Dhaka Mayoral Polls BNP alleges attacks on campaign

Bangladesh Nationalist Party mayoral candidates for Dhaka north and south cities on Sunday alleged that their campaigners came under attacks at places during electioneering by the ruling Awami League activists.  

On the third day of electioneering, mayoral candidates of ruling Awami League and opposition BNP started raising complaints of being attacked by their opponents as they passed a busy day on Sunday.

Dhaka north and south cities will go to the polls on January 30.

Addressing a press conference, BNP’s mayoral candidate for Dhaka south city Isharaque Hossain said that activists of ruling Awami League are conducting attacks and threatening his activists and the BNP-backed councillor candidates at almost every ward.

He said that a level playing field was yet to be created and there was no visible move from the Election Commission to create it.

AL’s mayoral candidate for Dhaka south city Sheikh Falze Noor Taposh claimed that a group of activists of BNP candidate Ishraque carried out an attack on AL’s electioneering at RK Mission Road on Saturday night.

Taposh raised the allegation when he was conducting electioneering at Shantinagar area in the capital on Sunday.

In Dhaka north city, a group of Chhatra Dal and Juba Dal activists locked in clash at National Zoo area when BNP’s mayoral candidate Tabith Awal was conducting electioneering in the area.

Tabith said that the incident took place from misunderstandings and he managed the situation immediately.

Besides, Tabith submitted a complaint with the returning officer saying that AL activists carried out an attack on his electioneering at Darus Salam area on Sunday and some of his campaigners got injured.

About the allegation, AL candidate Md Ariqul Islam said that he does not support attacking opponents as he has no record of backing violent activities.

Till Sunday, the Election Commission did not take any decision to change the voting date from January 30 as the Saraswati Puja falls on the day. The leaders of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council are scheduled to meet the Chief Election Commissioner today to discuss the matter.

The Hindu community are requesting the commission to change the voting day as they would celebrate Saraswati Puja, one of the major religious festivals of the Hindu community, on the day.

Election commissioner Kabita Khanam told reporters that the commission fixed the day according to the government’s official calendar and it has no plan to change it.

She said that a writ petition was also filed with the High Court in this regard. ‘We will follow the court order, if any,’ she added.

Besides, Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader said the two ‘clean-imaged mayoral candidates’ of the party — Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh and Atiqul Islam — are enough to conduct election campaign and face BNP candidates in the upcoming Dhaka city polls.

‘Awami League leaders and activists did not violate the Electoral Code of Conduct in the city elections. We will conduct election campaign abiding by the code,’ he told a press conference after a secretariat meeting of the party at the party president’s Dhanmondi office.

Obaidul, also road transport and bridges minister, said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was spreading misleading information about AL’s election campaign.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net