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BNP worried over fate of Khulna city polls

176 activists held in a week, alleges mayoral candidate

Star Report
Law enforcement agencies raided houses of at least 200 BNP leaders and activists in Khulna city on Tuesday night while police arrested over 176 BNP men in the last one week, alleged Nazrul Islam Monju, BNP-nominated mayoral candidate, yesterday.
"I talked to the police commissioner and he assured that he had not given any direction to launch drives in the city. But... my party men kept calling me throughout the night informing me about the raid..” he said at a press briefing at his residence in the morning.
He claimed that at least seven BNP men were arrested on Tuesday night.
These sudden drives are nothing but to create a sense of panic among the party men so that they do not dare to carry out electioneering in favour of their candidates, he alleged.
The government is using police to avoid ruling Awami League-nominated candidate's defeat, he alleged. "We won't leave... Our [BNP and 20-party leaders and activists] morale still remains high."
On May 3, Monju suspended his campaign for around four hours, protesting arrest of 21 BNP men in a single night
In response to Monju's allegation, Khulna Metropolitan Police Commissioner Humayun Kabir yesterday at a press conference at his office said following information, police is launching drives to arrest persons having specific allegations.
Meanwhile, AL mayoral candidate Talukder Abdul Khaleq held a press briefing to counter BNP's allegations.
He said the BNP candidate's allegations are nothing but a ploy to raise controversy over the KCC election. He claimed that police were arresting those involved in drug peddling.
Meanwhile, BNP yesterday demanded withdrawal of DIG and police commissioner in Khulna for holding a fair city corporation election.
Addressing an emergency press briefing at the party chairperson's Gulshan office, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged that the ruling party is hatching a conspiracy to postpone the Khulna city polls like Gazipur’s.
Earlier, Senior Joint Secretary
General Rizvi Ahmed alleged that people were worried about the fate of KCC polls as the government has various "evil designs" to stop the voting.
He was speaking at a press briefing at the party's Nayapaltan central office in the capital.
"We don't know what will be the fate of Khulna City Corporation polls. We're also not sure which evil plan the government will resort to in order to stop the elections," he said.
CAMPAIGN CONTINUES
With five days remaining before voting, mayoral and councillor aspirants of KCC are canyingout campaigns in full swing.
Candidates were exchanging greetings with voters in various areas, defying the hot and humid weather. Last couple of weeks' temperature soared to 32-40 degrees Celsius in Khulna city.
Candidates and their supporters were distributing leaflets and manifestos among voters. Some were also noting down voters' demands and the problems they faced.
Yesterday, AL-nominated candidate Khaleq started his campaign from Ward-7.
The area is an industrial zone consisting five state-owned jute mills. The area has over 63,000 voters. Khaleq started his campaign at Crescent Jute Mill around 8:30am.
Nuruzzaman Fakir, 54, a worker at the mill, asked him to fix the drainage system in the area. Khaleq assured him of resolving
the problem, if elected mayor.
On the other hand, BNP's Monju started his campaign from Ward-2. Many of the jute mill workers and marginal people live in the area.
Monju spoke to them and heard about their problems, and requested them to vote for BNP.
(Our Khulna correspondent contributed to this report)