BNP demands Khulna DC, Gazipur SP’s withdrawal GAZIPUR, KHULNA MAYORAL POLLS
Desk Report || Today Times
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Thursday demanded immediate withdrawal of Khulna metropolitan police commissioner and Gazipur police superintendent for ensuring free and fair voting in the two cities scheduled for May 15.
A BNP delegation led by its standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan placed the demand to chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda at the Election Commission.
After a two-hour meeting with the commission Moyeen Khan told reporters that the police and other members of law enforcement agencies were making wholesale arrest BNP leaders and activists and intimidating them.
He said that the law enforcers were working to drive out the supporters of BNP’s mayoral and councillor candidates from their areas.
At a press conference at BNP central office, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi renewed their demand for the deployment of army in the two cities to bring back voters’ confidence in fair polls.
Rizvi alleged that the ministers and ruling AL members of parliament were violating the election code of conduct repeatedly holding meetings with local administrations.
He also alleged that the two city areas turned into a sanctuary of criminals as ruling AL armed activists took positions there under the shelter of the administrations.
correspondent in Khulna reported that BNP mayoral candidate Nazrul Islam Manju suspended electioneering Thursday morning protesting at the arrest of 19 BNP leaders and activists in Khulna.
He also threatened not to resume electioneering until the detained were released.
He, however, resumed the electioneering at about 4:00pm.
AL mayoral candidate in Khulna Talukder Abdul Khalek said that the BNP candidate was hunting a chance to skip from the polls sensing defeat.
Police arrested BNP 19 leaders and activists, including its city unit publicity affairs secretary Asaduzzaman Murad, Juba Dal president Mahbub Hossain, district unit president Mostafaul Bari Lavlu and district unit Chhatral Dal general secretary Golam Mostafa Tuhin at places in Khulna city Wednesday night.
Nazrul Islam Manju alleged that the law enforcers were trying to terrorise BNP leaders and activists to keep them away from electioneering.
He also alleged that Awami League people were violating the election code of conduct but the commission paid no heed to his allegation.
At views-exchange meeting hosted by the commission in Gazipur, election commissioner Mahbub Talukdar urged all concerned to hold the election to Gazipur City Corporation in a free and fair manner.
He said that the election would not be meaningful if a level playing field was not ensured.
correspondent in Gazipur reported that BNP mayoral candidate in Gazipur city Hasan Uddin Sarkar announced a 19-point electoral manifesto.
Reaffirming his commitment to make efforts to resolve different problems in the city, Hasan Uddin announced the manifesto at a briefing at his Auchpara house at Tongi.
The 19-point manifesto includes launching master plan for the city corporation, solving water stagnation, providing safe water to the city dwellers, ensuring health care and safe food for people, launching housing projects for working class people, building a new city corporation building, providing citizen services, tuning with other service providing organisations, bringing positive impact in the education and transport sectors, enhancing public security with CCTV cameras, limiting pollution and ensuring proper waste management.
Ruling Awami League candidate Jahangir Alam termed the manifesto ‘unrealistic’ and claimed that BNP and its candidate were doing fraudulence with the people.
