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RAJSHAHI CITY POLLS
Liton expected to cruise to victory
ANWAR ALI
Awami League mayor candidate AHM Khairuzzaman Liton looks set to have an easy sailing in tomorrow’s Rajshahi city polls, say voters.
Amid the absence of the BNP, the mayoral nominees of the AL, Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB), Jatiya Party and Jaker Party were expected take part in the polls.
But the race narrowed to three following the announcement of withdrawal of IAB candidate Murshid Alam on June 12 after his party chief, who ran for Barishal mayor, came under an attack during the Barishal city polls.
The 17-day electioneering for the Rajshahi city polls ended yesterday.
The campaign materials of Jatiya Party candidate Saiful Islam Swapan and Jaker Party’s Latif Anwar are barely noticeable in the city.
AL sources said Liton’s supporters used more than 40 loudspeakers and set up 30 campaign booths.
His two rivals said they used four loudspeakers each, but they did not have any campaign booths.
Liton’s campaign meetings saw a huge participation of his supporters, but those of Saiful and Latif attracted only a handful of people.
The AL candidate, seeking re-election, kept his opponents within the party away from electioneering, party insiders said.
Ahmed Shafi Uddin, president of the Rajshahi chapter of Shujon, a civil society platform, said, “With no strong challenger, Khairuzzaman Liton looks set to win a third term as mayor.”
Meanwhile, the Detective Brach of police on Sunday night detained the Rajshahi city AL Organising Secretary Mir Ishtiak Ahmed Lemon from the home of an election officer in the city’s Sagarpara area after a few hundred supporters of Liton alleged that he went there to bribe the official to ensure Liton’s defeat.
Police, however, released Ishtiak after 12 hours as the allegation was found to be untrue.
Speaking at a press conference at the Nanking Darbar Hall in the city yesterday, Liton, also an AL presidium member, said he did not think that he would cruise to victory.
“I won’t say that the electoral field is empty for me.”
The mayor hopeful said the IAB candidate’s candidacy remains valid although he stopped campaigning after declaring withdrawal from the race.
The AL nominee said though the Jatiya Party and the Jaker Party are weak in Rajshahi, they have a good support base in the city.
JP CANDIDATE UNHAPPY
Jatiya Party candidate Saiful expressed frustration that he failed to gain full support of his own party men.
“Our local leaders are asking me to withdraw,” he told The Daily Star yesterday.
The JP leader said he sought his party’s permission for withdrawal on Sunday, but was denied.
He said he was yet to manage his polling agents for all voting centres.
Jaker Party’s Latif expressed his firm belief that he would have massive support of voters.
“Our politics is based on ideals. Our voters who seem to be silent now will show up at the polling centres,” he told this correspondent.
Liton at the press conference also said he if reelected he would focus on creating employment opportunities as promised.
He said he would depend on the councillor candidates, who are supporters of the AL, for a good turnout.
The city AL committees formed for the election would remain active to take the voters to the polling centres, he added.
A total of 351,982 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the city’s 30 words.