Municipal Election
3 municipalities go to polls today
All is set to hold elections to Magura, Parbatipur and Char Fashion municipalities today.
In Magura municipality, five candidates are contesting for the mayoral post, 63 candidates for nine councillor posts and 21 women for three reserved seats, reports our correspondent.
Awami League backed candidates Altaf Hossain, Jatiya Party candidate advocate Hasan Seraj Suja, BNP backed candidate Ayub Hossain,BNP rebel Farukuzzaman and independent candidate BM Moon are contesting for the mayoral post.
The main contest is, however, expected to be limited between Altaf Hossain and Hasan Seraj Suja, said local observers.
"Supporters of AL backed candidate are putting pressure on general voters to cast votes in favour of their candidate and also hatching conspiracy to snatch my victory,” alleged Jatiya Party backed mayor candidate Hasan Seraj Suja.
Some AL activists are also supporting Suja because they think Altaf Hossain and several other local Awami League leaders have deprived them of all sorts of facilities after the present government assumed power.
“As our party has been dogged by internal feud, two candidates of rival factions Ayub Hossain and Farukuzzaman are fighting for the mayoral posts but none of them are popular in the area. Even they have failed to gain the support of party activists. Grassroots level leaders have already decided to support the Jatiya Party-backed candidate,” said a top leader of BNP municipality unit.
District unit president of Magura BNP Kabir Murad also echoing the same sentiment said that activists of AL backed candidate Altaf Hossain are threatening our candidate Ayub Hossain and his supporters not to go to polling centres pressuring to extend support to their candidate.
“The voters are now panicked and fair election has become uncertain as the poll is going to be held without deployment of army”, Kabir continued.
Meanwhile, local administration has taken all security measures to avert untoward incidents on the polling day. A total of 450 policemen have been deployed at 31 polling centres. Besides two platoons of BGB (Border Guard of Bangladesh), two platoons of Rab (Rapid Action Battalion) personnel and APBN personnel will remain as striking force.
The administration had earlier identified 18 polling centres out of 31 as vulnerable to violence. All necessary measures to ensure free, fair and peaceful polling at these centres, district administration sources said.
“We are determined to hold a free and fair election”, said the superintendent of police (SP).
Our Dinajpur correspondent reported that four aspirants are vying for mayoral post of Parbatipur municipality in today's election.
They are BNP backed candidate AZM Minhazul Haque, AL blessed candidate MA Wahab Sarker, AL rebels Faysal Alam and Mosharraf Hossain.
The election to the municipality was due on January 12, but it was deferred following a writ petition filed with High Court on December 6 last year over delimitation issue.
The local administration has deployed a large number law enforcers, including Rab and police to hold a peaceful election. Besides, BGB personal will remain in the municipality as striking force during the election.
Our Patuakhali correspondent adds: Bhola district administration has taken all necessary measures to hold polls to Char Fashion municipality today.
As many as fifty-one candidates are contesting the election. Of them, four for mayoral post, 34 for nine councillors posts and 13 women candidates for three reserved seats.
Mayoral candidates are Awami League backed Abdus Salam Howlader, BNP backed ANM Amirul Islam, Jamaat backed Md Harun-or-Rashid and Nagorik committee's candidate DM Mohammad Faruq.
Returning officer said all security measures have been taken to conduct a free and fare election.
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