July 30 Polls in Three Cities: BNP concerned, AL confident

The BNP is concerned whether the upcoming elections to three city corporations would be free and fair as they fear the ruling Awami League might follow the “Khulna-Gazipur model” in those polls.

On the other hand, the AL believes it will triumph in the three cities as well after the morale-boosting wins in Khulna and Gazipur elections.

The elections in Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barisal on July 30 will be the last battle of ballots before the next parliamentary polls scheduled for end of this year.

So the city polls also pose a major challenge for the Election Commission as to whether it can win the trust and acceptance of all the political parties.

The BNP has already assigned three of its standing committee members to coordinate the campaigns for the three city polls -- Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury for Sylhet, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy for Rajshahi and Mirza Abbas for Barisal.

The party, however, is not hopeful of a smooth electioneering as its leaders say law enforcers have already started arresting its activists and supporters, and the intimidation and use of force will increase with the election day nearing.

“The last two city elections were not fair at all. Besides, our leaders and activists are being arrested regularly and still the atmosphere for a fair election is absent,” said Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, a standing committee member of BNP.

In Gazipur and Khulna city polls, there were instances of ballot stuffing and driving out BNP agents from the polling centres.

Keeping this in mind, BNP leaders think if the AL candidates win the elections to the three cities through irregularities, it would help expose “the government's real plan” for the national polls.

“We are participating in the city corporation polls despite knowing that polls would not be fair under this government and the Election Commission. Because we want to show the people that a fair election is not possible under them,” Moudud Ahmed, BNP's standing committee member, told The Daily Star.

“If the government has the courage, it should hold a fair election. But by occupying voting centres and ballot stuffing, they are basically exposing their intention over the next polls,” he added. 

AL leaders, on the other hand, say the party is in high spirits and united as they have already won two city corporations elections.

It has assigned joint general secretaries Jahangir Kabir Nanok, Mahbubul Alam Hanif and Abdur Rahman to coordinate the electioneering for the three city polls. Organising secretaries will assist them.

“We have nominated competent candidates and we are now united. And people are aware of our development works. So we are confident about our victory,” said Lt Col (retd) Faruk Khan, a presidium member of AL.

He also said the BNP is making false claims and polluting the election atmosphere sensing its defeat.

“In Gazipur and Khulna, many of the BNP-backed ward councillor candidates won the race but they did not bring the allegation that the BNP's polling agents were driven out from the polling centres.”

The previous elections to the five city corporations were also very crucial for the two parties as they were held just ahead of the national elections of 2014.

The BNP had a clean sweep in those city polls, considered largely free and fair, and the then EC's role was lauded. But this time, the party has already lost two city polls and criticising the role of EC.

On Wednesday, it alleged that the EC was not doing anything to ensure a level-playing field and a fair election in Barisal.

“Supporters of ruling party's mayoral candidate are holding processions all over the city. But police are obstructing BNP candidate Mujibur Rahman Sarwar from bringing out any procession,” said BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

Addressing a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan central office, he also alleged that the EC is not taking opposition candidate's allegations into consideration, reports UNB.

“The Election Commission itself is dead against holding a free and fair election. The allegations of the opposition have no value to them,” the BNP leader observed.

He alleged that Awami League leader Abul Hasnat Abdullah was carrying out electioneering in favour of the ruling party's mayoral candidate in Barisal violating the election code of conduct.

In Barisal mayoral polls, Awami league's Sadik Abdullah is facing a seasoned politician like Sarwar, a former mayor of the city and a former lawmaker. Sadik is not much experienced in politics.

In Sylhet, the AL nominated Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran and BNP picked Ariful Haque Chowdhury.

Immediate past mayor Arif defeated Kamran in the last election. But he could be in trouble this time because of the party's rebel candidate Badruzzaman Selim and independent contender Ehsanul Mahbub Jubayer, who is a Jamaat leader.

The BNP-led 20-party alliance has fielded a single candidate in Barisal and Rajshahi each but failed to do so in Sylhet as Jubayer is running for mayor defying repeated request of alliance partners.

This is the first time a Jamaat leader is contesting for a city mayor's post since the AL took office in 2009. This is also the first time the BNP and the Jamaat are facing off in a city's mayoral race.

“We are focusing more on Sylhet and putting in maximum efforts to win the mayoral post and prove that Jamaat cannot do anything in the field of voting without the BNP,” said a senior leader, seeking anonymity.

In Rajshahi, AL candidate AHM Khairuzzaman Liton and BNP's Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul are expected to be neck and neck in the polls. Both are former mayors having full backing from respective parties.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda said the EC will do everything to ensure that nobody can raise questions about the fairness of three city polls.