City polls: AL, BNP accuse each other of bringing in thugs, outsiders
With the Dhaka city corporation election just two days away, many fear law and order in the capital may deteriorate.
The fear stems from Awami League and BNP men accusing each other of bringing in “outsiders” to create chaos during the polls.
AL leaders alleged outsiders and criminals, hired by the BNP, were gathering in the city to impede a free and fair election. BNP leaders, on the other hand, said the ruling party has “brought 30 lakh outsiders as well as arms” to Dhaka.
Some recent incidents of polls violence add to the fear.
For example, supporters of two AL-backed councillor candidates clashed in Gulshan area yesterday.
On January 26, a clash broke out in Wari between supporters of Ishraque Hossain, BNP’s mayor candidate for the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), and those of Rokon Uddin, an AL-backed councillor aspirant.
Earlier on January 21, Tabith Awal, BNP’s mayor pick for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), came under attack from supporters of another AL-supported councillor candidate. The incident happened while Tabith and his supporters were electioneering in Mirpur area.
Law enforcers have informed the returning officers of the two polls that about two-thirds of the voting centres are vulnerable to violence. The highest number of such centres are in the DNCC areas.
In this situation, additional law enforcers would be deployed this morning to maintain law and order in the city.
Talking to The Daily Star, returning officers for the DNCC and DSCC elections, Abul Kashem and Abdul Baten, said there was nothing to worry about the law and order.
Deadline for the electioneering ends this midnight.
THE ALLEGATION
Alleging that the BNP has been bringing in outsiders to Dhaka ahead of the election, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday urged the Election Commission to take necessary measures in this regard.
The polls atmosphere has been good so far, but the BNP hiring outsiders, including criminals, has made us concerned, Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said at a press briefing at his Secretariat office.
“We have information that on election day, these armed goons can hamper a free and fair election in the name of guarding polling stations,” he said.
“The EC can use law enforcers, who are now under its jurisdiction. It should take measures immediately,” he said.
Asked about the allegation, BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain termed it “hilarious”.
He then accused the AL of bringing 30 lakh outsiders in the capital ahead of the polls. “They are also bringing in arms.”
“These people dare to bring in arms as police will not take any steps against them”, he said yesterday, while addressing a press briefing at Ishraque’s home in the capital.
‘RISKY’ CENTRES
Based on police assessment, the DNCC and the DSCC returning officers said 65 percent of the total 2,468 polling centres were “important” and “vulnerable to violence”.
According to Kashem, 66 percent of the 1,318 poling centres in the DSCC areas were “important”. Baten said 63 percent of 1,150 centres under the DNCC’s jurisdiction were “important”.
Police have prepared a security plan and categorised the polling centres taking opinions of field level law enforcers and intelligence officials, said sources.
“As a law enforcement agency, we don’t use the word ‘vulnerable’ because it may send a negative message to the people. So we have used the term ‘important’ and prepared our security plan giving importance to those centres,” a top police official said.
There will additional law enforcers stationed in those “important” polling centres, the official said.
A team of 16 law enforcers will be deployed at each polling centres, while a team of 18 will be at a polling station considered as vulnerable.
BGB STARTS PATROL TODAY
EC sources said 65 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) would be deployed this morning as striking force while another 10 platoons would be kept as reserved forces.
Each platoon will be deployed for two wards under the city corporations and the BGB personnel will be on duty for four days till February 2.
Lt Col Mohiuddin Ahmed, director operations of the BGB, told The Daily Star that the BGB members would be patrolling the city from sunrise today.
Five platoons would be kept as reserved force for each city corporation, he said.
According to EC sources, each such platoon would have 15 to 25 BGB personnel.
CAMPAIGN CONCLUDES TONIGHT
The three-week-long electioneering for the polls ends at midnight today.
The returning officers said they received 133 complaints till yesterday afternoon.
Almost all of them were filed by the BNP’s mayor candidates and the councillor contenders backed by the party, they said, adding that the BNP men accused their AL rivals of violating the electoral code of conduct.
Both the returning officers claimed almost all the complaints had been settled.
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