AL urges CEC to ensure security

AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil MP and other AL leaders, called on CEC MA Syed at his office and identified 29 centres at Kendua and Atpara as most vulnerable and called for special effort of the Election Commission (EC) in those areas.

Ministers are violating election code of conduct repeatedly, the AL leaders alleged. They also sought engagement of local and international observers during the poll.

The EC is working impartially to make the election a success, the CEC assured the AL leaders, adding that foreign diplomatic missions in Dhaka, including those of Australia and the United Kingdom, and the US-based National Democratic Institute, an international poll observer group, will monitor the election.

Meanwhile, Abdul Hamid, deputy opposition leader in parliament, yesterday sent a letter to the CEC asking him to visit the constituency immediately. It alleged that Bangladesh Nationalist Party men were threatening the AL leaders and supporters.

The by-polls to the Netrokona-3 constituency will be held on August 21. Seven candidates are running the race, but the main contest will be held between Khadija Ameen of the ruling four-party alliance and M Jubed Ali of the AL, sources said.