimidation.
Talking to The Daily Star, Election Commissioner Shah Nawaz said they took necessary measures for holding tomorrow's polls in a free, fair and peaceful manner.
"We urge the voters to go to polling stations and cast their votes without fear," he said.