Lofty promises on one side, concerns on another
The Awami League-backed mayoral candidate of Barisal city polls promised to turn the city into a mega city if elected, while BNP alleged that outsiders are coming into the city ahead of the election, causing concern among citizens.
Addressing a number of premise meetings and gatherings around the city, AL candidate Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah said he would develop the city to a great extent.
“The city will be turned in to a mega city if you cast your votes for me; I will be able to do more development works than you think,” he said.
“Barisal will be a centre of business and industry, where thousands of people can work,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mojibor Rahman Sarwar, the mayoral candidate of BNP-led 20-party alliance, alleged that his opponents are hiring manpower from outside the city. Hinting that these people may be involved in disrupting the election, he said, “As law enforcers are doing nothing to prevent it, it is causing concern among the citizens.”
“We do not want to specify any name of the candidate; we can only say that stern steps are needed from administration to address these concerns,”said Sarwar.
Sarwar further alleged that BNP-nominated councillor candidate of ward-20 was pressurised to step aside from electioneering. Another councillor candidate Zakir Hossain Jelal has been forced to withdraw his nomination paper, he alleged.
Sarwar cautioned that unlike Khulna or Gazipur, people of Barisal will not tolerate if the election was held under these kinds of activities. “We have asked our workers to stay at the vote centres till declaration of results, and requested the EC to supply ballots and boxes in morning,” he added.
Advocate Golam Abbas Chowdhury Dulal, president of Barisal City Awami League, however, denied the allegations. “We are not creating pressure against any candidate, and are following electoral code of conduct,” he said.
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