Manjur's camp files harassment complaints against cops, 'pro-AL men'

Alleging that Manjur Alam's campaigners were being harassed and intimidated, Chattagram Unnayan Andolon filed two complaints with the Election Commission yesterday demanding punitive measures against two policemen and men claiming to be Bangladesh Chhatra League and Jubo League activists.

Bandar Police Station Sub-inspector Md Shamim and Patenga Police Station Assistant Sub Inspector Md Sazzad were barring Manjur's campaigners from hanging posters and banners, threatening families of BNP leaders acting as polling agents and intimidating voters, said one complaint.

The platform backing the BNP-supported Chittagong City Corporation poll's mayor candidate asked for the duo to be “withdrawn” and kept away from election related duties.

The activists were barring campaigners in Polytechnic, Bayezid and Khulshi areas, said the other complaint, signed by the platform's Member Secretary Advocate SUM Nurul Islam. Returning Officer Abdul Baten said they were looking into it.

ifesto should have been finalised with his suggestions.

Mohiuddin's expression of dissatisfaction proved that he is still “aggrieved” for his “not getting party support” for the mayoral run, he said.

However, Chittagong city AL Vice President Nayeem Uddin Chowdhury brushed aside any negative impact of the remarks. “Mohiuddin bhai is working hard for Nasir's campaign despite his illness. There is no rivalry in the party; we all are unitedly working for Nasir's win,” he said.

The BNP camp is particularly apprehensive of a free and fair election.

Ameer Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Chittagong city president of the party, said they had information that the AL camp had “planned to occupy” the polling centres. “We neither get support from the Election Commission, nor from police,” he said.

However, he did not say how and from where he obtained the information.

“The EC has asked to submit the names of the agents of the candidates in the poling centres within April 26, which is unprecedented. Previously, we used to submit the names of agents on election day,” he said. “We fear that the agents might be harassed by police.”

Khasru said, “We are now totally dependent on the common people who are the actual owners of the state.”

Contacted, Shafiqur Rahman, assistant returning officer of the city polls, said that as they would send all electoral materials and law enforcers to the polling centres on April 27, they needed some preparations, and so they wanted the list of agents within April 26.