Returning officers 'unaware'
Returning officers for two city corporation polls in Dhaka yesterday said they were not aware of any reported breach of electoral code of conduct by some ministers.
The ministers' activities, however, were reported in different newspapers and aired by some television channels.
Mihir Sarwar Morshed, returning officer (RO) of Dhaka South City Corporation polls, and Shah Alam, RO of Dhaka North City Corporation polls, said they would look into the matter if there is any complaint.
The RO, responsible for conducting Chittagong City Corporation polls, said he received an allegation on violating the electoral code of conduct, and would investigate it.
In blatant violation of the electoral code of conduct, some ministers and state ministers on Tuesday held separate meetings with leaders of the Awami League-led 14-party alliance in Dhaka and Chittagong cities to discuss the polls, scheduled for April 28.
On Monday, four cabinet members and a prime minister's adviser with the status of a minister had another such meeting with the AL's Dhaka city unit leaders.
Sayeed Khokon, AL-blessed mayor aspirant in Dhaka South City Corporation, was also present at the meeting at the party chief's Dhanmondi office.
According to Article 14 (A) of the code of conduct for city corporation elections, "... ministers, state ministers, deputy ministers or anybody of their status cannot participate in election campaigns or electoral activities ..."
"If any minister holds a meeting for a candidate, it is a violation of the electoral code of conduct," Election Commissioner Abdul Mobarak told The Daily Star on Monday.
Asked, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad yesterday said, "... We have directed the returning officers to take necessary action whenever they receive complaints of violation of the electoral code of conduct."
Shah Alam, RO for DNCC polls, said they were not aware of any reported violation of the electoral code of conduct by some ministers but came to know about it through media reports. "We are looking into the matter," he told reporters.
Mihir Sarwar Morshed, RO for DSCC polls, said, "We received objections regarding violation of code of conduct against 15 mayoral aspirants. We will issue show cause notices after scrutinising (the complaints)."
Replying to a query, Mihir said they did not receive any allegation against any minister to this end. Action will be taken after receiving specific allegation, he told reporters.
Chattagram Unnayan Andolan, a platform that is backing mayor candidate BNP leader Manjur Alam Manju in the CCC polls, filed a complaint with the returning officer against Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossain yesterday.
In the complaint, they mentioned that the minister in a meeting at a city hotel on Tuesday urged the leaders and workers of the AL for making efforts to get its mayoral candidate elected.
Abdul Baten, RO of the CCC, confirmed about receiving the complaint, and said they would first investigate what actually happened in the meeting and then take decision on its next course of action, reports our Chittagong office.
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