Prestige battle for AL, BNP in B'baria

Dozens of high-profile leaders of two major political parties arrived in the urban town of Brahmanbaria in their efforts to secure victory for their respective party-nominated candidates in the by-polls scheduled tomorrow.
Both the parties have taken the by-polls as a prestige issue following countrywide municipal elections that experienced significant proportion of victory to the main opposition BNP.
The central along with local leaders and activists of both the parties and their alliances were conducting campaigns divided in different units.
Some were making door-to-door campaigns, while others were addressing rallies and press conferences.
Ruling Awami League kept on making pledges one after another including making the grand alliance candidate a minister if he won.
On the other hand, BNP has taken the issue of continuous price hike of essentials that has put a significant impact on people.
Both the parties yesterday conducted their last spell of campaign, as all sorts of electioneering were scheduled to conclude at 12:00 last night.
The AL-led grand alliance yesterday held a rally in presence of its central leaders.
Speaking as the chief guest, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad featured success of the government and vowed to solve all sorts of problems within next three years.
Ershad said the government gives farmers subsidy and agricultural tools for better production. "The country has achieved self-sufficiency in food. No-one is starving now," he added.
AL leader Tofail Ahmed said even if the BNP-nominated candidate won, he would not be able to do any development activities as BNP does not go to parliament.
He categorically said the government would solve power crisis across the country within this year.
Grand alliance candidate RAM Ubaidul Muktadir Chowdhury vowed to make the district free from corruption, terrorism and communalism.
AL district unit acting president Syed AKM Emdadul Bari chaired the rally, while JP Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawlader, Bangladesh Chhatra League President Mahmud Hasan Ripon and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal Joint General Secretary Shirin Akhter, among others, were present.
Meanwhile, BNP at a press conference termed 52 polling centres vulnerable and 21 of them most vulnerable and demanded army deployment during voting.
The BNP leaders alleged ruling AL is hatching conspiracy for vote rigging through state mechanism and muscle power to steal victory.
"The ruling party has become desperate to hatch conspiracy sensing inevitable defeat. The Election Commission has withdrawn army to facilitate their conspiracy," said Harun-Al- Rashid, president of BNP district unit and vice-chairman of BNP central committee.
He claimed the ruling party men attacked different electoral campaigning centres immediately after army withdrawal.
BNP-nominated candidate Khaled Hossain Mahbub Shamol said they along with people would counter any attempt to rig the polls.
BNP central leaders Barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah, Nazrul Islam Khan, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Osman Faruk, Amanullah Aman, Dr Mosharraf Hossain, Shaheed Uddin Chowdhury Anee, Fazlul Haque Milon, Juba Dal president Moazzem Hossain, Chhatra Dal president Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, among others, were present.
Around 3.1 lakh voters would exercise their franchise at 226 polling centres tomorrow.