RCC polls: Campaign ends amid fears of violence

As election campaigns for Rangpur City Corporation ended at midnight, the Election Commission said there were concerns over violence at almost one-third of the 229 polling centres.

There will be a five-tier security arrangement and additional law enforcement at those 86 centres "for the sake of fair election", Abdul Baten, the returning officer to oversee the RCC election, told reporters in Rangpur yesterday.

Electronic voting machines will be used at all the centres covered by CCTV cameras, said Baten, also the director general of the Electoral Training Institute.

Police, the Border Guard Bangladesh and Rab will be deployed during the polls on December 27. Besides, 33 executive magistrates and 16 judicial magistrates will be deployed to take legal actions against rule violators, he added.

On the last day of the 17-day electoral campaign yesterday, the mayor and councillor aspirant made pledges of development among the 4.26 lakh voters.

Nine individuals are running for mayor, including ruling Awami League nominee Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia and Jatiya Party nominee Mostafizar Rahman. AL leader Latifur Rahman is running as an independent. The BNP boycotted the election. Besides, 251 people are running for the 44 councillor posts, according to EC.

Yesterday morning, Dalia and her followers campaigned in Hanumantola and Mostafizar in Alamnagar. They travelled to different neighbourhoods asking constituents to vote until late last night.

"Many voters are not familiar with the EVMs. We are not sure whether misuse of technology can lead to irregularities,"  Mostafizar told reporters on the campaign trail.

Around 3,500 EVMs and enough technical assistants are here to hold the elections fairly, the RO said.