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No level playing field: Sakku
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the Election Commission. It was a big humiliation.”
Sakku, a former BNP leader whose main contestant is AL’s Arfanul Haque Rifat, said each of all 27 wards in the city corporation is surrounded by the union parishads which have chairmen from the ruling party.
And the ruling party candidate is trying to create chaos on the polls day bringing outsiders from the union parishads, he added. “I urge the Election Commission to keep the polling centres free from outsiders. If people get scared, they would not come to vote.”
Regarding the allegation that Sakku is a very close ally of ruling lawmaker Bahar and a dummy candidate of the Awami League, he said, “If I am an Awami League candidate, then why the ruling party fielded another person? The local lawmaker is also working with him. The allegation is baseless.”
He said when there is an election, people especially the contenders say a lot of things but voters will make the ultimate decision.
Regarding the graft allegation brought against him by the ruling party candidate, Sakku said, “If I am corrupt then why didn’t he collect information in last 10 years? Why didn’t he lodge a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Commission? If anyone can show any evidence of my corruption, I will quit the race right now.”
Asked why people would vote for Sakku, the two-time mayor said, “When I became the first mayor of the city, I had to start from the scratch.”
He went on, “In last 10 years, I had to complete the basic work. But this time I am contesting to complete whatever was unfinished. People will surely evaluate my job and vote for me.”
Regarding the participation of BNP leaders and activists, he said, “Those who hold posts in the party don’t come to my campaign for the obvious reason but they support me. BNP sympathisers are with me. All the BNP leaders and activists are united.”
Sakku said he will accept whatever the result is and cooperate with the new mayor whoever he is if a free and fair election is held.

Opposition
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Commission until Vision 2041 [remains unimplemented].”
Jatiya Party MP Shameem Haider Patwary said it is now essential to hold police accountable. Had they been made accountable internally, sanctions wouldn’t have been imposed on them from abroad, he added.
“We now need a special commission for the police and an all-party special parliamentary committee on human rights in this regard.”
The special committee would investigate any allegation raised by the people, prepare a report and hold those responsible to account, said the JP lawmaker.
“A culture of no liability and impunity has started in the country,” Shameem alleged.
BNP MP Rumeen Farhana said people are still being harassed by police. “Police is no longer a force of the state, rather it has become a complete political force … Torture in police custody has become a regular occurrence,” she alleged.
Gonoforumlawmaker Mukabbir Khan said the trend of involvement of police members -- from constable to high officials -- in criminal activities has increased as those who commit offences are not brought to justice properly and they are not given proper punishment.
“The whole police department comes under question due to their offences. The matters should be taken care of,” he said.
Responding to the criticism, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque on behalf of the home minister said police were performing their duties very efficiently under the incumbent government.
He said many police officers lose their jobs due to irregularities and many others face trial and punishment for doing excesses.
Rowshan Ara Mannan of JP, Md Mosharof Hosen of BNP and independent MP Rezaul Karim Bablu also placed their cut motions against the additional allocation for the Public Security Division.