CODE BREACH IN MAYORAL POLLS Tabith files complaint against Atiq

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party mayoral aspirant for Dhaka North City on Saturday raised an allegation against his competitor ruling Awami League’s M Atiqul Islam of violating the electoral code.

Tabith submitted a complaint to the city’s returning officer saying that Atiq took part in a programme organised by his party leaders and activists at Gulashan Park on Saturday morning breaching the City Corporation (Electoral Code) Rules, 2016.

According to the complaint, Atiq sought votes for him using public announcement system though the law prohibits all kind of electioneering before the allocation of election symbols among the candidates.

As per the Election Commission schedule, the returning officer’s office is scheduled to allocate the symbols on January 9.

When asked about the mater, Dhaka North RO Abul Kashem told New Age that he received the complaint and the matter would be investigated.

Necessary actions will be taken after the investigation, he added.

Atiq could not be contacted over phone when New Age tried to have his comment regarding the allegation.

Atiq’s media wing, however, in a WhatsApp message said that AL activists would knock at the door of every city dweller to seek  vote for him.

He said that a level playing field would be ensured in the electoral campaigning.

BNP mayoral aspirant for Dhaka South City Ishraque Hossain on the day too submitted a written complaint to the RO office concerned.

In the complaint, Ishraque alleged that BNP candidates were being intimidated so that they would quit the electoral race.

Talking to reporters, he said that he submitted the complaint in the prescribed format while he also orally informed the matter to the officials concerned on Friday.

Ishraque said that BNP councillor candidate Tajuddin Ahmed Taijul was arrested on Thursday as part of an intimidation campaign.

About the matter, DSC returning officer Abdul Baten told New Age that he had already started an investigation into the mater.

He said that the Election Commission would ask the authorities concerned not to act against any candidate in old cases.

The police will be asked to inform the EC about the actions it was taking against candidates, he said further.

He observed that such moves by the police would make the election environment unstable.

BNP councillor candidate for DSC ward-32 Tajuddin, president of the Bangshal unit BNP, was arrested on Thursday in an old case filed against him for torching vehicles during the 2015 BNP movement.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ashek Imam sent him to jail on Friday after the Bangshal police station produced him before the court.

Meanwhile, the BNP on Saturday formed two separate committees to supervise the electoral activities of the party candidates in the two Dhaka city corporations.

For the south city, BNP standing committee member Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain will lead a 21-member committee as its convener while standing committee members Mirza Abbas and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud were assigned as the joint conveners of the team.

For the north city, BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed will lead another 21-member committee as its convenor while standing committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Selima Rahman were made the joint convenors of the team.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net