DHAKA, CHITTAGONG CITY POLLS

Campaigns for mayoral elections to three city corporations peaked on Friday amid mounting tension over security of candidates, their workers and voters due to repeated attacks on campaigners, particularly of the opposition, including BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, and the Election Commission’s flip-flopping on decisions over including deployment of army troops for the polls. A number of campaigners said that they treated Friday as important and the last holiday before the polling as the electioneering is scheduled to end midnight Sunday. Candidates who are busy going door to door to reach as many voters as possible before the deadline, used mosques in the cities to woo voters on Friday as mosques witness  huge gatherings for weekly juma prayers, though electioneering at religious institutions is forbidden. Candidates and their workers were seen busy distributing leaflets and chanting slogans immediately after juma prayers at different mosques. Police till Friday afternoon arrested four BNP-backed councillor candidates. At least three incidents of assault on campaigners for opposition candidates were reported between Thursday afternoon and Friday evening in Dhaka and Chittagong allegedly by supporters of the ruling party- backed candidates. Witnesses said police pulled down a campaigner from a rickshaw while he was seeking votes through public address system for Tabith Awal, the BNP-backed mayoral candidate for Dhaka North city, at FDC crossing at about 6:00pm. Ataur Rahman, agent of ward 36 councillor candidate Saleh Siddique, alleged that police had picked up two campaigners from Nayatola Madrassah area. Talking to New Age, Jatiya Nirbachan Parjabekkhan Parishad chairman Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah said the attacks on Khaleda’s campaign convoy and arrest of opposition activists was unexpected. He said the attacks and violence in the run-up to the election would put an adverse impact on voter turnout. Sayeed Khokon, AL-backed mayoral candidate for Dhaka South city, sought vote from devotees during juma prayers at the Baitul Mukarram national mosque in breach of the electoral code of conduct. The imam of the mosque, Mizanur Rahman, also urged the devotees to pray for Sayeed Khokon. Earlier, Khokon conducted campaigns in the capital’s New Market kitchen market and Khilgaon areas. ‘Whoever is elected mayor, he should work for the citizens from day one. There is no case filed against me so I would be able to work from day one,’ he said. Annisul Huq, AL’s mayoral favourite for Dhaka North city, attended a gathering of ulema at Milestone School and College Hall at Uttara, organised by Bangladesh United Islamic Party. Talking to newsmen, Annis said, ‘The attack on Khaleda Zia’s campaign convoy was unjust.’ ‘I do not know which quarter has carried out the attack. Many told me that the attack was carried out by the ruling party men. It may put an adverse impact on my campaign,’ he said. ‘You all know me for long. I never compromised and will not compromise in the coming days. I will not make compromise for the mayoral post.’ Annisul Huq then attended a cultural programme organised by senior artistes at Mohakhali T&T Ground in the afternoon before going to Rayer Bazar for election campaign. He also joined an election meeting at Krishibid Institution, Bangladesh at Khamarbari. BNP-backed mayoral candidate for Dhaka North city Tabith Awal conducted election campaign at Mohakhali’s Sattala slum. Tabith alleged that police had barred him from entering Rahim Metal mosque at Tejgaon to say juma prayers as the state minister for home affairs was scheduled to offer prayers there. Tabith told newsmen that he had planned to offer juma prayers at Rahim Metal jam-e-mosque after campaigning in Mohakhali Sattala slum, health directorate and Nabisco areas. Alongside his mother Nasreen Awal Mintoo, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia also conducted electioneering for Tabith after a day’s pause. During electioneering, Ganasanghati Andolan-backed mayoral candidate for Dhaka North city, Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki said he had doubt whether the Election Commission was sincere about a fair election. ‘Changing its own decision [on army deployment] has raised questions whether the commission is working at the government’s instructions.’ Afroza Abbas, who is carrying out electioneering on behalf of her husband Mirza Abbas for Dhaka South mayor, began campaigns from Hazarbagh area. She said she feared that the government might ‘snatch’ election results. ‘That is why we repeatedly demanded army deployment for the polls. But they will not deploy troops. We also demanded setting up of closed circuit cameras at polling stations. They will not install the cameras.’ With only three days to go for the elections, a good number of councillor candidates backed by Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, did not appear in public for electioneering fearing arrest and harassment. A day after deciding to deploy the armed forces for election duty, the EC changed its mind on Wednesday and wrote to the Armed Forces Division again to keep the troops standby inside the cantonment, until they were called in. The ruling party men attacked the motorcade of Khaleda Zia for three consecutive days on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

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