Free rickshaw rides for voters of Khokon

Awami League-backed Dhaka South City Corporation mayoral candidate Sayeed Khokon and a number of councillors allegedly hired rickshaw-pullers to give voters a free ride to the voting centres, in a gross violation of the code of conduct.

Each rickshaw-puller was allegedly given Tk 1,000 to haul people during voting hours, said rickshaw-pullers.

The designated rickshaw-pullers put placards of Khokon around their necks, while some posted posters of Matiur Rahman Jamal, an AL-backed councillor candidate, on the backs of their rickshaws.

Sarwar, a rickshaw-puller, told The Daily Star that he had been hired for 10 hours -- from 7:00am to 5:00pm -- just to take voters to the Azimpur Orphanage polling centre under ward 26 and back to their homes. He received Tk 1,000 for the service.

Yousuf, another rickshaw-puller, wearing a placard of Khokon, said the fare for the whole day was not fixed in advance but he hoped to receive Tk 1,000 as his peers were getting that amount.

The incident was commonplace in Azimpur, Lalbagh and Hazaribagh areas.