Seven BNP candidates yesterday filed separate election petitions with the High Court challenging the legality of the December 30 national election to their constituencies, citing widespread irregularities.

In the petitions, they appealed for cancelling the election results of their constituencies and directing the Election Commission to hold fresh elections there.

The BNP leaders are Saiful Islam Firoz from Jhenidah-4, Naser Rahman from Moulvibazar-3, Hafiz Ibrahim from Bhola-2, Jahiruddin Swapan from Barishal-1, Shah Riazul Hannan from Gazipur-4, Abul Kalam Azad from Tangail-7 and Abdul Hai from Munshiganj. 

The HC is yet to set any date for hearing the petitions.

Ruhul Kuddus Kajol, a lawyer for the petitioners, told The Daily Star that they would appeal to the HC for declaring the December 30 polls illegal as it was a “farcical” one.

Even dead people were shown casting votes, which is nothing but a clear evidence of a “farcical” election, he added. 

More BNP leaders may file similar petitions before the HC today, BNP insiders said.

The BNP and the Jatiya Oikyafront, an alliance of BNP and some other parties, rejected the polls results, alleging huge irregularities in the election.

The Awami League-led grand alliance secured 289 seats, while the Oikyafront got only eight seats.

The Oikyafront MP's-elect are yet to take oath in parliament.

The officer-in-charge of Kolaroa Police Station in Satkhira allegedly sought vote for Awami League's electoral symbol “Boat,” violating the electoral code of conduct.

“I, on behalf of the administration, want to say you one thing that you will cast your vote for the pro-liberation forces, for the 'boat' symbol,” the OC Maruf Ahmed said while speaking at a programme on Thursday.

A video clip of his speech went viral on social media where many people expressed their shock and dismay over the issue.

Narrating the incident, Habibul Islam Habib, a former BNP lawmaker and the Oikyafront candidate in Satkhira-1 constituency, submitted a written complaint to the Election Commission and demanded his immediate withdrawal.

“Some ruling party men, led by OC Maruf, have been carrying out violent attacks on the residents of BNP's leaders and activists for the last couple of days,” Habib told The Daily Star, adding that he had been staying outside of his constituency for the last few days due to security concerns.

“The minimum election atmosphere is even absent in Satkhira-1 constituency,” he said, adding that the local returning officer did not take any steps in this regard despite repeated appeals. 

OC Maruf, however, denied the allegation.

He told The Daily Star that he attended the programme for ensuring security and gave a welcome speech that was manipulated later by incorporating those words.

The video clip shows that Maruf asking all the audience to vote the AL-led government to power again for the continuation of the ongoing development.

 Merina Akter, assistant superintendent of Police (Sadar Circle) in Satkhira said it was not appropriate for him to speak about politics.

District returning officer SM Mostafa Kamal said they already had informed the district superintendent of police to take steps against the police officer in question.

At least 15 people were injured and 13 others arrested over violence in two districts yesterday, two days before the 11th parliamentary polls.

In Noakhali, three youths were injured in an explosion while making bombs in Companiganj upazila's Chairman Bari area in the morning, police said.

Law enforcers could not confirm the identities of the injured.

Polls violence subsided yesterday as the number of such incidents and casualties decreased compared to the last few days.

Meanwhile, Awami League Joint General Secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak yesterday alleged that six ruling party men were killed by BNP men during electioneering.

“BNP men attacked and injured 445 leaders and activists of our party and vandalised 174 election camps. We urge the police to arrest these hoodlums,” Nanak said at a press conference at the AL chief's Dhanmondi office in the capital.

According to media reports, motorcades and polls campaigns of at least 56 candidates, mostly of the BNP's, came under attack; some 1,190 people were injured and over 800 BNP-Jamaat men arrested during the electioneering between December 10 and 28 for the parliamentary polls.

Campaigning for tomorrow's national election ended at 8:00am yesterday.

At least 15 people were wounded in a clash between supporters of AL nominee Kazi Zafarullah and independent candidate Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury, widely known as Nixon Chowdhury, in Faridpur-4 yesterday over establishing supremacy in Bhanga upazila's Moheshwardi village.

Witnesses said supporters of the two rival candidates were campaigning informally in the village around noon. At one stage, they got involved in an altercation and clashed using lethal weapons.

Police and BGB teams later rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

Talking to journalists, Nixon's supporter Md Azam alleged that two supporters of Zafarullah beat him up without provocation.

Ashad Matubbar, supporter of the AL candidate, claimed Azam phoned him and threatened not to seek vote for ZafarUllah.

Both the rival groups denied the allegations against each other.

Additional policemen were deployed in the area to avoid further violence.

In Chandpur, police picked up 13 alleged BNP men following a clash between “criminals” and the opposition party men at the Rupsha house of Chandpur-4 BNP candidate Harunur Rashid in Faridganj upazila around noon.

Witness said a group of bike-riding criminals reached near Rashid's house and attacked it. As the BNP men tried to resist the attackers, the clash broke out.

Police later brought the situation under control.

Faridganj OC Ohidul Islam said they picked up 13 people in connection with the incident. The BNP claimed the arrestees to be its activists.

In Sunamganj, police arrested BNP leaders Abdul Motaleb Khan, also chairman of Dharmapasha upazila, and Harunur Rashid, former general secretary of Dowarabazar upazila BNP yesterday evening.

Police said the two were accused in sabotage cases.

N'GANJ CANDIDATE QUITS RACE

In Narayanganj-3, independent candidate Abdullah Al Kaiser last night announced that he was withdrawing from the polls in the face of pressure from the administration and considering the security of his supporters.

He made the announcement while talking to journalists at his Mograpara home in Sonargaon upazila around 9:00pm, hours after a joint team of police, BGB and Rab, led by an executive magistrate, raided his house.

Sazzad Roman, inspector (Special Branch) of Narayanganj police, said the raid was conducted on information that Kaiser was holding a “secret meeting” to commit subversive activities.

Shahinur Rahman, assistant returning officer in the district, said he didn't receive any compliant from any candidate about facing pressure from the administration.

In Tangail-3, BNP candidate Lutfar Rahman Khan Azad at a press conference yesterday demanded withdrawal of Maksudul Alam and Amirul Islam, officer-in-charge of Ghatail Police Station and in-charge of Dhalapara Police Outpost, for allegedly threatening his possible polling agents not to go to the polling centres on the voting day.

Amirul, however, denied the allegation.

Despite repeated attempts, The Daily Star could not reach Maksudul over the phone for comments.

In Cumilla, police were forced to release an AL man after the ruling party activists laid seize to Kotwali Model Police Station yesterday.

Police detained Syed Raihan, 40, son of local AL leader Abir Ahmed Photo, also a ward councillor of Cumilla City Corporation, in the city around 2:00pm.

Hearing the news, around 500 AL men laid seize to the police station. Law enforcers freed the detainee around 4:45pm, said locals.

Talking to journalists, Abir said, “Police detained Raihan from Mogoltuli area after Juma prayers without any specific allegation. Locals protested the incident and laid seize to the police station demanding his release.”

Abu Salam Mia, OC of the police station, said Raihan was detained due to a “misunderstanding”.

In Meherpur, criminals hurled two bombs at the house of district BNP Joint Secretary Abdul Awal Biswas in Gangni upazila's Bamundi village around 9:30pm on Thursday.

On the same night, Faridpur police in separate drives arrested seven BNP men from different areas of Boalmari Municipality.

Our district correspondents contributed to this report. 

Nomination of Shameem Sayedee, son of convicted war criminal and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee, for Pirojpur-1 has left local BNP leaders in a tight corner and made their fight against archrival Awami League tough.

The Jatiya Oikyafront, an alliance of the BNP and some other parties, has picked Shameem ignoring opinions of local BNP leaders.

Sayedee is now serving jail sentence unto death for committing crimes in Pirojpur during the 1971 Liberation War.

While AL candidate SM Rezaul Karim was campaigning vigorously in his electorate comprising Pirojpur Sadar, Nesarabad (Swarupkathi) and Nazirpur upazilas, Shameem was nowhere in the scene. There is no poster or campaigning for him anywhere in the constituency.

On the other hand, Rezaul has to fight not only Shameem but also AKMA Awal, the current AL lawmaker.

Awal had filed nomination paper as an independent candidate defying party decision but later withdrew it. However, many AL leaders are sceptical about the possible role of Awal in the polls.

He has drawn huge controversy allegedly for giving the district's top posts in the party and its associate bodies to his family members and associates. He has also allegedly oppressed some members of the minority community.

He denies the allegations.

After restoration of democracy in the country in the early 90's, the AL won the seat thrice -- in 1991, 2008 and 2014 (uncontested). Sayedee, former nayeb-e-ameer of Jamaat, won in the elections in 1996 and 2001.

But, after 2008, two major incidents have changed the equation.

Firstly, Sayedee is now behind bars and then the re-demarcation of the constituency leaving out Indurkani, the home upazila of Sayedee, and incorporating Hindu-majority Nesarabad upazila.

Around 30 percent of the total 4.18 lakh voters in the constituencies are from the minority communities, local leaders said.

During a visit to different areas of the constituency on Sunday, The Daily Star found no posters, electoral offices or campaigning in support of Sayedee's son. Rezaul, however, was seen campaigning in different areas of Nesarabad.

TOUGH SITUATION FOR BNP

At least 10 BNP leaders, including district committee chief Gazi Nuruzzaman Babul and former minister and Jatiya Party (Zafar) leader Mostafa Jamal Haider, had sought nomination for Pirojpur-1. The JP (Zafar) is a component of the BNP-led 20-party alliance.

But, when the nomination seekers learned about Jamaat's plan to field Shameem as a candidate, they told the party high command that they would work for any BNP candidate or even for Mostafa but not for Shameem, insiders said.

The high command ignored their opinions and chose Shameem.

Speaking anonymously, a local leader said Jamaat fielded Shameem in Parojpur-1 as part of its plan to hold two constituencies -- Pirojpur-1 & 2 -- under their control. Masood Sayedee, another son of Sayedee, is the incumbent upazila chairman of Indurkani, one of the three upazilas in Pirojpur-2.

“We have no problem in forging an alliance with Jamaat. But, it is really difficult for us to work for the son of a convicted war criminal even though there is question about the trial of Sayedee,” Nuruzzaman Babul told The Daily Star on Sunday.

“Actually, they [AL] were given a big weapon by nominating Shameem Sayedee here,” he said, adding, “But we have to follow the higher command's decision and work for him. But, they are not in the election field. They [Jamaat] cannot come to the field due their weak organisation here.”

Nazrul Islam Khan, president of Nazirpur upazila BNP, said they had warned the party high-ups that if Shameem was fielded, the AL would make it a big issue.

“Now the Awami League has made it a big issue and we are facing problems,” he said, adding, “After the re-demarcation of the constituency, it has become difficult for us to win the seat as there are some 1.2 lakh minority voters here.

He, however, said they would follow the party's decision.

BNP leaders said, the minorities are often considered as AL vote bank.

Masood Sayedee said since BNP is a big party, it has many eligible candidates and that they would be frustrated if denied nomination.

“But, we have personally and through the party talked to all of them and most of them have agreed to work with us. There might be a few exceptions,” he added.

He said they were facing obstacles to begin the campaign and at least 30 party men came under attacks when they went for either hanging posters or campaigning. Besides, several others have been arrested, he claimed.

AL candidate Rezaul Karim refuted the allegations.

“They are campaigning and carrying out other activities at night. It is difficult for them to campaign at day time as most of them are accused in different cases,” he said.

QUESTION ABOUT AWAL'S ROLE

Awal, president of district AL, hit the headlines on many occasions for controversial activities. He allegedly worked against the party nominees in the last district and union council elections.

MA Hakim Howlader, general secretary of district AL, alleged that Awal was disconnected from people for his activities and not keeping his promises.

Replying to a question, he said, “Although he agreed to work for our party candidate, it is difficult to believe him as he worked for Sayedee in 1996 and 2001 elections.”

“It's up to him to what he wants. However, I did not get any information that he is working for me,” Rezaul said when whether Awal was working for him.

The Daily Star could not reach Awal over phone for comments.

Blue-collar constituents, sympathy vote, and parochialism are likely to play a pivotal role in the city's three major constituencies, Chattogram-9, -10 and -11.

In Chittagong-11 (Port-Patenga), factory workers would be the major factor as the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ), Karnaphuli Export Processing Zone (KEPZ), and the Chattogram Port are located there.

According to the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority sources, there are about two lakh workers in CEPZ and 75,000 in KEPZ and 6,000-7,000 work in and around Chattogram Port.

Local sources said Chattogram-11 has the highest number of voters, a little over five lakh, and more than two lakh of them are factory workers.

Incumbent and Awami League-led alliance candidate MA Latif and Oikyafront candidate Amir Khashru Mahmud Chowdhury, former law maker from the constituency, are optimistic of getting the blue-collar vote.

Khashru, also a former minister, told The Daily Star, “Apart from expanding the activities of the port during our rule, we created huge job opportunities establishing the CEPZ and KEPZ.

“I was elected from this constituency four times and have done everything possible for the wellbeing of the workers. I am sure they will cast their votes again for me if they can go to the polling centres,” he added.

He claimed he could not campaign freely due to attacks by ruling party men and arrest of his leaders and activists.

Interestingly enough, MA Latif too claims he has the blue-collar votes almost in the bag. He told The Daily Star, “The workers are the main strength for me. I am sure 90 percent of more than two lakh workers will vote for me. 

“I have been providing them with essential commodities, including rice, lentil, edible oil and salt at half the price for the last 10 years … You can ask the workers what I have done for them.” he added.

Khadiza Begum, a worker at Sea Tax garments in CEPZ, said the candidate who gets support of the workers usually win in this constituency.

“We have been facing severe problems of accommodation and transportation,” she said, adding that they would vote for whoever is capable of solving the issues. 

In Chattogram-9 (Kotwali-Bakalia), public sympathy would be a factor for the AL-led alliance candidate Mohibul Hasan Hasan Nowfel, also the organising secretary of the party, and Oikyafront candidate Shahadat Hossain, also city unit president of BNP.

Both are first timers in Chattogram-9.

Nowfel is the son of late three-times Chattogram city mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury while Shahadat is in jail and has been shown arrested in at least 11 cases, which many say are false and fabricated.

“My father was a grassroots activist and loyal to the father of the nation and her daughter until his last breath. Hasina has recognised his efforts by nominating me,” said Nowfel, adding that people know that just like his father, he would be with the grassroots.

Badrul Anwar, chief election coordinator of Shahadat, said, “Our candidate has been arrested before the election to keep him out of the race. They did not even let us campaign freely. It has made the voters sympathetic towards our candidate.”

He said if the voters could go to the polling centres, Shahadat would definitely win. 

 Shama Pada Dey, a resident of Alkaran area, said being the son of the late mayor, Nowfel has been getting a lot of attention wherever he goes. But

some people also have sympathy for Shahadat.

“People with no political affiliation have not accepted the arrest of Shahadat before the election,” he added.

A few others echoed Shama while talking to The Daily Star at the bus stop in front of the General Post Office.

In Chattogram-10 (Double-mooring), localism might be the key factor. AL led alliance candidate Afsarul Amin Chowdhury on the campaign trail has been saying that Oikyafront candidate Abdullah Al Noman is an outsider.

Afsarul told The Daily Star, “My opponent is an outsider; he is not even a voter of this constituency. I have been running from this constituency since 1996. The voters here elected me twice, which paved the way for me to be a minister.”

He claimed that he had conducted massive development projects over the last 10 years and that people would recognise that.

Noman, also a former minister, termed Afsarul's comments unexpected. “I have been with the people of this constituency for a long time and have implemented many development projects, including establishment of Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Science University.”

He said people would ignore such unfair comments and vote for him if they could go to the polling centres.

Mohammed Faizullah Pappu, general secretary of the Sonali Residential Area Welfare Association in North Agrabad, said the local and outsider issue was indeed a factor in 2014 and it is a factor this time too.

A few people The Daily Star spoke to in Halishahar Housing Estate, Noyabar, and Bou Bazar, said local or outsider did not matter.

There are six constituencies in the city but Chattogram-4, -5 and -8 are made up of mostly Sitakunda, Hathazari, and Boalkhali upazilas.