Narayanganj Polls
EC blamed for slow action in NCC polls
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Mayoral candidates Selina Hayat Ivy at Ispahani Bazar, Shamim Osman at Bandar and Taimur Alam Khandaker at Chanmari yesterday. Photo: STAR
Leaders of the citizens' committee supporting Selina Hayat Ivy in the upcoming Narayanganj City Corporation polls at a press conference yesterday complained of the Election Commission's (EC) delay in punishing violators of the electoral code of conduct. At another press conference at its party office in Narayanganj, BNP leaders, backing mayoral candidate Taimur Alam Khandaker, reiterated their demand to remove electronic voting machines (EVM) from the polls. The citizen's committee leaders organised the press conference at Selina's residence in Dewbhog of Narayanganj. Speaking at the programme, the committee Convener SM Akram said EC is strategically delaying its actions, ensuring that the offenders remain untouched. On October 24, around 2,000 men were fed at a gathering hosted by supporters of mayoral candidate Shamim Osman in Dewbhog, Laksmi Akhra. Though EC was immediately informed, its officials arrived too late to catch the offenders, he said. The committee leaders said while demonstrating the way to use EVMs, EC officers are using a clock symbol, bearing a striking resemblance to Shamim's “wall clock” electoral symbol. Speaking at BNP's press conference, Taimur said the election's returning officer “must prove that he is a neutral person, not having any affiliation with the ruling party. Meanwhile, addressing a press briefing at the party's central office in Nayapaltan yesterday , BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi demanded withdrawal of the officers-in-charge of Narayanganj Sadar and Shiddhirganj Police Stations accusing them of influencing voters. “The local administration is taking steps to ensure victory of the ruling party favourite in the upcoming polls. Supporters of the opposition are being threatened. The two officials are working to influence the election,” he said. The authorities have not yet removed the cops, though BNP already submitted an appeal in this connection, complained Rizvi. Meanwhile, two upazila chairmen, Shahjahan Mia of Chandpur Haimchar and Shahjahan Bhuiyan of Rupganj, were fined Tk 10,000 each last night for using a government vehicle while campaigning for mayoral candidate Shamim Osman. Magistrate Abdullah Al Mahmud caught the two offenders at Gudmail area in Narayanganj and realised the fine. He also asked police to keep the vehicle under their custody till October 31. A mobile court yesterday sentenced Alamgir Hossain, a campaigner of a ward-15 councillor candidate, to one-month's imprisonment for playing a loudspeaker in front of a school at Rallybagan , a breach of the electoral code of conduct.
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