No-one should dare think about poll rigging, says Chittagong City police chief

Chittagong City police chief has urged voters to exercise their franchise, promising to ensure hassle-free voting.

Police Commissioner Abdul Jalil Mandal also warned against attempts to rig votes.

Speaking to bdnews24.com on Thursday on the law and order situation ahead of the ensuing city polls, he said the city was “safe”.

“[We’ll make sure that] voters can cast their votes in a cheerful environment on Apr 28,” he said.

The polls are likely to be hotly contested between ruling Awami League and BNP-endorsed candidates.

The previous Chittagong mayor, M Manjur Alam, supported by the BNP, had defeated the Awami League-backed ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury by 95,000 votes in 2010 polls.

The BNP, which boycotted the 2014 parliamentary polls, hopes to repeat history.

Voting will take place at 719 polling centres in 41 Wards. Altogether 12 are in the fray for the mayor’s office and 276 others are fighting for councillors’ posts.

“If any candidate or his supporters think of snatching ballot boxes during, they’re living in a fool’s paradise,” the police commissioner said.

The BNP has been expressing fears of foul play by the ruling party-backed candidate and demanding army deployment a week before the polls to ensure ‘free and fair’ balloting.

“Chittagong City is still safe,” the commissioner said. “Police are [capable] of providing security to the city and the polling stations.”

But, he said, army could be called out if necessary.

RAB and BGB troopers will be on patrol on the day.

Mandal said they had marked 591 centres as ‘important’, which are either near the candidates’ residences or are difficult to go reach.

Additional police and Ansar personnel will be posted at these voting centres.

Police have set up checkposts at various points in the city and increased vigil to prevent possible troublemakers from entering the city apart from raiding for arms and detaining those likely to cause mischief.

The BNP has alleged obstructions to their campaigns with the election office of one of their endorsed candidates at Biazid area being vandalised recently.

“Vandalising an election office is a crime,” Mandal said. “A case has been filed over the incident and we’re looking into it.”

He said there was no ‘political pressure’ on them in discharging their duties.

“We’re working under the Election Commission now,” he said replying to a question. “There’s no pressure.”

Mandal said they were also vigilant to prevent “vote trading” before the poll night.

The Chittagong Metropolitan Police Commissioner, who took over on Sept 22 last year, came into the limelight for his crusade to clean up the city streets, its gutters, freeing the footpaths of encroachments and removing billboards.

He was cautioned by the returning officer for telling voters, “Please don’t elect anyone so that I have to hit the streets with brooms again.”

“I venture outside my duties and clean roads and gutters. No matter whoever is elected, I’ll resume those activities from May 2,” the police commissioner added.