Campaign time over in rainy Ctg

Heavy downpour yesterday submerges Bakalia Govt Laboratory High School in Chittagong but locals make a day out of it catching fish in the school playground. Photo: STAR

The three-week-long electoral campaigns of the candidates for Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) elections ended Tuesday midnight, 32 hours before the polls scheduled for June 17.
Despite heavy pouring for the few days, seven mayor-aspirants, 253 councillor candidates and 59 women councillor contestants conducted their last moment campaign yesterday.
The central leaders of ruling Awami League (AL) and main opposition BNP helping in their candidates' campaigns left the city as per the electoral code of conduct.
The Election Commission (EC) has deployed six companies of the Army along with the police, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and border guards in the city corporation areas to maintain law and order. It has also deployed two additional law enforcers to each 451 sensitive voting centres out of a total of 673 centres and will install 41 video cameras today for constant vigilance during the polls.
The last few days' heavy downpour might make holding of the elections difficult in the low-lying areas, as a number of centres in the low areas were seen under knee-deep water yesterday.
The local election office found 20 polling centres inundated by rainwater. The silver lining is that it was dry yesterday although the sky remained cloudy.
Assistant Returning Office Farhad Hossain said if the rain continues to pour they have enough capacity to set up 50 temporary centres with assistance of the army.
Ahead of the elections, two vital mayoral candidates ABM Mohiuddin of AL and Manjur Alam of BNP alleged each other of threatening the minorities and distributing money to buy votes, which have heated up the electoral environment.
Mohiuddin alleged that his opponent is threatening the minority community while Manjur's chief electoral agent Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury alleged that it was the prime minister who had been trying to influence the leaders of minority community over the phone.
Manjur's electoral camp alleged that they had placed a number of allegations with the EC but it did not pay any heed to those while Mohiuddin's camp said his rivals had been distributing objectionable leaflets against him.
Meanwhile, a mobile court yesterday fined Tk 50,000 to a man for violating electoral code as he was caught red-handed distributing tabloids carrying derogatory articles against Mohiuddin at Mohammadpur area of the city. The man was identified as Jamaluddin of Mirzapul area under Panchlaish Police Station.
Over 16.88 lakh voters are expected to cast votes from 8:00am to 4:00pm on June 17. The EC will start distributing ballot papers to the centres today.
“We're observing the situation. Our people are inspecting the centres and on receiving their report we will inform that to the Election Commission Secretariat in Dhaka for the next step," said Assistant Retuning Officer Farhad Hossain.
Ignoring water logging in the city the candidates for general ward councillor and women councillors were seen going door-to-door asking for votes.
Member of different professional bodies including teachers of Chittagong University conducted campaign for their mayoral candidates.
Manjur, who is contesting under the Chittagong Development Movement, in his last minute campaign met people of the city's Bakshir Haat and west and east Madarbari. Local leaders of BNP and its associate organisations also sought votes and blessings for Manjur.
AL-backed candidate ABM Mohiuddin of Citizen's Committee has been urging voters to cast their vote for him while conducting campaign at low-income areas of Patarghata, Jhawtala, Firingibazar and Madaribari.
BRIFING OF MOHIUDDIN AND MANJUR
At a press briefing at Nagorik Committee office Mohiuddin Chowdhury said he would win this elections by double margin than that of the last one.
He blamed his opponent for threatening the minorities, distribution of objectionable leaflets and money to sabotage his reputation and buy votes. He requested the EC to take measures against these.
On the other hand, Mohammad Manjur Alam said people are very much eager to vote him as he has been serving them for decades. People want a change and that's why he has doubt over Mohiuddin's hope to win in the elections.
Senior BNP leaders Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, Morshed Khan, Abdullah Al Noman, Mir Nasir, among others, were present at the briefing held at a local hotel.