Outsiders asked to leave polling areas by today [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Outsiders asked to leave polling areas by today

Local December 19, 2016

Mayoral candidates of both the ruling Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party fear deterioration of the law and order during polls in Narayanganj City Corporation scheduled for December 22 as there is no visible move to recover illegal arms.
The Election Commission, in a circular issued on December 6, asked all who were not residents or voters of the city to leave the city area by midnight today.
Returning officer Nuruzzaman Talukder said that the law enforcers were asked to take actions against people for any defiance of the order.
Both AL candidate Selina Hayat Ivy and BNP candidate Sakhawat Hossain Khan have urged the Election Commission to ensure environment congenial to peaceful polls.
‘We see no visible initiatives by the local administration and the Election Commission to recover the illegal arms and arrest listed criminals in the city area,’ Sakhawat told New Age on Sunday.
‘I just like to request the Election Commission to ensure peaceful environment for the election taking all necessary steps,’ Ivy told New Age on Sunday, adding that she wanted to talk no more on the recovery of legal and illegal arms as she had been raising the demand from the very beginning.
Sakhawat, however, criticised the recent decision of banning the carrying of all types of licenced firearms in Narayanganj city in December 19-25.
On December 16, the district administration issued a ban on carrying of any licenced arms in the city from December 19 to December 25.
‘District administration has made the decision to ensure environment congenial to fair and peaceful elections,’ returning officer Nuruzzaman Talukder said.
He said that they had already asked the district administration and the police to collect licenced arms.
According to police, there are a total of 586 licenced firearms under three police stations in Narayanganj city – 403 under Sadar police station, 89 under Bandar police station and 94 under Siddhirganj police station.
Narayanganj additional superintend of police Mostafizur Rahman said that they conducted several drives in the city and arrested some listed criminals and recovered some illegal arms.
He, however, failed to say that how many crime suspects were arrested and how many arms were recovered.
At a press conference at the party’s central office on Sunday, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi claimed that administrative officials, known to be pro-Awami League, were engaged in handling the city polls.
He alleged that the commission was yet to ensure environment congenial to the holding of free and fair polls.
According to the city corporation, 3,72,995 of the 7,09,381 people in the city area have been enrolled to cast their vote.
On Sunday, both AL and BNP candidates were busy seeking votes at places in the city as the electioneering would end midnight past Tuesday.
During her electioneering at wards 11, 12 and 13 in the city, Ivy said that no third party would be benefited by conspiracy if the law enforcement agencies and the commission acted neutrally.
Sakhawat conducted electioneering at wards 24 and 25 in the city.
He said that he was confident about his win in the election if no ‘election engineering’ took place.